With the Dragon Boat Festival holiday approaching, why not take your children on an unforgettable family trip from Shanghai? The Shanghai area is rich in tourism resources, whether it’s islands, ancient towns, villages, famous historical sites, or intangible cultural heritage.
There’s always something suitable for you. Let’s explore the best family-friendly destinations around Shanghai and give your children a memorable Dragon Boat Festival holiday.
1.Lili Ancient Town
A small town that retains its ancient flavor, Lili, formerly known as “Pear Blossom Village,” is one of the “Four Lis of Jiangnan” and has a history of 2,500 years.
The ancient town still maintains the charm of the Ming and Qing dynasties, with 97,000 square meters of Ming, Qing, and Republic of China architecture. The ancient town is centered around a “T”-shaped market river, with 115 alleys distributed like a fishbone.
Far from the hustle and bustle, there is a sense of seclusion and tranquility.
Lili’s specialty foods include “spicy chicken feet,” “layered intestines” with dozens of layers of large and small intestines, and “oil dumplings” that are completely different from regular oil dumplings… There are countless famous historical sites and delicacies.
📍 No. 30, Hujing Street, Wujiang District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province
2.Nanxun Ancient Town
“Having seen ninety-nine of Jiangnan, it’s not as good as taking a walk in Nanxun.” Nanxun’s small bridges over flowing water, pavilions, and terraces are all typical of Jiangnan’s small courtyards, with a graceful and charming beauty at every step.
Meat lovers must try the “Xun Trotters.” There are also many century-old shops on the popular East Street in the ancient town, such as “Xun Wine Workshop” and “Wild Water Chestnuts,” presenting a charming Jiangnan scenery among the small bridges and flowing water.
Nanxun is the most patient of all.
Zhouzhuang has the square and round double bridges painted by Chen Yifei, and Wuzhen has the Lin Family Shop described by Mao Dun.
Nanxun, on the other hand, quietly guards her rich cultural heritage, waiting for the travelers who truly understand her, without any complaints.
📍 No. 51, Renrui Road, Nanxun Town, Nanxun District, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province
3.Tangqi Ancient Town
The top of the “Ten Famous Towns in Jiangnan” during the Ming and Qing dynasties, its unique water street market features and strong historical and cultural atmosphere are irreplaceable.
The ancient town still preserves relatively intact ancient streets, corridors, and buildings.
Only by crossing an ancient bridge on the Grand Canal can you enter the scenery outside the hustle and bustle; only by tasting the snacks on Shuibei Street can you taste the most authentic delicacies in Hangzhou; only by passing through the stone-paved alleys can you see the local traditional life.
Thousands of boats compete on the Grand Canal, and people are bustling on both banks. That prosperous and lively era has now returned.
📍 Tangqi Town, Yuhang District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province
4.Shaxi Ancient Town
Brushing off the dust of a thousand years of history, Shaxi perfectly preserves the unique water town features and traditional architectural layout of “one river, two streets, three bridges, and one island,” a model of Jiangnan water towns.
As a typical Jiangnan small town, Shaxi is densely covered with numerous clear streams and small rivers, like meridians.
The two major rivers, Qipu River and Hengli River, run through the entire town from east to west and south to north. The water veins are winding, and the tides are graceful. The riverside residences seem to be from yesterday; the stilted buildings with uneven tile gaps, the floor-to-ceiling windows between the river sheds, the revetments, boat docks, and water bridges.
There are also several ancient bridges from the Ming and Qing dynasties lying like rainbows, forming a unique waterfront scenery that puts people in a realm of Tang and Song poetry and Ming and Qing paintings.
Strolling through the ancient town, there are no fences of scenic spots here. They blend with the streets. Various Ming and Qing waterfront buildings, ancient alleys, ancient bridges, gray walls, bluish-green tiles, reddish-brown wooden windows, smooth yet uneven stone-paved roads, and former residences of historical and cultural celebrities.
Every place the eye can see seems to tell the life stories of the old street over thousands of years.
📍 Baiyun Middle Road, Dongshi Community, Shaxi Town, Taicang City, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province
5.Yuyuan Road
The sweetest street with a bursting sweetness level
Shanghai’s sweetest plane tree-lined street, a paradise for those with a sweet tooth. It’s no exaggeration to say that it’s the ceiling of Shanghai’s desserts.
There are more than 10 popular dessert shops on one street, with a total of 870,000 collections and more than 30,000 reviews. Each shop is an old “netizen” and has been seen countless times on the homepage.
The ceiling of almond croissants that people squat to snap up, the only Budapest cake in Shanghai, the frequently sold-out Chinese-style sweet soups, the monster shaved ice from variety shows… Almost every shop is on the list of various dessert rankings.
The top 1 is also a constant battle, absolutely the headquarters of sweet and explosive products.
📍 Yuyuan Road, Shanghai
6.Changshou Road
The busiest food street in Putuo District
Changshou Road, with one shop every 10 steps, is the notorious “fattening street” in Putuo District. Various snack shops are blooming everywhere, and big restaurants for main meals also fill the entire street.
Friends living outside the Outer Ring Road say that even if they live dozens of kilometers away, they inevitably often have the experience of gathering and eating on Changshou Road, let alone the residents living nearby. This place is the only designated cafeteria besides home.
Local cuisine, snacks, Japanese cuisine, hot pot, desserts… This is a night market street occupied by all kinds of delicacies, where popular new stores gather, and veteran and divine stores are the primary choice.
📍 Changshou Road, Shanghai
7.Jialing Road
The carbohydrate street that dominates an area
Shanghai’s magical “carbohydrate street” is quite famous within a few kilometers.
Although it’s called a street, it’s actually only a small section of about 110 meters on Jialing Road. However, it gathers about 22 carbohydrate shops with more than 40 types of carbohydrates. One type a day, and you can go a month without repetition.
Single items start from 0.7 yuan, with an average price of 2 to 6 yuan. It’s no exaggeration to say that it’s the easiest place for poor working people to survive in Shanghai.
Not to mention fruits, vegetables, poultry, fish, and grains, there are also specialized stores for bacon, eggs, noodles, and dried tofu. Even pork has refined classifications of black-haired pigs and Chongming grass-fed pigs.
For friends who love to cook, if you come here to practice for a while, you’ll probably all come out as great chefs!
📍 Jialing Road, Shanghai
8.Tanhuawan Country Hotel
360° fully transparent starry countryside
There are 6 rooms with 360° fully transparent starry sky, each accommodating 10-12 people, allowing you to enjoy country cuisine under the stars!
The outdoor earthen stove is full of childhood memories. It’s truly a pleasant surprise to taste this flavor again now!
Gather with friends, and for a long-awaited reunion, you must express your good friendship with country-style dishes~
There is also an outdoor self-service barbecue area, providing a barbecue site, grills, and charcoal. You can grill however you want, making it a great place for friends to gather!
📍 No. 3888-C4, Lianyang Road, Baoshan District, Shanghai
9.Yue Cheng No. 3 Farmhouse
Antique-style green cuisine
The fragrance of wine is not afraid of deep alleys, and this shop is indeed very famous. With a three-story villa, two glass houses, and a Chinese-style courtyard, it has quite a lot of heritage.
Chongming dishes emphasize freshness. Seafood is cheap and in large portions, and vegetables are particularly crisp, turning simple ingredients into very enticing dishes.
Parking is free here, and there is a play area for children in the courtyard. With a great environment and delicious dishes, it’s no wonder business is so good, and it’s always bustling during holidays.
📍 No. 141, Hongtian Village, Hongtian Road, Chenjia Town
10.STAY VILLA Light Luxury Holiday Villa
China’s version of the Amazon, popular on Xiaohongshu
Just a ten-minute drive from Shanghai Disneyland, you can reach the STAY Villa, far away from the hustle and bustle and fast pace of Shanghai, making it very suitable for a relaxing getaway!
Covering an area of 4.6 square kilometers, it includes a farm, barbecue, water activities, and special handicraft activities, full of a sense of life! You can also experience country-style cuisine.
The chef will carefully select twelve seasonal ingredients and prepare an authentic country dish based on Chinese-style health principles. In the afternoon, you can take a speedboat and leisurely sway in the scenic lake, enjoying the moment of relaxation and ease~
📍 No. 287, Lianmin Village, Pudong New Area
Every trip is a new discovery, and every experience is a cleansing of the soul. New ways to travel around Shanghai not only provide us with opportunities to escape the city’s hustle and bustle but also open a window for us to understand nature, culture, and ourselves.
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