Areas
Old City and Yu Garden
老城厢 / 豫园
The old walled Chinese county town: Yu Garden, the City God Temple, the last stretch of city wall at Dajing Pavilion, and the lanes that remain.
Best fortraditional lanestemples and gardens
Before the foreign settlements, Shanghai was a walled county town on the Huangpu, and this is where it stood. The wall was pulled down to make way for a ring road that follows its line, and inside it the streets are narrower than anywhere else in the city centre.
What to see
Yu Garden, a classical private garden of rocks, ponds and halls, and the City God Temple next to it are at the centre of a large bazaar of rebuilt shops in traditional style. Go early to see the garden before the crowds.
The one surviving piece of the city wall is at Dajing Pavilion, on the northwest side, where a temple pavilion stands on top of the wall and holds a small museum of the old city. The Shanghai Confucian Temple in the south is closed for renovation.
The lanes
Away from the bazaar the streets are narrow and residential. Shuyin Lou, an old mansion and private library, can be seen from its lane, but it is under repair and not open. Much of what you see here is ordinary neighbourhood life; that is the reason to walk it.
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Places to see
Temple· c. 1600
Chenxiang Pavilion
沉香阁Chénxiāng Gé
A small Old City nunnery that began in 1600 as a private pavilion for an aloeswood Guanyin statue, rebuilt in the early 1800s and restored in the 1990s.
Site· c. 1553
Dajing Pavilion
大境阁Dàjìng Gé
The last surviving stretch of Shanghai's 1553 county city wall, topped by a three-storey Guandi temple pavilion that now holds a small old-city museum.
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Temple· 1403–1927
Shanghai City God Temple
上海城隍庙Shànghǎi Chénghuángmiào
Shanghai's main Taoist city god temple beside Yu Garden, founded in 1403 and rebuilt in concrete in 1926-27 after a fire; reopened as a temple in 1995.
Temple· c. 1855–1856
Shanghai Confucian Temple
上海文庙Shànghǎi Wénmiào
Shanghai's Confucian temple, rebuilt on this site in the 1850s, closed for renovation in 2021; its Sunday old-book market now trades near Yu Garden.
Building· 1763
Shuyin Lou
书隐楼Shūyǐn Lóu
A 1763 Qing-era mansion and private library at 77 Tiandeng Lane, long privately owned and decayed, under emergency repair since 2021.
Church· 1847–1853
St. Francis Xavier Church (Dongjiadu Cathedral)
董家渡圣方济各沙勿略堂Dǒngjiādù Shèng Fāngjìgè Shāwùlüè Táng
Shanghai's first large Catholic cathedral, a Baroque church opened in 1853 by the Huangpu; its present opening status needs checking before a visit.
Site· 1917–1925
Xiaotaoyuan Mosque
小桃园清真寺Xiǎotáoyuán Qīngzhēnsì
Shanghai's largest mosque, rebuilt in 1925 with a minaret and four domes, on a quiet street in the old city; non-Muslims usually see the exterior only.
Park· 1559
Yu Garden
豫园Yùyuán
A Ming-dynasty private garden begun in 1559 beside the City God Temple, rebuilt after 19th-century damage and open to the public since 1961.
Shopping district
Yuyuan Bazaar
豫园商城Yùyuán Shāngchéng
The shops, tea houses and old-style market streets beside Yu Garden, a city-level commercial centre run by a listed company.
Also nearby
Temple
Baiyun Taoist Temple (White Cloud Temple, Shanghai)
白云观Báiyún Guàn
Temple· c. 1869
Cixiu Nunnery
慈修庵Cíxiū Ān
Site· 1870
Fuyou Road Mosque
福佑路清真寺Fúyòu Lù Qīngzhēnsì
Walks in Old City and Yu Garden
Where to stay
Staying in Old City and Yu Garden
Why stay here
- +Yu Garden and the City God Temple are a walk from the south end of the Bund.
- +Usually cheaper than hotels on the Bund itself for a similar location.
- +Yuyuan Garden station (Lines 10 and 14) is close to the garden.
Downsides
- −The bazaar around Yu Garden is very crowded, especially on holidays and in the evening.
- −Old houses in the lanes are lived in; walk quietly and do not go into courtyards.
Price level¥¥
Getting to and from
| Pudong Airport | 65 minLines 14 and 2 from Yuyuan Garden(estimate) |
|---|---|
| Hongqiao Airport | 32 minLine 10 from Yuyuan Garden(estimate) |
| Hongqiao Railway Station | 34 minLine 10 from Yuyuan Garden(estimate) |
| Shanghai Railway Station | 18 minLines 14 and 1 from Yuyuan Garden(estimate) |
Where to stay
Hotel recommendations for this area are being checked.
Getting here
Metro linesLine 10Line 14