Plan a trip this May Day? Head to Shanghai’s Zhujiajiao Ancient Town for a wonderful holiday experience!
Zhujiajiao Water Town is in full swing to become the top destination for inbound tourists in China’s ancient towns. During the May Day holiday, it has prepared a splendid experience by combining intangible cultural heritage with coffee.
The town is showcasing over 30 intangible cultural heritage items during the holiday, while a coffee culture week is ongoing, presenting a magic fusion of culture and flavor.
A bustling scene in the town
Folk customs performed
Taste Traditional Delicacies
Sit by the river and sip a cup of “apo (granny)” tea with roasted green soybeans and Zhao’s dried bean curd. Stroll through the old streets and sink teeth into Haitang cake, zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), tabing (pancakes), and various rice cakes. Don’t forget to bring home some straw-wrapped pork, a local specialty.
Stay in a Town Guesthouse
This May Day holiday, stay in a local minsu (Chinese version of B&B) and explore cultural gems hidden in the old streets and alleys.
Choose a town guesthouse, live like a local for a day, and deeply experience the romance of this thousand-year-old town.
Traditional performance staged in the town
Watch a Boat Race
By the Fangsheng Bridge in Zhujiajiao, a water stage will be set up as inheritors of intangible cultural heritage will row fast boats, recreating the exciting scene of “fast boat race.” The classic percussion music will accompany the rowing, which is described as “gongs and drums make deafening sound, and boats dash out like an arrow.”
Tour Jiangnan Gardens
The beauty, elegance, charm, and liveliness of Jiangnan gardens like Kezhi Garden and Zhuxi Garden in the ancient town still fascinate people today. Wander through them to seek inner peace and appreciate the Jiangnan garden construction techniques, which integrate various arts and have unique aesthetic value.
Make rice cakes in the town.
Shop Creative Goods
The visa-free policy has heated up the “China Travel” trend, and Zhujiajiao Water Town provides convenient payment options for foreign tourists and will take more comfortable measures like “buy and refund immediately” for departure tax refunds to attract more foreign visitors to shop.
On the limestone paths of Xinfeng Road, you will experience many intangible cultural heritage skills such as Jiangnan crochet, water town lantern making, and cloth dyeing. Visit the Jiangnan intangible cultural heritage market.
Enjoy Cultural Performances
During the May Day holiday, in the ancient town, you can not only enjoy authentic Wuge (songs of Wu) and Jiangnan sizhu (string and wind music), but also encounter Kunqu opera pop-up performances on the water town’s rowing boats.
Near ancient bridges like Majia Bridge and Langqiao Bridge, enjoy close-up performances of classics like “The Peony Pavilion.” There are also performances of chuanquan, a form of Chinese martial arts called boat boxing, on Caogang River.
A bustling scene in the town
Chuanquan, a form of Chinese martial arts called boat boxing, performance
Experience Intangible Cultural Heritage Workshops
Taking a stroll on the ancient town’s streets. If you come across various ICH workshops like jiaobao (wild rice shoots) leaf plait, straw weaving, and single-piece cheongsam, don’t forget to step in and deeply experience the ancient town’s ICH.
Tourists are invited to experience ancient-style incense making on Caohe Street, explore gaofeng culture at Tong Tian He, and try hand at the paper-cutting workshop.
Gaofang is made of condensed liquid herbal medicines full of ingredients such as honey and brown sugar. Each paste is made according to a doctor’s prescription.
Taste coffee
The annual pet-friendly bazaar of the 2025 Best of Jiangnan Qingpu Coffee Culture Festival opened on Wednesday. The lakefront event on the banks of beautiful Dadian Lake gathers over 50 coffee brands from the Yangtze River Delta region, bringing a delightful feast of flavors.
Here, you can find refreshing Dai-minority-style coffee and drinks that innovatively combine pineapple and plum for a surprising taste experience.
This year’s coffee carnival also introduces many baking brands, as well as delicious glutinous rice and popular ice cream.