Ancient Watertown

Tuesday morning we traveled 90 minutes from Pudong to Zhujiajiaozhen, a 1,700-year-old town on the banks of the massive Dianshanhu Lake. The town is filled filled with Venice-style canals, narrow lanes, small bridges and very old, connected buildings. We took a short boat ride down one of the canals and perused trinkets and interesting foods offered by local shop keepers. The highlight was a trip through the back alleys and small vegetable gardens where we saw more rural living conditions and got a small glimpse into people's lives outside of Shanghai.

As the heat was nearing 100 degrees F, we decided to head back after dining in a small air conditioned restaurant. This place has definitely become primarily a tourist destination, however it was still worth the trip.