The Root of Shanghai‖Ancient Huating Citywalk One-Day Tour

[Shrine] Songjiang was formerly known as Huating and is the earliest core area of human activity and cultural origin in the Shanghai region. It is hailed as the root of Shanghai. Historically, Songjiang Prefecture existed before the formation of Greater Shanghai.

[Shrine] Take a Citywalk one-day tour in the former central area of Huating to experience the historical and cultural heritage as well as the new urban landscape of the root of Shanghai.

[Shrine] Songjiang Fangta Garden and Zuibaichi, two of Shanghai’s five major classical gardens, are located in the central area of ancient Huating and are the main check-in spots for the Huating Citywalk one-day tour. In addition, recommended check-in spots in the area include Yun Jian Granary, Songjiang No. 2 High School, and Sock Lane New Alley.

📝 Suggested Huating Citywalk Route:
In the morning, take Metro Line 9 to Zuibaichi Station. The first stop is Zuibaichi Park ➡️ Yun Jian Granary ➡️ enter Fangta Garden from the East Gate and exit from the North Gate ➡️ Songjiang No. 2 High School ➡️ Sock Lane New Alley. Please refer to the route map in the pictures [One][Nine].

[One] Zuibaichi Park
✔️ Zuibaichi is the oldest among Shanghai’s five classical gardens, with a history of over 900 years. It was originally the private garden “Guyang Garden” of Songjiang scholar Zhu Zhichun during the Northern Song Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, painter Dong Qichang once composed poetry and painted here. During the Qing Shunzhi period, Ministry of Works official Gu Dashen expanded and named it “Zuibaichi” inspired by Song Dynasty poets Han Qi and Bai Juyi, a name still used today.
✔️ Zuibaichi retains the typical Ming and Qing Jiangnan garden style, centered around a pond surrounded by winding corridors and pavilions, creating seasonal scenery: “visit peonies in spring, admire lotus in summer, appreciate chrysanthemums in autumn, and view plum blossoms in winter.”
✔️ The garden also features historic cultural buildings such as Chitang on the pond, Xuehaitang, Diaohua Hall, and the Dong Qichang Museum. It preserves artistic treasures like the Yuan Dynasty Zhao Mengfu’s stone carvings of “Former and Later Red Cliff Poems” and Qing Dynasty “Yunjian Bangyan Portrait” steles, as well as precious plants like century-old peonies and ancient ginkgo trees.

[Two] Fangta Garden
✔️ The site of Fangta Garden was originally the Xingshengjiao Temple, built in the second year of Qianyou in the Later Han of the Five Dynasties (949 AD). The temple’s tower, known as Fangta (Square Pagoda) due to its square base, is a rare example of a Song Dynasty wooden pagoda with a pavilion-style brick and wood structure in the Jiangnan region.
✔️ The Xingshengjiao Temple was completely destroyed in wars over the centuries, with only the Fangta surviving. In the 1970s, Fangta Garden was built around the pagoda, and many historical buildings from the Songjiang area were relocated here, making Fangta Garden a scenic spot rich in Songjiang’s historical and cultural heritage.
✔️ Besides the Fangta, the garden also features Ming Dynasty brick-carved screen walls, Tianfei Palace, and Sun and Moon Lake, among many other cultural and natural attractions worth visiting.

[Three] Yun Jian Granary
✔️ A cultural and creative park transformed from a historical grain storage area, featuring Yun Jian Art Museum, Locke Park, and other cultural and sports venues. It also offers dining options like Ancient Granary and Night Shanghai, as well as accommodation such as Manxin Hotel.
✔️ After leaving Zuibaichi, you can take a break at Yun Jian Granary, enjoy some coffee, have lunch, recharge, and then head to the East Gate of Fangta Garden.

[Four] Songjiang No. 2 High School
✔️ A century-old prestigious school that has nurtured many outstanding talents. Its school gate was originally built in the Song Dynasty and is known as the “First Tower of Yun Jian.” It was originally the bell tower of the Songjiang Prefecture office and was named during the Qing Daoguang period as the “Tallest Building in Songjiang.”
✔️ After exiting the North Gate of Fangta Garden, Songjiang No. 2 High School is directly opposite on the left.

[Five] Sock Lane New Alley
✔️ From the entrance of Songjiang No. 2 High School, head west, turn right at Tongbotang Bridge, and walk along the riverside scenic trail to Sock Lane.
✔️ In the past, Sock Lane had over a hundred sock shops selling summer socks made from Songjiang’s famous Youdun fabric, which were very popular and became a sock trading street distributed to various places. This former prosperity reflects Huang Daopo’s promotion of the flourishing Songjiang textile industry.
✔️ Today, Sock Lane has been transformed into Sock Lane New Alley Cultural and Creative Park, a multifunctional leisure and entertainment area with dining and vacation options. You can try the flavors of Zhejiang at restaurants like Zheli, enjoy a hearty meal, and then head home.

📍 Detailed Addresses:
Zuibaichi Park: No. 64 Renmin South Road
Fangta Garden East Gate: Fangta South Road, North Gate: No. 235 Zhongshan East Road
Yun Jian Granary: No. 327 Songhui East Road
Songjiang No. 2 High School: No. 250 Zhongshan East Road
Sock Lane New Alley: No. 32 Sock Lane