Nanxiang Ancient Town (南翔古镇)

Water town · Jiading · Shanghai. Home of the xiaolongbao: twin brick pagodas, canal lanes and Guyi Garden next door.

Source: https://chinafootnotes.com/places/nanxiang-ancient-town · Data checked 2026-10-02 · Rendered for 2026-10-03 (Asia/Shanghai). Facts carry their status; "not found yet" means we searched and found no reliable source.

Notices in effect

• 2026-09-29 to 2026-10-07: 2026 Nanxiang Guochao Festival: 'Galaxy of Dumplings' light installations, evening boat performances on the Hengli River and Zouma Pond, markets, esports final 5 Oct at the sunken square west of the Twin Pagodas.

Why go

Nanxiang (南翔古镇) in Jiading is where the xiaolongbao soup dumpling comes from. Its compact old streets hold a pair of Song-style brick pagodas, a temple founded in 505 and a small Ming scholar's garden, with Guyi Garden, one of Shanghai's five classical gardens, next door. Allow about 50 minutes from Jiangsu Road by Line 11 and on foot.

What to do

• Eat xiaolongbao where they began. Nanxiang xiaolongbao-making is on Shanghai's intangible cultural heritage list, and old-name shops line the streets. The old-street shop at 137 Shengchan Street opens 08:30–17:00.
• See the Twin Pagodas and temple. The brick Twin Pagodas (南翔双塔) stand near Yunxiang Temple (云翔寺, 100 Renmin Street), first founded in 505 as the White Crane Nanxiang Temple. The temple is free and opens 08:00–16:00.
• Visit Tan Garden. Tan Garden (檀园, 5 Huntang Lane (混堂弄5号)) is the rebuilt garden of Ming painter Li Liufang. Entry was ¥22, 09:00–17:00 in the 2021 tourism guide.
• Walk the canal lanes. Wander Jiefang Street (解放街) and Renmin Street (人民街): white walls, black tiles, cobbles and small bridges over the Hengli River (横沥河).
• Add Guyi Garden. Guyi Garden (古猗园, ¥12) is part of the same visit; see its own entry for gates and hours.

• Don't miss: The xiaolongbao-themed post office at 32 Jiefang Street, with dumpling stamps downstairs and Jiading crafts upstairs.

• Best time: Weekday late morning, lunch for dumplings
• Skip if: Skip it on a short trip if you are not curious about dumplings; Zhujiajiao is the bigger water-town experience.

Practical details

• Hours: Streets open all day; sights about 08:00–17:00
• Sight hours come from a 2021 tourism-bureau guide.
• Admission: Free to walk in · Tan Garden ¥22
• Tan Garden (檀园): ¥22 — 2025 list price
• Guyi Garden (古猗园): ¥12 — Separate entry, see Guyi Garden
• Old streets and Yunxiang Temple are free.
• Booking: No booking
• Last admission: No entry cutoff for the streets
• Time to allow: 2–4 hr with Guyi Garden
• Getting there: Line 11 · Nanxiang · Exit 2 (1.4 km walk)
• Metro Line 11 to Nanxiang (南翔), Exit 2, about 18 min walk
• Show a taxi driver: 南翔古镇，嘉定区南翔镇解放街
• Map: Apple Maps · Amap 高德
• Tourism bureau: Exit 2, about 1,400 m on foot.
• Address: 南翔古镇老街，嘉定区 / Nanxiang Old Street, Jiading district. The government guide lists the local historical museum at 解放街260号 / 260 Jiefang Street; the town has no single entrance in this record.
• Foreign visitors: Free walk-in; no ID needed for the streets

Not found yet

• foreignVisitors.payment: No source on payment methods at dumpling shops or Tan Garden for foreign visitors. (searched: WebSearch, official, media)

Traveler tips

• Exit 2, then walk or take bus 111. Take Metro Line 11 to Nanxiang (南翔) and leave by Exit 2. The tourism bureau puts the old town about 1,400 m away, roughly 18 minutes on foot. If you would rather ride, Jiading bus 111 stops opposite Exit 2; get off at Dehua Road/Deyuan Road (德华路德园路) and walk about 5 minutes. Taxis wait at the foot of the steps from Exit 2. source
• Choose your dumpling shop carefully. Nanxiang xiaolongbao (南翔小笼馒头) making is on Shanghai's intangible cultural heritage list, and old-name shops line the streets. The tourism bureau lists the Old Street xiaolongbao shop at 137 Shengchan Street (生产街137号), open 08:30–17:00. Lunchtime queues are longest, so arrive before 11:30 or after 13:30. Caveat: Queue timing is editorial; current prices were not found. source
• Find the Twin Pagodas and temple. The Twin Pagodas (南翔双塔) are a pair of small brick towers in the old town. Close by, Yunxiang Temple (云翔寺, 100 Renmin Street) traces its founding to 505 as the White Crane Nanxiang Temple. It is free and opens 08:00–16:00, so visit before late afternoon. source
• Pay ¥22 for Tan Garden. Tan Garden (檀园, 5 Huntang Lane (混堂弄5号)) is the rebuilt private garden of Ming-dynasty painter and seal carver Li Liufang. It is small — 30 to 60 minutes is enough — and costs ¥22 (2025 list price), open 09:00–17:00 in the tourism bureau's guide. Do it if you love gardens; otherwise save your time for Guyi Garden. source
• Post a card from the dumpling post office. At 32 Jiefang Street (解放街32号) is China's first xiaolongbao-themed post office. The ground floor sells dumpling-themed stamps and postcards, and upstairs is a small hall of Jiading intangible-heritage crafts. source
• Guochao festival, 29 Sep–7 Oct. For the 2026 National Day holiday Nanxiang runs its Guochao Festival: 'Galaxy of Dumplings' light installations along the old street, painted boats with performances on the Hengli River (横沥河) and Zouma Pond (走马塘) after dark, markets, and an esports final on 5 October in the sunken square west of the Twin Pagodas. Expect crowds; the town had over 4.5 million visitors by the end of August. source
• Do the old town and Guyi Garden together. Plan a half day: walk the old streets, Tan Garden and Yunxiang Temple in the morning (the temple closes at 16:00), eat xiaolongbao at lunch, then spend an hour in Guyi Garden (古猗园, ¥12) in the afternoon. Guyi's gate is on Huyi Highway (沪宜公路218号) at the edge of town. source
• Start at the local history museum. For background before you wander, the city guide lists the Nanxiang local history museum (南翔历史文化陈列馆) at 260 Jiefang Street (解放街260号), in the middle of the old street. A 2021 city tourism guide lists it as free, open 09:00–17:00 and closed Mondays. It explains the temple, the pagodas and the dumpling trade you will see outside. Caveat: Hours and free entry come from a 2021 city tourism guide; confirm current arrangements before visiting. source

Sources

• Shanghai Municipal People's Government (published 2024-03-18)
• Shanghai Municipal People's Government
• Shanghai Municipal People's Government (published 2024-03-18)
• Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism (published 2024-04-18)
• Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism (meet-in-shanghai) (published 2021-10-19)
• 上海静安 (Jing'an District media centre, via Tencent News) (published 2021-02-15)
• 上观新闻 via Sina (published 2026-09-30)
• Mandy (Almost Landing) (published 2020-08-23)
• Shentong Metro / Shanghai Municipal People's Government (published 2026-09-28)
• Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism (乐游上海) (published 2025-09-12)
• People’s Daily Online Shanghai (published 2026-09-29)
• Shanghai Jiading District Government