5 Best Side Trips Out of Shanghai

As the biggest and busiest city of China, Shanghai is never in shortage of roaring skyscrapers and glitzy malls. Full of bustle and hustle, it becomes one of the most-visited places in the world for a good reason. If having more than a couple of days in Shanghai, you shall consider a respite from the crowds and buzz, and there are plenty of destinations outside of Shanghai for side trips into the classic and rustic China.

As the doorstep of the Yangtze River Delta, Shanghai is a perfect tourist base to discover the neighboring cities within hours' ride like Hangzhou, Suzhou, Jiaxing and Nanjing, etc., which are brimming with rich highlights for day trips, such as classic garden clusters, water towns, tea plantations and historical monuments. Here we have rounded up a list of 5 best places for side trips from Shanghai to get you started a quick escape.

Reputed as the backyard of Shanghai, Suzhou is the most popular destinations for a day trip from Shanghai. There are frequent high speed trains running between these two cities, and the duration is no more than 30 mins. Suzhou is no doubt one of the most elegant cities in China by housing two great charms of the country, the traditional gardens and the ancient water towns.

• Suzhou Gardens

Famed as the mecca of oriental architecture, Suzhou boasts a remarkable cluster of traditional Chinese gardens surviving the modern forest of skyscrapers seemingly for thousands of years. Nine of them have been listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and two of which are prized China's most renowned treasures, including the Humble Administrator’s Garden and the Lingering Garden. If you seek a breath of fresh air outside Shanghai, the pristine beauty and tranquility of Suzhou gardens could be the best remedy.


• Water Towns

Hailed as Venice of the East, Suzhou in the Yangtze River Delta is teeming with aquatic canals and winding waterways. Along the canals are nestled some of the oldest and most charming dwellings and towns in the world, such as Zhouzhuang, Tongli, Luzhi and Mudu. The sophisticated water towns display a picturesque set with the crisscrossing waterways, whitewashed folk residences and narrow streets as well as outstretched gardens. You can either take a lazy stroll along a tree-shaded path, or enjoy a romantic gondola ride along the canals, or opt for a cup of herbal tea at a waterside teahouse. After all, slowing down is the Suzhou way of life.

Located about a short 45-minutes ride away from Shanghai by high-speed trains, Hangzhou is another captivating neighbor standing the test of time. Cut through by the famous Grand Canal, Hangzhou is regarded as the most livable city with a relaxing and refreshing lifestyle. Actually the city offers much more for tourists, especially the iconic West Lake and the Longjing Tea.

• West Lake

As an enchanting oasis perched in the city sprawl, West Lake is an extremely famous attraction in China that is depicted in many literature and art works throughout history. Surrounded by lush hills, West Lake is endowed with pristine and poetic beauty due to its leafy causeways, half-moon bridges, weeping willows and pavilions as well as lotus ponds. Running away from urban noise, you could enjoy a leisure walk or a cycling ride along the tree-shaded lake shoreline, or set sail a small boat to land the central islands for an excursion.


• Longjing Tea

Longjing Tea is a shiny namecard of Hangzhou for centuries. Literally Dragon Well Tea, Longjing is one of the finest and most famous green teas in China, which is particularly only cultivated in Hangzhou. Visiting a tea plantation would be a great bonus to your Shanghai side trip since you have a good opportunity to learn more about Chinese tea culture, and even pick the tea buds with your own hands, not just limited to a tea sipping experience.

• Lingyin Temple

Not far from the lakefronts, Lingyin Temple, aka Temple of the Soul's Retreat, is an undisturbed getaway included in most Shanghai-Hangzhou side trips. First built in 326AD, the ancient temple holds very peaceful and serene environment that is perfect for an immersive stroll. Another stunner of Lingyin Temple is the Buddha Grottoes carved into the rocks on Flying-over Peak.

Situated less than an hour train ride from Shanghai and Hangzhou, Jiaxing is a 2,000-year-old place little known by western travelers, but the small city boasts two of the most visited canal towns in the world, namely Wuzhen and Xitang.

Served as the venue of World Internet Conference, Wuzhen is an old town with a history of over 1,300 years. The town showcases a dreamscape of preserved folk houses set on crisscrossing narrow channels, where you can experience a taste of the former rustic life around the lower Yangtze delta. Moreover, Xitang has remained largely a rural township, where you may easily get lost in the atmospheric lanes, bridges and wooden dwellings as well as charming waterways. Other than a gondola ride, it is highly recommended to take a stroll along the covered corridor along the canals.

Huangshan is an easy side trip to start from Shanghai no matter you opt for a highspeed train ride or a land transfer journey. It is a rather popular tourist destination of mountain scenery for domestic tourists. If you've ever meet a classic Chinese ink painting, you probably see the iconic landscape of the Yellow Mountain.

Huangshan is well known for its four wonders, including the oddly-curved pines, grotesque granite peaks, sea of clouds and the hot springs. The sunrise and sunset are also awe-inspiring spectacles, but it needs some sort of luck for fine weather. At the foot of the Yellow Mountain sleeps several ancient villages like Hongcun, Chengkan and Nanping, all of which feature the ancient Hui-styled folk residences and idyllic slow-paced life of the locals. Definitely worthy of an adventure if you can squeeze a few hours after a mountain trekking.

Sitting around 200 miles inland from Shanghai, Nanjing enjoys a long and rich history since it served as the China's capital over several dynasties and eras. Nanjing boasts an array of historical and cultural heritages such as Sun Yatsen Mausoleum, Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall, the Former Presidential Palace and Ming Xiao Ling Tomb. They are the best echoes of the city's short but significant past, which are also the windows for visitors to fathom the link between the sights and the identity of the city. Furthermore, Nanjing is one of the cleanest and best-looking cities in China. Imbued with cultured and relaxing ambience, the city is blessed with wide and tree-lined boulevards that are perfect for a pace and a cycling ride.