Taking an interesting stroll along Duhang Old Street

Credit: Ti Gong

Duhang Old Street in Pujiang Town of Minhang District is not a tourist site as such. Yet memories of its good old days and trivial aspects of its past life appeal to visitors.

Duhang is divided into the South, North, East-West and Middle streets. The South and North streets are shorter and narrower, whereas the East-West Street meanders further. Yaojiabang River runs parallel to the East-West Street. At the east end of the river there is the Longevity Temple.

In the west there used to be Duhang Middle School. As more people moved out of the area, the school was changed into a village office.

Not far away from Duhang Old Street is Minpu Bridge where visitors may spot the two smokestacks of the Wujing Thermo-electricity Factory on the opposite bank of the Huangpu River.

The architecture of the old street looks so diverse. Each house is different from the other.

There are Anhui-style horse-head walls, jiaoquan clan houses of rural Shanghai and zoumalou, a unique south China residential building style which has corridors horses can pass through.

The wooden carvings on the eaves are delicate or simple.

Credit: Ti Gong

A two-story red-stone villa in the Western style used to be the Duhang Branch of the Agriculture Bank of China. Its windows, walls and gates are decorated with arches.

A Zhao Family courtyard on the South Street is a rare jiaoquan house in this area and has been listed as a cultural relic by the district government.

The only neon light here belongs to a tavern. Next to it is the Duhang wet market, where colored fruits and vegetables, as well as jumping shrimps and fish may suddenly delight people.

The old street still maintains its vigor.

It is a common scene at 8am every day: A ferry boat discharges a group of passengers at the Duhang Ferry Station. The majority of them rush to their motorbikes. Soon they disappear in the distance, leaving others waiting at a nearby bus station.

The old street in the sunset looks like a painting, yet life in the street is all things on Earth.

Credit: Ti Gong

If you go:

Take Metro Line 8 and get off at Shendu Highway Station, or take a ferry boat from Wujing Ferry Station to Duhang Station if you are in the west side of the Huangpu River.