24 Hours Hotline: +86 137-3541-1378
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24 Hours Hotline: +86 137-3541-1378
Email:[email protected]
Overview
Shanghai's Longtang also Known as the Beijing's Hutong, The differences between the two are strikingly visible. Hutongs are short, while longtangs are taller, with two or three stories, towering above the mazes within. They’re something like the capillary vessels of a city. Life pulses through these narrow streets, there is a rhythm here.
History & Background
Shanghai has long been a city of immigrants. The first explosion came in the 1840s, when the Qing Dynasty was forced to sign Britain’s “Treaty of Nanking.” Under this agreement, China opened five ports for foreign trade with low tariffs—Shanghai was one of them. Westerners flooded the city, and built their own neighborhoods. Chinese also flooded in, taking advantage of the new work opportunities, and seeking refuge from the Taiping Rebellion, a violent farmers’ uprising of the south. The sudden influx of Westerners and rural Chinese, and their cultural mixing, is what led to the unique architecture of the longtangs.
Built to accommodate the city’s new residents, the original longtangs were miniature, compact neighborhoods, made up of small wood buildings. Inside one longtang, there were many alleyways, labyrinth-like, but only one exit: a single metal gate, which led to the main street.
A large variety of housing styles are called "lilong residences" in Shanghai. Of these, the best known and most characteristic is the shikumen (???), two- or three-storey terrace houses with a wall and large gate in front of each dwelling. Other types include the more modern "new style lilong" (????); the simplified "Cantonese style lilong" (????); the high-end villa-like "garden lilong" (????); and the higher density "apartment lilong" (????). Colloquially, they are referred to as "lilong houses" or, as an English translation, "lane houses".
Chinese character for "long"
In simplified Chinese confusion is sometimes caused between lòng ("alley" traditional Chinese ? or ?) with the verb nòng (meaning "tamper with" traditional Chinese ?) since both have been simplified down to "?" by removal of the radical (a hand-radical shou-bù ? in the case of "tamper with", a walk-radical compounded from chì? "step" and chì ? "step" on both sides of the phonetic ? "public" in the case of "alley"). In simplified Chinese the two characters are now written the same way, but the two different pronunciations are still retained in standard Mandarin, where only context indicates whether to read lòng or nòng. However, in Shanghai dialect the verb is also pronounced long.
As to the traditional Chinese character for "long", the form "??" has been in use since at least the end of the 19th century, but even 19th century scholars posited that the "correct" written form of "long" should be "?".
Prev: Lupu Bridge
Duration：6-8 Hours
Attractions(Cities)：Yuyuan Garden & Bazaar, Nanjing Lu (Nanjing Road), Jade Buddha Temple, Old French Concession
Tour Style：Incredible Shanghai Highlights Day Tour suits travelers with just one day to see the city. A knowledgeable private Shanghai guide covers the main sights in a well-paced order, with commentary on local history, daily life, and how the city has changed. You can follow a ready-made plan or adjust it to your own interests. The route runs from the Bund waterfront and the Pudong skyline to the old lanes around Yuyuan and a slice of the Former French Concession, so you leave with a balanced first view of Shanghai. It works well for a short stay, a layover day, or anyone who wants the essentials covered in a single efficient day.
Duration：10 - 12 hours
Attractions(Cities)：The hangzhou Westlake(includingThree Ponds Mirroring the Moon), Guo Garden, Drangon Well Tea Plantation, Bamboo lined path at Yunqi, Hefang Street.
Tour Style：This day trip links Shanghai to Hangzhou by coach and takes in the West Lake area at an easy pace. Start with a boat ride on West Lake to see the causeways and the hills across the water. Walk through a classic Hangzhou garden built along the shore, then head to Meijiawu, a tea village where you can watch Longjing leaves picked and roasted and drink a cup at the source. Near Yunqi there is time for a short walk through bamboo groves and shallow streams. The day ends on Hefang Street, the old market lane, for local snacks and handicrafts before the return to Shanghai.
Duration：9-10 hours
Attractions(Cities)：Lingering Garden, Panmen Gate, Hanshan Temple, Shantang Street
Tour Style：Book this Shanghai to Suzhou day trip and reach Suzhou by bullet train in under 30 minutes. With a private guide you move through the old canals, stone streets, and classical gardens of the city. Entrance tickets are booked ahead, so you skip the ticket lines and start walking right away. The plan covers the well-known gardens and the narrow lanes beside the canals, and can be adjusted to what you want to see. It suits travelers who want a calm, well-organized look at the canal-and-garden heritage of Suzhou in a single day from Shanghai.
Duration：2 Days, 1 Night
Attractions(Cities)：The Bund, Shanghai Tower, Nanjing Road, Old French Concession, Yuyuan Bazaar & Snack Street, Disneyland Park
Tour Style：This Shanghai vacation package is planned for families traveling with children. A private guide who works well with kids keeps the pace easy, builds in breaks, and explains each stop in a way both children and adults follow. The route covers Disneyland Park for rides and shows, the old snack and food street for local flavors, and the city skyline along the Bund and Shanghai Tower, with a walk through the old French Concession. Every stop has a real story behind it, so parents get the history and the children get something to look at. The mix of park time, food, and sightseeing is arranged to suit the interests of the whole family in one Shanghai day.
Duration：5 Days, 4 Nights
Attractions(Cities)：Hangzhou: Westlake, Lingyin Temple, Leifeng Pagoda, Longjing Tea Village... Suzhou:Lingering Garden, Hanshan Temple, Tongli Water Town
Tour Style：Above there is heaven, below are Suzhou and Hangzhou is an old saying, and this 5-day tour covers all three cities on one private itinerary. A guide and a private vehicle handle the transfers between Shanghai, Suzhou, and Hangzhou, so language and logistics are not your problem. The route gives you time on West Lake, a slow look inside a classical Suzhou garden with its rockeries and covered walkways, and a view of how people live and work in each city. You also visit a tea village south of Hangzhou and walk old streets that predate the modern skyline. It is a full introduction to the Yangtze delta for travelers who want the three cities covered together, at a steady pace, without arranging trains and tickets on their own.
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