Fengjing Ancient Town

A well-preserved water town on the border of Shanghai and Zhejiang, known as the birthplace of the folk painting genre Jinshan Peasant Art and far quieter than Zhujiajiao or Tongli.

Fengjing Ancient Town sits on the south-western edge of Shanghai municipality, straddling the historical boundary between Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. The town's founding dates to the Tang Dynasty, and its current streetscape reflects a combination of Song, Ming, and Qing construction periods. What makes Fengjing distinct among the greater Shanghai water towns is its twin identity as both a traditional canal settlement and the home of Jinshan Peasant Art — a distinctive folk painting tradition that emerged in the 1970s from the villages of the surrounding Jinshan district.

The Zhongfeng Bridge, a double-arched stone bridge of Song Dynasty construction, is the architectural centrepiece of the town. From the bridge, the canal view in both directions — stone-paved banks, overhanging willows, and grey-tiled buildings reflected in still water — is one of the most photographed scenes in any of the Shanghai water towns. Unlike some more heavily commercialised neighbours, a significant proportion of Fengjing's old buildings remain in residential use.

The folk art connection adds a dimension unique to Fengjing. The Jinshan Peasant Painting Institute and associated studios display works by local artists, whose bold flat-coloured depictions of rural life received considerable state patronage in the 1970s and 1980s. Several artists still work in and around the town and their paintings are sold directly from studios.

Fengjing also has a food and wine association: the town produces a locally consumed rice wine and several traditional preserved food products including red-braised pork in a distinctly local style.