Exploring Shanghai: Gaobang Old Street

On January 12, 2022, at 12:34 PM, Gaobang Town in Pudong New District was designated as a fifth batc[...]

On January 12, 2022, at 12:34 PM, Gaobang Town in Pudong New District was designated as a fifth batch of Chinese Historical and Cultural Town. As an ancient town, Gaobang’s main attraction is its old street. The old street, located opposite the Seventh People’s Hospital and adjacent to Gaobang Port, includes both Gaobang West Street and Gaobang East Street.

Activities to enjoy in Gaobang Town include photography, self-driving, and gaining cultural insights. On October 31, 2021, with Shanghai weather being sunny to cloudy and temperatures ranging from 15 to 22 degrees, visitors could explore Gaobang Old Street starting from the Datong Road side. There are several historical buildings on the street that are open for free visits.

For those traveling by car, January 9, 2022, was a convenient day with overcast skies and light rain, and temperatures between 6.4 to 7.8 degrees. A large parking lot near Datong Road makes self-driving tours very accessible. The tour should begin by visiting West Street, where the three-hole bridge spans across Gaobang Port. Although distant chimneys somewhat mar the scenery, the area still offers a rich cultural experience.

Gaobang East Street, across Ji Jing North Road, is shorter than West Street and can be seen through at a glance. At the corner of Gaobang West Street and Ji Jing North Road, a small shop sells Gaobang Melon Cakes, which are quite delicious. The art of making these cakes is recognized as a Shanghai Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The following photos showcase Gaobang West Street. At the intersection of Gaobang Old Street and Datong Road, there is a KFC with distinctive architecture. We also enjoyed a meal there. Reflecting on photos from October 31 of the previous year, the KFC branch was under renovation at that time.On January 16, 2022, in Shanghai, the weather was cloudy to overcast with temperatures ranging from 5.6 to 10.7 degrees. My wife drove along Dongtang Road towards Gaobang, a route less traveled by most vehicles coming from Pudong Lujiazui. Instead, they usually take Pudong North Road and Zhangyang North Road, leaving Dongtang Road with very little traffic. The road is flanked by almost no residential areas, giving it a desolate and dilapidated appearance. Yet, Route 81, the oldest bus route in Pudong, still operates on Dongtang Road.

We visited Gaobang Old Street once again, including Gaobang Port. At the corner of Gaobang West Street and Ji Jing North Road, there’s a small shop selling Gaobang Melon Cakes, where we’ve made many purchases. They specialize in red bean melon cakes. The Gaobang Food Factory, located at the intersection of Gaobang West Street and Shu De Street, is known for its store that sells these cakes. The art of making Gaobang Melon Cakes is recognized as a Shanghai Intangible Cultural Heritage due to their flaky and crisp texture. While there are many melon cake shops on the old street, the most authentic and popular is the Gaobang Food Factory store. Each red bean melon cake is priced at 2 yuan.

On Shu De Street, we also found the ‘Old Changsha Stinky Tofu’ shop. At the other end of Shu De Street is Shi Jia Street. Shu De Street, less than a hundred meters long, serves as a connector between Gaobang West Street and Shi Jia Street. For parking, we used the old street parking lot on Datong Road. We parked for 1 hour and 7 minutes, incurring a fee of 10 yuan.