Zhu Jia Jiao - Watertown

Zhu Jia Jiao is about 1 hours drive from our home in Pudong.  It is pretty much due west of Shanghai.  During this week we borrowed an executive's minivan and driver so getting to the town was very easy.  These little towns were built many years ago along a canal to help with transporting goods and as a survival (drinking, bathing, fishing).  This town was 1400 years old.

It was stinking hot on the day we went, it was about 100 F and humid.  August here in Shanghai was very hot and humid this year with many days greater than 100F (40C).  Since it was so hot we spent only a few hours walking around, eating a little and buying a few local items.  

This was an art museum.  The paintings were beautiful.

Many scenes represented events or daily activities.

Baby turtles, hundreds of them.

Parkeets and other cool birds.  Somehow
I dodged the bullet of bringing one of these
loud beasts home!

A rice paddy.  Its the first one that I've seen in person.

Ok, here is one of the canals.  Homes built right up along the
edge.  Usually with little steps out the back.  It's no Venice...

This was the 1880s mail office.

Family picture out the back of the mail office.

Dad and kids resting after the mail room.  It had a little AC
in there but not enough to keep us cool very long.

The old British mailbox.

We stopped in for lunch at a hidden restaurant.  The building
in itself was like a museum.

Bridges are what make a water town the attraction.  This is
an old covered bridge that had plenty of traffic.

Some were tall bridges and some were big.

This was a large garden that had different buildings for resting,
meeting, eating, etc.

An ornate stairway.

Still in the garden.

Plenty of bridges in the garden.