Fengjing, Venice of the East

The ancient town of Fengjing is about 35 miles outside of Shanghai. It is a water town, kind of like Venice but with pagodas. The day we visited was a little dreary. Maybe that was why there were few visitors. I also think it is not one of the well-known water towns. This made for a pleasant stroll through the town with our guide, Lily.

This town was also a former site of the People’s Commune and there are old offices and memorabilia from the days of Mao Tse-tung.

Local specialties: frogs and sticky rice with pork wrapped in bamboo leaves.

The town is known for its paintings. Many paintings can be seen on the walls of buildings.

Jinshan Peasants’ Painting originated and flourished in this town. We visited the nearby Jinshan Peasant Painting Academy. Not all the artists workshops were open, but we enjoyed walking through the area and visiting some of the local artists.