Stand at the junction outside Qibao station on Metro Line 9, turn left, and within a few hundred metres a huge gate opens onto a town of two canals, traditional houses and shops. That walk from the metro platform to the canal bank is the most direct introduction to Minhang: a suburban district of Shanghai where the old water town sits within easy reach of the city's transit network.
Minhang suits travellers who have already covered central Shanghai and want a half-day or full-day trip that does not depend on a car. The district is served by six metro lines, and its sights — a water town, three museums and two university campuses — are reachable by metro, bus or a moderate walk.
This guide covers the places worth your time in Minhang, ordered with the strongest first, followed by a one-day plan and answers to common questions.
Top things to do in Minhang
1. Qibao ancient town
Qibao is a small town of about two square kilometres crossed by two canals, lined with traditional houses, shops and restaurants. Tourism has been actively encouraged here, which makes it a good daytrip from central Shanghai; it can be touristy, but prices are comparatively cheap.
Take Metro Line 9 to Qibao station, leave by exit 2 and walk towards the road junction. Turn left and walk a few hundred metres south — the entrance is a huge gate on your left. Bus lines 4, 87, 91, 92 and 911 also stop near the gate.
2. Qibao temple and pagoda
The temple and pagoda sit in the east of Qibao town. Entry is only ¥5, and it is not very touristy compared with the main canal streets, which makes it a calmer stop within the same visit.
Combine it with the rest of Qibao on foot; the town is small enough to cover the temple, the distillery and the canals in a single outing.
3. Qibao distillery
The Qibao distillery (七宝酒坊) is at the centre of the town. It is one of the named stops within Qibao and fits naturally into a walk along the canals.
Pair it with the temple and pagoda in the east of town, then finish with a boat ride.
4. Boat ride on the Qibao canals
A quiet boat ride around one of Qibao's canals costs ¥10. It is a short, low-cost way to see the traditional houses and shops from the water rather than the street.
Do it as part of your Qibao visit rather than as a separate trip, since the canals are the spine of the town.
5. Embroidery at Mrs. Xie Ju Fang's shop
Mrs. Xie Ju Fang moved from Suzhou, the embroidery capital, and now makes her artwork in her shop at No. 70 Fuqiang Rd. Entry is free.
It is a small stop, so visit it while you are already walking through Qibao rather than making a dedicated journey.
6. Minhang Museum
Minhang Museum is at No. 1538, Xinzhen Road. It is a comprehensive museum with three permanent exhibitions: the 700-year history of Shanghai County, the Maqiao Culture with over 150 unearthed artifacts, and a collection of Chinese folk musical instruments numbering more than 300 pieces.
Allow time for all three exhibitions; the range from archaeology to musical instruments makes it the most varied indoor stop in the district.
7. Shanghai Aerospace Enthusiast's Center
This is a small museum at 7900 Huming Rd in the Caohejing High-Tech Area, with a selection of Chinese military planes mostly from the 1950s and 60s, Mao Tze Tung's personal plane, and a complete DC-8 you can walk through. There are also exhibition halls with small model airplanes and simulators that cost extra. Entry is ¥8.
To get there, take Metro Line 1 to Jinjiang Park and go through the underpass directly outside the station's only exit, turn left and walk about 1 km past an amusement park; the large DC-8 tail fin makes it obvious. Unless you are an enthusiast, you will probably be underwhelmed, so treat it as a specialist stop.
8. Shanghai Metro Museum
The Shanghai Metro Museum is at 1779 Wuzhong Lu, near Ziteng Lu, and presents the history and technology of Shanghai's urban transit system. Many exhibits are aimed at children. Entry is ¥30, free on Tuesdays, and it is open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:30 to 16:30.
Reach it by Metro Line 10 to Ziteng Road station, exit 1. Note that the brochure is in Chinese and only about half of the exhibits have English translation, and that the most entertaining features — the working model of Line 4, the subway driving simulation and the 5D movie — are very often out of service.
9. Shanghai Jiaotong University
Shanghai Jiaotong University, known as SJTU or "Jiaoda", is one of China's top technical schools, and its Minhang campus is the largest of its campuses. A free bus circumnavigates the campus, with the terminus just across from the main gate.
It sits near the south edge of Minhang on Dongchuan Road, east of the Metro Line 5 station named after the street. From the station, a taxi, a moderately long walk or the #3 bus will get you there.
10. East China Normal University
East China Normal University is just east of Jiaoda. Originally China's "normal universities" were teacher's colleges, but many, including ECNU, have expanded to teach a far broader range of subjects.
To see both campuses, go to Jiaoda and ride the free campus bus around to the East gate — the fancy Chinese-looking one, moved from the downtown campus to save it from road-widening work there — and walk across the street to the ECNU main gate.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Qibao ancient town. Take Metro Line 9 to Qibao station, leave by exit 2, turn left at the junction and walk a few hundred metres south to the huge gate. Walk the canal streets while the town is quieter, then visit Qibao temple and pagoda in the east of town and the Qibao distillery at the centre.
Afternoon: Take a quiet boat ride around one of the canals, then stop at the embroidery shop of Mrs. Xie Ju Fang at No. 70 Fuqiang Rd. If you have time left, continue to Minhang Museum at No. 1538, Xinzhen Road, for the Shanghai County, Maqiao Culture and musical instrument exhibitions.
Evening: Finish with the university end of the district. Go to Shanghai Jiaotong University, ride the free campus bus around to the East gate, and walk across the street to the East China Normal University main gate.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get to Qibao ancient town?
Take Metro Line 9 to Qibao station, leave by exit 2 and walk towards the road junction. Turn left at the junction and walk a few hundred metres south; the entrance is a huge gate on your left. Bus lines 4, 87, 91, 92 and 911 also stop near the gate.
Which metro lines serve Minhang?
Minhang is served by six metro lines: Line 1, Line 2, Line 5, Line 8, Line 9, Line 10, Line 17 and the Pujiang Line. Useful stops for visitors include Qibao on Line 9, Ziteng Road on Line 10 for the Shanghai Metro Museum, and Jinjiang Park on Line 1 for the Shanghai Aerospace Enthusiast's Center.
Is there a cheap way to get around the district?
Minhang has a public bicycle share scheme with more than 20,000 bikes available for free use, after a registration process. The metro network also covers the district, and the Luheng Road Comprehensive Passenger Transport Hub at Puxing Road No. 569 connects to Metro Line 8 at Luheng Road stop with bus lines to downtown Shanghai and 500 parking spaces.
When is the best time of year to visit?
Minhang has a humid subtropical climate. The average annual temperature is 16.5 °C, with July the warmest month at around 28.8 °C and January the coolest at around 4.9 °C. July is also the wettest month, so plan indoor stops such as the museums if you travel then.
Work out which metro line gets you to Qibao first, then build the rest of your Minhang days around it.