Departing from Shanghai, 2012 Rugao Taixing Self-Driving 2-Day Tour (Rugao Dinghui Temple, Shuihui Garden, Huangqiao Ancient Town)

April 21-22, 2012. Since we didn't want to travel during the crowded May Day Golden Week, we chose to take a self-driving trip on the weekend one week earlier. Our initial destination was Taizhou. However, when we tried to book rooms at Jinjiang Inn, all three locations in Taizhou were fully booked. Recalling that Shuihui Garden had been heavily promoted in recent years, with advertisements even seen on Shanghai city buses, we changed plans to stay overnight in Rugao and visited Shuihui Garden, which is praised as 'the only surviving example of Huizhou-style garden.' Although Rugao is a county-level city, the area around the moat has considerable ancient charm. Among them, Dinghui Temple is a rare temple with its main gate facing north. Additionally, the old residential architecture in Rugao's urban area is very distinctive, not inferior to the streets and alleys of Huangqiao Ancient Town in Taixing. After half a day sightseeing in Rugao, we spent the other half in Huangqiao Ancient Town in Taixing, about 30 kilometers west of Rugao. Although neither Rugao nor Taixing Huangqiao are well-known tourist destinations, it was my first visit and it brought a lot of novelty. On the way back to Shanghai, we took a detour to Lüsigang Town in Qidong to buy seafood. In addition, on the outbound journey we passed through Taicang and had a meal of pickled cabbage and black fish soup. The entire trip covered a total of 532 kilometers. The photo below was taken at Rugao's moat.

April 21, 2012 (Rugao weather: overcast, 16 to 25 degrees Celsius)

Departed from home in Pudong, Shanghai at 12:45, taking the Middle Ring Road and Shanghai-Jiading Expressway. Unexpectedly, the Shanghai-Jiading Expressway was under construction, so we couldn't directly merge onto the Shanghai Ring Expressway. We took surface roads in Jiading District and then re-entered the Shanghai Ring Expressway.

At 13:25, arrived at the Nanxiang Toll Station on the Shanghai-Jiading Expressway, cumulative distance 30 km.

At 13:40, arrived at the Jiading Toll Station on the Shanghai-Jiading Expressway, cumulative distance 40 km. As the first expressway in China, this section of the Shanghai-Jiading Expressway from downtown Shanghai to Jiading town has been toll-free.

At 13:52, arrived at the Yongsheng Road Toll Station on the Shanghai Ring Expressway, cumulative distance 44 km.

At 14:00, arrived at the Zhuqiao Toll Station on the Yanjiang Expressway, cumulative distance 52 km, toll 10 yuan.

Although the Zhuqiao Toll Station of the Shanghai-Jiading Expressway is within Shanghai, there is still a distance to the expressway exit for Taicang city, but no additional fee is charged. The image below is a street view of Taicang. We first had pickled cabbage and black fish soup on Shanghai West Road.

We ordered a black fish weighing 3.1 jin (1.55 kg) at 36 yuan per jin.

Street view from the restaurant entrance.

G204 National Road.

At 15:36, arrived at the Taicang Main Toll Station on the Yanjiang Expressway, cumulative distance 78 km.

At 15:58, arrived at the South Toll Station of the Sutong Bridge on the Shenhai Expressway, cumulative distance 112 km.

Sutong Bridge: the crosswinds on the bridge were particularly strong, and we were required to limit speed to 60 km/h.

At 16:18, arrived at the Sutong Bridge Service Area on the Shenhai Expressway for a rest, cumulative distance 130 km.

At 16:54, arrived at the Rugao Service Area on the Shenhai Expressway, cumulative distance 185 km. Filled up with 93-octane gasoline for 215 yuan at 7.93 yuan per liter.

At 17:15, arrived at the Rugao Toll Station on the Shenhai Expressway, cumulative distance 203 km, toll 85 yuan.

At 17:30, checked into the Jinjiang Inn Rugao Zhongshan Road branch, with member discount 152 yuan per night. This is the view of Rugao city taken from the 8th floor guest room. Total distance driven that day: 207 km.

The Jinjiang Inn is located at the busiest intersection in Rugao's urban area, next to Xinhua Bookstore. When I went downstairs to buy a map, I took a few street photos.

April 22, 2012 (Rugao weather: cloudy, 17 to 27 degrees Celsius)

Rugao Wenchang Pavilion.

Rugao Dinghui Temple, entrance fee 5 yuan.

Across the street from Dinghui Temple is Rugao Higher Normal School. The former site of Rugao Public Simple Normal School, seventh batch of national key cultural heritage units, ancient building category, dated 1903. Rugao Higher Normal School (formerly Jiangsu Second Normal University Branch) was founded in September of the 28th year of Guangxu reign (1902) of the Qing Dynasty, being the first standardized public normal school in China.

Shuihui Garden, entrance fee 50 yuan. Shuihui Garden, fifth batch of national key cultural heritage units, ancient building category, dated Qing Dynasty.

Shuihui Garden was first built in the late Ming Dynasty. It was the seclusion place of Dong Xiaowan, one of the 'Eight Beauties of Qinhuai', and Mao Pijiang, one of the 'Four Gentlemen of the Late Ming'.

An old street along the river leading out from Shuihui Garden.

Rugao East Street preserves architecture from the late Qing and early Republican periods. Somewhat dilapidated, but authentic.

Along S334 Provincial Road, from Rugao to Huangqiao Town in Taixing City.

Huangqiao Town in Taixing City, second batch of China's historic and cultural towns. In 1940, Chen Yi and Su Yu led the New Fourth Army across the Yangtze River, advanced east into Huangqiao, established the New Fourth Army Subei Command, formed the Tongru Jingtai Provisional Administrative Committee, commanded the world-renowned Huangqiao Battle, and opened up the Subei Anti-Japanese Base centered on Huangqiao. There are several national key cultural heritage sites in the town, left from the New Fourth Army revolutionary period.

The ancient town's characteristic residential houses are in Mi Lane and Zhu Lane.

New Fourth Army Huangqiao Battle Memorial Hall, free admission.

At 16:04, arrived at Geshi Toll Station on the Shanghai-Shaanxi Expressway, cumulative distance 289 km.

Traffic volume on the Shanghai-Shaanxi Expressway was significantly less than on the Shenhai Expressway.

At 16:35, arrived at Xingren Toll Station on the Shenhai Expressway, cumulative distance 343 km, toll 25 yuan.

Along S335 Provincial Road, heading to Lüsigang Town in Qidong City.

The following photos were taken at Lüsigang Town market. Belt fish, yellow croaker, swimming crab, squid, etc., commonly seen on Shanghai family dining tables, were particularly abundant.

At 18:42, arrived at Qidong North Toll Station on the Shanghai-Shaanxi Expressway, cumulative distance 437 km.

At 18:54, arrived at Chongqi Bridge Toll Station on the Shanghai-Shaanxi Expressway, cumulative distance 453 km, toll 25 yuan.

At 19:05, arrived at Gangyan Service Area on the Shanghai-Shaanxi Expressway to rest, cumulative distance 469 km.

At 19:41, arrived at Gaodong Toll Station on the Shanghai Ring Expressway, cumulative distance 516 km, toll 70 yuan.

At 20:25, arrived home in Pudong, total cumulative distance 532 km.