4-Day 3-Night Tour of Liantang Old Street, Oriental Land, Nanxiang Ancient Town, and Guyi Garden (Staying at Hyatt House Shanghai Hongqiao)
Hyatt House Shanghai Hongqiao is quite convenient. From the metro station to Hongqiao Railway Station, exit from Area C, cross the overpass, and then just walk straight along Shenhong Road – you'll arrive. It's also very close to Hongqiao Tiandi. The hotel has a swimming pool, and in the afternoon we went swimming with the kid. It's billed as an Instagram-worthy infinity pool! Not many people were swimming, so it was really pleasant. Lunch and the next day's dinner were at the hotel – we had set meals. For four people, it was basically enough to fill us up. Great value!
From Hongqiao Hub West Transport Center, we took the Honglian scheduled bus. Just over an hour later, we arrived at Liantang Bus Station, and a 10-minute walk took us to Liantang Old Street. Unlike the commercialized Zhujiajiao Ancient Town, this old street is where local residents actually live – very tranquil. Perhaps because it was a Monday, Chen Yun's Former Residence was closed, but the Leaders' Memorial Hall was open. We went in to have a look and learn – it featured Chairman Mao, the ten founding marshals, Premier Zhou, and Grandpa Deng!
We ate at a restaurant on the old street, trying Liantang's wild rice stem, local free-range eggs, and wheat gluten stuffed with pork! The flavors were decent – good home-style cooking.
On August 17th, we took Line 17 from Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station directly to Oriental Land Station. We bought combined admission and shuttle car tickets for 100 yuan per person. The tram stopped at each scenic spot. We visited the Great Lawn, a huge natural green lawn, and the Fun Bridges, where we crossed a few simple ones with the kid. At the Kids' Challenge Park Brave's Path, we climbed rope nets and walked on a single-log bridge with the child, sweating buckets under the blazing sun. Truly a test of courage – it's great for building kids' willpower, fighting spirit, and facing challenges head-on! Afterwards, we went to the Green Energy Station to admire the beautiful Dianshan Lake. The sight was like the sea in Sanya – endless blue, with waves surging and undercurrents moving! The weather was sunny, with clear skies, white clouds, and blue heavens, sweeping away Shanghai's earlier gloomy and stormy days. Finally, we visited the aircraft carrier, viewing heavy weaponry like tanks, light arms, and more. We climbed onto the flight deck to see many fighter jets and helicopters, and spotted a submarine. We walked 18,000 steps – exhausting, but the kid had boundless energy. Back at the hotel, we went swimming again!
Today we visited Nanxiang Old Street and Guyi Garden, and ate Nanxiang xiaolongbao (soup dumplings). The taste was great, very authentic. Guyi Garden has a long and storied history. This Ming Dynasty garden, blending Suzhou and Hangzhou garden features, adds an emerald luster to the gem that is Shanghai. Its architectural artistry, plant arrangements, rock and water features, and paving patterns all exude an elegant, understated, and refreshing horticultural charm. A renowned classical garden of Jiangnan. Every step reveals a new view. Inside, there are pavilions, terraces, towers, and halls; pillars, rafters, and long corridors are carved with varied bamboo motifs. Small bridges over flowing water, rockeries, bamboo groves, and pavilions vividly express the Jiangnan garden style. Lotuses, towering ancient trees, lush grass, and lotus leaves burgeon with life, lifting the spirit.
