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Two Water Towns in the Qingpu District of Shanghai Semprebon

another significant feature: they are
incorporated into the urban fabric, but they
can be seen as both “distinctive from and
integrated into the field” [64, 65] . Chow also
remarked how the recent constructions in the
outskirts of Zhujiajiao followed alien
schemes, generating incongruent and
imbalanced relationships with the historical
parts.

Figure 3. Entrance gate to Mingyuewan Historic
Village, located in the south of Xishan Island in Lake
Tai. The settlement is designated as a historical and
cultural village, and a national agricultural tourism
demonstration pilot project. Source: Photo by the
author, 2017

4.2 Case one: Zhujiajiao Water Town as a
developed historical settlement
Zhujiajiao, which means “Zhu Family Corner”
[62] , is a famous historic water town in Qingpu
District. It is situated about 50 km from
downtown Shanghai, easily accessible to its
large population. Records of Zhujiajiao
history date back to the Song dynasty (960‒
1279) [57, 63] since the water town became an
important regional market site. However, the
characteristics of the built form forged during
the Ming (1368‒1644) and Qing (1644‒1911)
dynasties and continued to the present day
without traumatic changes, crossing a
flourishing age in the 1930s due to its bustling
market. Over the centuries, Zhujiajiao has
preserved its traditional built fabric, entering Figure 4. A typical lane of Zhujiajiao water town.
the new millennium’ with an almost entirely Souvenir shops pullulate along the touristic path,
representing an example of heritage commodification.
intact cultural legacy of local historic Source: Photo by the author, 2018
architecture and urbanism. The settlement’s
historic centre is still a maze of small lanes,
gardens, and mansions, generating a unique
built environment [Figures 4 and 5]. Renee Y.
Chow [64] realized the detailed representations
of Zhujiajiao’s urban tissue, compellingly
analysing the settlement’s latent
morphological structure. In particular, she
revealed how the two orders of relationships
and movements- related to tourists and
inhabitants- take place daily in two different Figure 5. Elevation along the canal of Zhujiajiao.
and transversal ways, rarely overlapping. Souvenir shops pullulate along the touristic path,
According to Chow, the location of representing an example of heritage commodification.
temples and other important buildings is Source: Photo by the author, 2018

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