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Two Water Towns in the Qingpu District of Shanghai Semprebon

In the past, Zhujiajiao had 36 bridges, but substantial development focusing on tourism
only 20 of them have survived today. The economy and preserving its traditional
most important one is the Fangsheng Bridge, characteristics.
which was designated as “Liberate Living Plans followed, among which were the
Things” by Ronald Knapp [62] . The structure, “Zhujiajiao Central Town Strategic Plan
built in 1571, is a 72mr long, five-arch stone (2004)” and the “Zhujiajiao Control Plan
structure, rising 7.4 m above the Caogang (2005),” structuring three areas with different
River, and is considered as the largest of this functions. Fostered by a robust advertising
type in southeast China [Figure 6]. campaign, the tourism industry increased
rapidly, reaching a peak in 2002, when a
million visitors came to Zhujiajiao. Facilities
and services proliferated, financed by public
funding allocations and private initiatives,
and, in 2004, Zhujiajiao was enlisted as a top-
3
level tourism destination . In 2016, it was
appointed as one of the “Characteristic Towns
in China” [57] , and the number of tourists to
Zhujiajiao rocketed from one million in 2002
[57] to more than seven million in 2018 [66] .
Entrance gates to facilitate fee payments were
introduced [Figure 7], consecrating the
historical settlement to a touristic
consumption experience. The unexpected
pandemic outbreak severely impacted visitors’
fluxes. Although specific data on Zhujiajiao
Figure 6. Fangsheng Bridge in Zhujiajiao. Source:
Photo by Giulia Setti, 2018 are still unavailable, China’s Statistical
Yearbook registered less than half the number
Since the early 1990s, the possibility of of domestic tourists in 2020 compared to
tourism development started circulating 2019, while foreign arrivals were not yet
4
among local administrators under the aegis of reported [Figure 8] . In 2021, a dedicated
the general plans formulated by Zhujiajiao website appeared to illustrate all the services
Central Township and Qingpu District
Governments [57] . In 1997, the two authorities
endowed the Zhujiajiao Central Town
Development Coordination Group to
supervise the project. The transformations
started with public investments and incentives,
such as the 3-year zero-rental policy released
by the local government in 1997, which
stimulated private entrepreneurs to create new
activities in the food and commerce sectors,
giving impulse to building renovations or
reconstructions [57] . Additional and decisive
funding arrived with the well-known general Figure 7. One of the gates of Zhujiajiao where, until
plan for Shanghai of 2000, named “One City, 2008, entrance fees were charged to visitors. Source:
Nine Towns.” Zhujiajiao had to face Photo by the author, 2018

3 More detailed information is available at
https://www.shqp.gov.cn/english/investmentclimate/20180824/278620.html. Accessed August 24, 2022.
4 China Statistical Yearbook 2021. See: http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/ndsj/2021/indexeh.htm. Accessed August
24, 2022.

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