Island Life in Chongming, Shanghai
It's only an hour's drive from downtown Shanghai but a world away from the bustle of the city. Xu Xiaomin and Cheng Sijia enjoy the natural delights of Chongming.
When I have a free weekend, my top destination for a quick getaway is Chongming Island. For time-poor travelers like me, the island is a perfect escape as it is only a one-hour drive from downtown Shanghai.
Chongming's location makes it an easy escape from the chaotic city, it is green and has fresh air, beaches, nice food andvery few people. Geographically Chongming, the country’s third largest island, is part of Shanghai, but it is a direct contrast to the chaotic city. To me, it is the closest haven for downtown city-dwellers to take a deep breath.
A green island
Many island residents may not agree with my assessment of their home. I have found most of the islanders view Shanghai city center as the big smoke, referring to visits to the city as "going up to big Shanghai". They call Chongming "xiangxia" (village). The word denotes a humble place.
Twenty or 30 years ago Chongming may have been a kind of xiangxia to downtown residents, who looked down on people from outside Shanghai. During the "cultural revolution" (1966-1976), Shanghai's educated students were ordered by chairman Mao Zedong to travel to villages around the country to learn about rural life. Chongming was one of the rural areas to receive and educate the youngsters through harsh living conditions and farm work. Even today, many places in Chongming retain their names from this period, and are known as Long March and Red Star farm, names that carry the memories of a generation.
Today, Chongming has long shrugged off the harsh living conditions of yesteryear, but residents still look upon Shanghai city center with something approaching awe.
While Chongming has changed, it has not succumbed to high rise buildings or oversized shopping malls. The island has managed to modernize, but still retain its lush green landscapes and abundant fresh air.
Retaining its status as an ecological island is an aim of the local government, and they have worked hard to achieve their goal. Drive along the major highway Chenhai Gonglu, a 600 km stretch of road connecting the east and west points of the island, and you will be charmed by green trees, fields and lovely local villas.
Traveling in Chongming is different from many other destinations in China. There are no famous towers or century-old pavilions to photograph, and you will not find yourself competing with the tourists who crowd most scenic spots. But what Chongming lacks in notable destinations, it more than makes up for in its untouched natural beauty.
The island has several large wetland parks, including Dongtan wetland on the east point. Dongtan wetland is the biggest and best preserved original wetland in the mouth of Yangtze River area and is a major resting place for migrating birds. Spring and fall are the best seasons to watch bird migration. Despite not being a passionate bird lover, I found it lots of fun to watch birds walking on the beach, although I stood at a distance - up close the smell is unbearable. On the west side of the island, there is another big wetland park, Xisha which is preferable to Dongtan as it has fewer visitors. Connected by wooden bridges and passages, the park is like a building on a lake where all trees and grass spring from the water after a big storm. Walking through it feels like searching for unknown treasure in a fairyland.
Many visitors are interested in catching small crabs from the water with a long stick, luring the creatures with a piece of fat. Actually, the park doesn't allow such activities as it might influence the aquatic environmental balance.
The island is a great place for animals, and the creatures enjoy better living conditions than their counterparts in downtown Shanghai. In Mingzhuhu park, that neighbors Xisha, wild ducks and geese walk freely on the grasslands and swim in the lake.
In the resort we are staying, several cute goats approach the humans, melting our hearts with their tender and affectionate eyes, begging us to feed them with fresh grass. Every morning, they receive a cart of assorted grass and plants. They live in a separate garden and are just beginning to grow horns.
Bicycle kingdom
I am not a huge fan of cycling, but if I must get on a bike then Chongming island is my favorite place to do so. It is not easy to rent a bicycle on the island, so it is better to take your own.
Chenjiazhen, a town close to Dongtan, is an ideal place to cycle as well to get a glimpse into local life. As one of the 22 most important towns as determined by the government, Chenjiazhen seems to have developed into a modern Xanadu. Cycling through the town, which is still under construction in some parts, you will find ecology is at the forefront of the designers' minds.
Although the town is still being built, it is beginning to take shape. A wide green lawn in a camping area is waiting for families. Lying on the green grass with the boundless blue sky stretching overhead, gives you then illusion that you could reach out and touch the sky. Children and dogs can run freely in this green expanse — what a luxury!
Across the river, a bicycle park is under construction. Someday, it will be the largest bicycle park in Asia and will be suitable to host international competitions. Residents will be able to ride through a floral sea of lavender and tulips.
Mingzhuhu Park is a perfect place for cycling. The park is built around a big lake of 3,500 meters in length and 700 meters in width. There is only one main passage inside the park, so there is no threat of getting lost. You can rent a bicycle or tricycle at the entrance. It is uncrowded, and cycling through the green landscape with fresh air is very relaxing. You can hop off the bike to visit the fish specimen gallery to see a 1.6-m-long fish, have a drink at a café, feed wild geese and play with your children in the kid’s corner. Green, fresh air and no people. What more could you ask for?
Bicycle kingdom
I am not a huge fan of cycling, but if I must get on a bike then Chongming island is my favorite place to do so. It is not easy to rent a bicycle on the island, so it is better to take your own.
Chenjiazhen, a town close to Dongtan, is an ideal place to cycle as well to get a glimpse into local life. As one of the 22 most important towns as determined by the government, Chenjiazhen seems to have developed into a modern Xanadu. Cycling through the town, which is still under construction in some parts, you will find ecology is at the forefront of the designers' minds.
Although the town is still being built, it is beginning to take shape. A wide green lawn in a camping area is waiting for families. Lying on the green grass with the boundless blue sky stretching overhead, gives you then illusion that you could reach out and touch the sky. Children and dogs can run freely in this green expanse — what a luxu
Across the river, a bicycle park is under construction. Someday, it will be the largest bicycle park in Asia and will be suitable to host international competitions. Residents will be able to ride through a floral sea of lavender and tulips.
Mingzhuhu Park is a perfect place for cycling. The park is built around a big lake of 3,500 meters in length and 700 meters in width. There is only one main passage inside the park, so there is no threat of getting lost. You can rent a bicycle or tricycle at the entrance. It is uncrowded, and cycling through the green landscape with fresh air is very relaxing. You can hop off the bike to visit the fish specimen gallery to see a 1.6-m-long fish, have a drink at a café, feed wild geese and play with your children in the kid’s corner. Green, fresh air and no people. What more could you ask for?
Chongming Cuisine
Chongming island is well-known for its local cuisine, such as braised white goat with soybean sauce, steamed hairy crab, steamed rice cake and a local rice wine.
If you go to farmer's restaurant, of which there are many, don't forget to order these hard-to-beat dishes. The food is served in generous portions, and what it lacks in refinement, it more than makes up for with large servings and simple goodness.
The snowy white Chongming steamed rice cakes with a faint scent is my favorite, every time I visit the island, I take two cakes home with me because they are so tasty - they are however, also very heavy, about 2kg each. Soft but chewy, the glutinous cake containing jujube, assorted nuts and sweet-scented osmanthus are definitely much better than the famous moon cakes. But one piece is enough because they are very filling.
The island is also a good place for a barbeque. Almost every resort or farmer's hostel will offer barbeque facilities. The resort I stayed at has a terrace perfect for barbeques and they have professional cooks. After a day's walking and cycling, hungry people surround the oven, ignoring the smoke and mosquitos to watch the kebabs slowly cook. Watching the meat turn from blood red into a sizzling brown, covered in different seasonings makes the food seem even more tasty.
