We invite you to step into Xinyuan Village in Jinshan District, leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind, and immerse yourself in the charm of "Shanghai-style Jiangnan".
Xinyuan Village spans two provinces and three counties, adjacent to Songjiang in the east, Qingpu in the north, and Zhejiang Province in the west, where Wu and Yue cultures blend harmoniously. The 70-meter-wide Fantang River meanders like a green ribbon, connecting 5 natural villages. Fields, waterways, and residences interweave to form the "checkerboard polder field" – a crystallization of the wisdom of ancient Jiangnan ancestors in taming low-lying lands, and a rare "polder field" specimen in Shanghai's suburbs. Wandering through the village, you can see winding rivers amid swaying rice fields, and feel the unique charm of Shanghai-style Jiangnan at every step.
The "Horse Lantern Dance" of Xinyuan Village has a history of over 100 years. Also known as "Flower Basket Horse Lantern Dance" due to its props of horse lanterns and flower baskets, it is a unique cultural symbol of the village. In 2017, the village established a women's Horse Lantern Dance team, which created and performed the program Celebrating Harvest. This program not only carries forward the traditional farming culture but also conveys the joy of the golden autumn harvest. During the event, you can watch the vivid performance up close, and even join in the interaction to learn simple moves, experiencing the vitality of folk customs firsthand.
Amid Shanghai's rapid urban development, Xinyuan Village has preserved the spatial pattern of traditional polder settlements, like a "peach blossom land" (a paradise) in the countryside. There is no hustle of the city here, only the tranquility of birdsong and frog croaks, and the picturesque scenery of white walls, black tiles, and rice fields. Walk along the paths by the low-lying Jing River to admire the crisscross water network, stand on the field ridges to overlook the vast wilderness, step into villagers' courtyards to listen to stories of the village, and visit the village history museum to learn about its development. Immerse yourself in the inheritance and innovation of Shanghai-style culture.
(Note: The content of this article is from Shanghai Youth Travel Service.)
