Shanghai - Zhenru Ancient Town

Zhenru Ancient Town

Zhenru sits in the Putuo District. It had one of the oldest railway stations in the city and had the city's  largest seafood market. Mutton is Zhenru's specialty food; there is an old mutton house very near to the Zhenru Temple. In the olden days, farmers would go to a mutton house and have mutton and liquor at 4.30AM before farm work begins for the day. The old street use to house about 30 mutton houses in the olden days.

Zhenru was formerly known as Taoxi or Peach Creek. The name Taoxi came as early as the period of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms when Jiangsu, Shanghai and Zhejiang were ruled by the Wu and Yue Kingdoms. Canals were dug and peach trees were planted along these waterways.  During the Yuan Dynasty, (1206 - 1368), after the construction of the Zhenru Temple, it became a prosperous marketplace.  

When we arrived at the Zhenru metro station, there was a lot of construction going on around the station. Exit 5 from the station that supposedly led to the famous Tongchuan Seafood Market has been closed down. We came out via Exit 2, crossed the road and followed the signs which led to Lianxi Road where the old street and temple are. 

Bamboo scaffoldings all along the old street

Gateway to the old street

Old wine market

Look at the beams!

Look at the walls!

We dropped in to have a quick bite here

Cold beef slices

Pork belly in fermented tofu

Ancient town

Entrance to Zhenru Temple

Loved the ceramic-decorated walls downtown

Zhenru Old Mutton House

Noodles in gravy

Braised mutton

Mutton kebabs

Mutton slices stir-fried with green peppers

This old mutton house is near to the temple

Straight ahead is one entrance to the temple but it was closed when we were there. On the left side is the mutton house. We had to exit the temple, turn right and walked around the block to the mutton house.

Shop houses opposite the mutton house 

Tao Pu river to the left and Mu Du Gang river to the right

Mu Du Gang river