Songjiang Sijing Ancient Town, Shanghai

Sijing Ancient Town was established in the Yuan Dynasty and has long been known as the "First Town of the Eighteen Towns in the East of the County." It is the birthplace of many famous scholars, including Tao Zongyi, a renowned historian and educator from the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties; Fan Yunlin, a Ming Dynasty painter and calligrapher; Ma Xiangbo, the founder of Fudan University; and Shi Liangcai, the founder of Shen Bao newspaper. Sijing Ancient Town is rich in cultural heritage, with national intangible cultural heritage such as the "Sijing Ten Brocade Gongs and Drums," municipal intangible cultural heritage such as "Shadow Puppetry," and district-level intangible cultural heritage such as "Shanghai-style Paper Cutting," "Sijing Dough Figurines," "Aliu Tangyuan," "Sijing Tofu," and "Guangli Zongzi." In 2005, Sijing Ancient Town was designated as a Shanghai Historical and Cultural Area by the Shanghai Municipal Government. In 2014, it was recognized as one of the sixth batch of Chinese Historical and Cultural Towns and Villages by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. In 2021, it was named a Shanghai Folk Culture and Art Town by the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism. In 2023, it was selected as one of the first batch of Cultural and Tourism Industry Integration Development Demonstration Zones and Featured Commercial Streets in Songjiang District.