Nestled in Jinshan District, Shanghai, at the border of Shanghai and Zhejiang, lies Fengjing, an ancient water town steeped in a thousand years of history. Known as the "Root of Wu and Corner of Yue" due to its location at the confluence of the Wu and Yue regions, this town boasts a unique architectural style and a long history, making it one of the largest and best-preserved water towns in Shanghai.
Fengjing's history can be traced back to the Southern Liang Dynasty, when it began as a village. It gradually flourished into a market and then a town during the Song and Yuan Dynasties. Its original name, "Bainiu Town," witnessed the passage of time until it was officially renamed Fengjing Town at the end of the Ming Dynasty. This name has remained to this day, becoming an indispensable cultural symbol of Shanghai.
Strolling through the streets and alleys of Fengjing, one can easily notice the unique architectural style—on one side are lotus-leaf walls, with blue bricks and gray tiles revealing the gentleness and beauty of a Jiangnan water town; on the other side are horse-head walls, with upturned eaves displaying the boldness and resilience of the Han Dynasty in the north. This fusion of northern and southern cultures is a unique reflection of Fengjing as the "Root of Wu and Corner of Yue."
Looking back at Fengjing's glorious past, the Yuan Dynasty was its most prosperous period for commerce. Merchants flocked to both banks of the city river, and the long corridor built along the river not only connected the main commercial street of the ancient town but also became an important venue for commercial exchange. Today, although time has passed and the Fengxi Corridor no longer enjoys its former glory—only 268 meters of the original 1000-meter-long corridor have been restored—the legend of "no umbrella in summer, no wet shoes in the rain" still circulates in every corner of the ancient town, witnessing Fengjing's antiquity and resilience.