Escape to Jing Ting, a Zhujiajiao Ancient Town Retreat

By Sophie Steiner, September 8, 2021

An upscale homestay-style bed & breakfast, Jing Ting is situated an hour outside of Shanghai in nearby water town Zhujiajiao. The restored historical building is a walkable distance from the thousand-year-old village’s attractions, like Fangsheng Bridge and Kezhi Garden, yet is secluded enough that guests can enjoy a getaway from busy city life. The more than 800-square meter structure is designed in a courtyard pattern, with prevalent wood, brickwork and traditional carvings throughout.

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This B&B offers guests three distinct courtyards – as is traditional for dwellings south of the Yangtze River – along with nine guestrooms completely unique in shape, size, layout and design. Each room is also accompanied by its own private tea room and lounge.

Guest rooms are equipped with AESOP brand toiletries, Italian silk bedding and plush towels, and accented by Chinese calligraphy paintings and local handicrafts so that visitors can truly feel like they are at a home away from home.

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Built at the end of the 19th century, the Qing Dynasty original building was owned by the Zhou family, but later sold to the Yang family in the 1930s. Over the years, the space has been used for both the wheat and furniture business. Finally, in 2004, this historic conservation building was declared an immovable cultural relic by Qingpu District authorities.

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The current proprietor, Mrs. Jiang, took over the house in 2018, and spent over two years completing the renovation process to preserve the natural structure, yet still enhance it with modern comforts, like floor heating and PAD intelligent light control.

The courtyards offer guests a four-season experience, with sakura trees blossoming in spring, lotus flowers blooming in summer, sweet osmanthus buds filling the air in autumn and a plum blossom tree sprouting in winter.

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During a stay at Jing Ting, visitors can witness stunning sunrise views over the town from its very own tea house, located on the river. Here, the local shushus meet daily from 3.30-8.30am to catch up on the latest town gossip and enjoy free local tea, a tradition that dates back to the tea house's original construction during the Yuan Dynasty – more than 700 years ago – that Mrs. Jiang has carried on.

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The tea house offers one of the widest selections of tea in South China, with over 100 varieties hailing from around the country; guests can choose their personal preference based on the season. Here, tea masters present guests with a tea pouring ceremony, along with breakfast in the morning and local snacks in the afternoon – like youdunzi, or fried radish cakes, and chou doufu, an elevated version of the China-famous street snack, stinky tofu.

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Upstairs, the private dining area can be booked in advance for a full meal service, cooked in an elevated countryside style. Using a mix of local and seasonal ingredients, the meal is different every time, tailoring the exceptional dining experience to each group of patrons. From the private space, guests are rewarded with stunning views across the entire old town, lit up with lanterns in the evenings.

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Following this one-of-a-kind dining experience, visitors can enjoy an evening stroll along the cobblestone streets, or take in the historical village’s sights via river boat back to Jing Ting.

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Outside of observing the local customs, like the daily 5pm turn down service and curtain hanging ritual at Jing Ting, guests can also relish in all that Zhujiajiao has to offer. From beautiful gardens to 100-year-old pickle shops to winding canals to historical temples, this year-round getaway offers something for everyone.

Now, on to the Deals. Deals. Deals.

Jing Ting is offering an exclusive deal only available for That' Shanghai readers. RMB3,800 covers a guestroom for two, a seasonal delicacies dinner, tea house breakfast, boat rides, photo shooting sessions and more, marked down from the original price of RMB6,200. This special is only available between now and October 31. Scan the QR code for more details and to book your much-needed getaway.