Songjiang Ancient City

Songjiang Ancient City

Songjiang District is located in the southwest of Shanghai, on the upper reaches of the Huangpu River. It borders Minhang District and Fengxian County to the east, Jinshan District to the south and southwest, and Qingpu County to the west and north. The district stretches approximately 24 kilometers from north to south and about 25 kilometers from east to west, covering a total area of 605 square kilometers.

Songjiang is the birthplace of Shanghai’s historical and cultural heritage. According to archaeological findings, as early as around 6,000 years ago, ancient inhabitants were already living and working in the Jiufeng area, creating ancient cultures such as the Songze and Liangzhu types. In the 24th year of Jian’an during the Eastern Han Dynasty (219 AD), the famous Eastern Wu general Lu Xun was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Huating for his meritorious service, marking the first historical record of Huating. In the 10th year of the Tianbao era of the Tang Dynasty (751 AD), Huating County was established. In the 14th year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1277 AD), it was elevated to Huating Prefecture, which was renamed Songjiang Prefecture the following year. By the 10th year of the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty (1805 AD), it had evolved into one prefecture (Songjiang), seven counties (Huating, Shanghai, Qingpu, Lou, Fengxian, Jinshan, Nanhui), and one subprefecture (Chuansha). In the 1st year of the Republic of China (1912 AD), the prefecture was abolished, and Huating and Lou counties were merged into Huating County. In the 3rd year of the Republic of China (1914 AD), it was renamed Songjiang County. After the liberation, the Jiangsu Southern Administrative Office established the Songjiang Special District. In March 1958, the Songjiang Special District was dissolved and placed under the Suzhou Special District. In November of the same year, it was transferred from Jiangsu Province to Shanghai Municipality. In February 1998, the State Council approved the conversion of the county into a district.

Known historically as Huating, with other aliases such as Yunjian, Rongcheng, and Gushui, Songjiang is a renowned land of fish and rice in the Jiangnan region and also one of Shanghai’s key bases for agricultural and sideline product production. Before Shanghai became an international port, Songjiang served as the political, economic, and cultural center of the Shanghai area. It nurtured the development of Shanghai city and is considered the cradle of modern Shanghai. During the Ming Dynasty, the Songjiang Prefecture was the national center of the cotton textile industry and was known as the “Cloth Supplier to the World,” while the city of Songjiang was hailed as the “Foremost Metropolis in the Southeast.” As a historic and cultural city, Songjiang boasts profound cultural roots and has produced many notable figures throughout history. Influential cultural personalities such as the Two Lus (Lu Yun and Lu Ji) from the Western Jin Dynasty, Zhao Mengfu from the Yuan Dynasty, Dong Qichang from the Ming Dynasty, and modern artist Cheng Shifa have all left indelible marks on the history of Chinese culture. After the liberation, public culture flourished, and folk arts thrived, forming three distinctive cultural features: opera, photography, and screen-printing art. The district has been designated by the Ministry of Culture as a Chinese Folk Painting Village of Modern Times and an Advanced County in National Culture.

Songjiang is home to the most abundant collection of cultural relics in Shanghai. Historical sites span dynasties, including the Tang Dynasty Stone Pagoda, the Song Dynasty Square Pagoda, the Yuan Dynasty Mosque, the Ming Dynasty Screen Wall, and the Qing Dynasty Drunken Bai Pond, earning it the reputation of offering “a view of history from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties all in one place.” As the only national-level tourist resort area in Shanghai—Sheshan National Tourist Resort—it boasts superior natural conditions and abundant tourism resources. The twelve peaks in the northwest are the only mountainous forests in Shanghai. In 2000, a man-made lake named Yuehu Lake, covering an area of 500 acres, was excavated, creating a picturesque landscape where mountains and water complement each other. Sheshan National Forest Park has been rated as one of the first batch of AAAA-level scenic spots by the National Tourism Administration. Other attractions such as the Chedun Film and Television Park, Dongjing Flower Bridge Ecological Garden, and Jiuting Flower Base attract numerous domestic and international tourists. The district currently has 20 open scenic spots, 15 travel agencies, and 7 star-rated hotels.

Songjiang hosts a national-level export processing zone—the Shanghai Songjiang Export Processing Zone—as well as Shanghai’s first municipal-level industrial zone—the Songjiang Industrial Zone. The Songjiang Industrial Zone has attracted a cumulative total of 261 foreign-invested projects, with a total investment of 2.58 billion USD and contracted foreign capital of 1.78 billion USD. Over 30 Fortune 500 companies, including Ford from the United States, Hitachi from Japan, ICI from the United Kingdom, Essilor from France, and PM from Germany, have invested and established operations here. In the field of education, a number of higher education institutions have set up campuses in the Songjiang University Town, including Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, Shanghai Lixin University of Accounting and Finance, and Shanghai Institute of Tourism.

Songjiang is a key new town under construction in Shanghai during the Tenth Five-Year Plan period, with a planned area of 36 square kilometers and a population of over 250,000 in the near future. The under-construction Songjiang New Town is centered around the Shanghai-Hangzhou Expressway, featuring a European urban style in the northern part and Ming-Qing architectural aesthetics in the southern part, where the “one town, two styles” concept complements each other beautifully. The ongoing development of the Songjiang University Town, along with ten major projects implemented during the Tenth Five-Year Plan—including integrated transportation, administrative centers, business hubs, and information networks—aims to build Songjiang into a medium-sized cultural-tourism garden city that reflects the comprehensive strength and standards of Shanghai’s suburbs, offers premium living environments, and exemplifies cultural richness.

The overall construction plan of Songjiang New Town embodies advanced global urban design concepts, while also integrating the inherent oriental charm of the ancient city of Songjiang. Based on respect for its historical foundation, the plan adopts European urban design philosophies and styles with bold innovation. From a historical perspective, it showcases the openness and inclusiveness of Songjiang New Town, reflecting the coexistence and development of native, foreign, and modern cultures. Emphasis is also placed on the concept of “one town, two styles,” where distinct sections are both relatively independent and harmoniously integrated, making Songjiang New Town a flagship representation of Shanghai’s suburban satellite cities.