Chongming: Shanghai's Island of Wetlands and Slow Roads
An hour north-east of the city, Chongming is Shanghai's green half — reed beds, migrating birds, long flat roads and farm lunches. Autumn is when the wetlands are at their fullest and the island is at its quietest.
By Shanghai Welcome ·
The city's other half
Chongming is the third-largest island in the country and the one part of Shanghai that feels like nowhere near Shanghai. It sits in the mouth of the Yangtze, an hour or so north-east of the centre by bridge and tunnel, and it is made of reed beds, drainage channels, long flat roads and small farms rather than towers.
For visitors who have spent days in the city, the contrast is the point. The island moves at walking pace, the horizons are horizontal, and there is very little to queue for. Autumn is the right season: the wetlands fill with migrating birds, the reeds go silver, and the heat has left the flat roads.
- •An hour north-east by bridge and tunnel
- •Reed beds, channels, flat roads and small farms
- •Autumn brings migrating birds and silver reeds
- •A horizontal horizon after days of vertical city
What to do with a day there
The wetland reserve on the island's eastern edge is the anchor: boardwalks through the reeds, hides facing the water, and birdlife that peaks in the migration seasons. Beyond it, the pleasure is diffuse — cycling the flat dyke roads, a farm lunch of river fish and seasonal vegetables, an afternoon doing very little in particular.
Because the island is large and its sights are spread out, transport is what makes or breaks the day. A private vehicle with a guide turns the distances into nothing and lets the day bend toward what you actually enjoy, which on Chongming is usually the quiet.
- •Wetland boardwalks and hides on the eastern edge
- •Flat dyke roads made for cycling
- •Farm lunches of river fish and seasonal vegetables
- •Private transport turns the island's distances into nothing
If the island's distances are more than you want in one day, your private guide offers the water country closer in: Zhujiajiao's canals, bridges and lakeside crab season, all-inclusive with private vehicle, guide, admissions and bottled water.
Explore Zhujiajiao Water Town, All-Inclusive →Practical notes
Go on a weekday if you can; weekends bring city families out in numbers. Take layers — the island is more exposed than the city and the wind off the water is real even on a mild day. And bring patience rather than an itinerary: Chongming rewards the first and resists the second.
Returning in the evening, the drive back into the lit city is its own kind of pleasure. The contrast between the two halves of Shanghai is unusually sharp, and seeing it in one day explains more about the place than another landmark would.
- •Weekdays are markedly quieter
- •Layers — the island is exposed and the wind is real
- •Bring patience more than a plan
- •The evening return into the lit city is worth the drive
Frequently asked questions
Is Chongming worth a day from Shanghai?
Yes, particularly for visitors who have already seen the central districts and want the city's green, slow half. Autumn is the best season.
How long does it take to reach the island?
Around an hour by road from the centre via the bridge and tunnel, depending on traffic and which part of the island you are heading to.
What is there to do on Chongming?
Wetland boardwalks and bird hides, cycling the flat dyke roads, farm lunches of river fish and seasonal vegetables, and a great deal of quiet.
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