The other part of the exhibit shows tools some exam-takers used to cheat. The examinations required attendees to learn Confucian classics by heart, which was no easy feat. Some of the examinees took risks to make sure they did well. One of the most inventive cheating tools was a thin waistcoat densely inscribed with tiny writing. Even if the examinee did manage to wear it into the cell, it must have been tortuous for him to figure out every character on it.
Address: 183 Nandajie St
Admission: Free
Opening hours: 8:30am-4:30pm
How to get there: Take Metro Line 11 to Jiadingbei Station. From Exit 4 walk about 500 meters to take bus Jiading No. 68 and get off at Tacheng Road by Chengzhong Road.
Nanxiang Old Street
The name Nanxiang is now mostly closely associated with a steamed mini-bun called xiaolongbao, but the town itself has a history much longer than the popular dumpling.
Its origins can be traced back to the Southern and Northern Dynasties (AD 420-589), when Buddhism was widely practiced in China.
During the reign of Emperor Liangwu (AD 464-549), a farmer dug out a big rock from his land. As soon as it was exposed, a pair of cranes flew above it. Because cranes are regarded as sacred in Buddhism, a monk named Deqi believed that the farm was a holy land for Buddha.
In AD 505, a temple was built there, called Baihe Nanxiang Temple, or Temple of White Cranes Flying South. After that, a town gradually developed around the site.
The temple was demolished in a fire centuries ago, but the twin pagodas that once flanked the temple gate have been preserved. Today they stand at the entrance of Nanxiang Old Street.
First built in the late Southern and Northern Dynasties or in the early Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), the brick pagodas are the most ancient of their kind in Shanghai.
Like many other old streets in China, Nanxiang has evolved into a small marketplace and food court. Two of the oldest restaurants serving xiaolongbao, Rihuaxuan and Changxinglou, have a history dating back more than 100 years, almost as old as the dumpling itself.
It is believed that the inventor of the snack was Huang Mingxian, the former owner of Rihuaxuan. In 1871, Huang started to sell xiaolongbao to compete with other vendors selling steamed pork buns. He reduced the size of the buns, made the wrap much thinner and put pork-skin jelly in the stuffing.
In 1900, a man named Wu Xiangsheng opened a snack bar called Changxinglou. Wu’s xiaolongbao were almost as good as those served in Rihuaxuan, and his eatery soon gained popularity. The Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant near the City God Temple in the downtown Yuyuan Garden is a branch of the original restaurant.
Today, almost every visitor to Nanxiang Old Street stops at Rihuaxuan or Changxinglou to have a taste of the authentic dumpling, even if they have to endure long lines during busy hours.
Address: Huntang Lane, Nanxiang Town
How to get there: Take Metro Line 11 to Nanxiang Station. From Exit 1 walk about 500 meters to take bus No. 62 and get off at Yunxiang Temple.
Also worth a look in Jiading
The ancient city wall
A city wall surrounding ancient Jiading County was built in 1219, supervised by magistrate Gao Yansun.
