Songjiang Mosque

"Songjiang If you've made the trip to Thames Town or the Shanghai Film Studios, then you're already a bit familiar with the suburb of Songjiang. But beyond fabricated villages and recreated sets, Songjiang holds a fair amount of cultural charm as well. For a historic tour, start your trip with a visit to the Songjiang Mosque, which dates back to the 14th century. You'll also notice a cemetery here with headstones in Arabic and Chinese, a tribute to the number of Muslims residing in China. From here, head over to the Fangta Pagoda (in the southeastern corner of town) or Xilin Pagoda and Buddhist Temple (in the western part of the city). A trip to the Zhubai Pond (64 Songjiang Renmin Nan Lu) will round out your historical exploits and give you that last bit of peace and quiet. Fuel up at the Red Bar on the 3rd floor of Kaiyuan Med shopping mall before heading back into the city. How to get here: Take line 9 to Songjiang Xincheng Station and then hop on a taxi from there. By AFAR Traveler , AFAR Local Expert"

Exploring Shanghai's Outskirts