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Explore the region
About Qibao
The waterside layout is the clearest feature to explore beyond the food stalls.
The town is also associated with Zhang Chongren, the artist whose friendship with Hergé influenced the Tintin character Chang. His former residence and memorial museum add a specific artistic subject to the visit. Public streets and the memorial’s interior have separate access arrangements.
Qibao covers an area of 18.10 square kilometers within Minhang District and had a registered population of 86,300 in 2008. The town's old street combines the appearance of a historic settlement with the function of a busy commercial street lined with shops.
According to local tradition, the crickets raised in the Qibao area are especially aggressive fighters and are ranked as top quality, giving the local cricket trade its reputation. A night market began trial operation in the old town on December 1, 2020, offering Southeast Asian, Taiwanese and Hong Kong street food across about 103 stalls.
What to look for
- Bridges over Puhuitang connect the old-town commercial streets.
- Zhang Chongren’s former residence links the town with the artist and Hergé.
Background & history
Qibao (simplified Chinese: 七宝镇; traditional Chinese: 七寶鎮; pinyin: Qībǎo Zhèn; Shanghainese: Tshih4pau2) is a town in Minhang District, Shanghai. Its formation can be traced back to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, to the Northern Song Dynasty. The name comes from the local temple, "Qibao Temple". Today, Qibao is a tourist attraction, in the area known as Qibao Old Town by the Puhui River with traditional Chinese architecture and a number of attractions, including museums and street food. The town was also once the residence of the noted painter Zhang Chongren, a friend of the Belgian cartoonist Hergé, on whom the character Chang Chong-Chen from "The Adventures of Tintin" was based. Qibao is also known for crickets (with a "Cricket House") in the Qibao Old Town area.
Excerpt from Wikipedia: Qibao · Wikipedia contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected introductory sentences; formatting simplified. Background information, not current visitor-service advice.
Location & getting there
Getting to Qibao
Use Qibao station for the old-town approach in Minhang, then follow the public route toward the Puhuitang streets.
Combine your visit
A suggested sequence linking the specific features of this visit.
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Puhuitang bridges
Begin with the waterway that organizes the settlement.
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Old-town commercial streets
Compare the shops and traditional street pattern on either bank.
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Zhang Chongren Memorial Museum
Add the town’s artistic connection when the memorial is open.
This order is editorial. Confirm access and any transfers between stops; it does not establish a walking route, same-day connection or common admission ticket.
Find Qibao
七宝 · 闵行区
The pin marks the area, not the entrance.
More places nearby
Approximate straight-line distances between map pins, not travel distances.
Shanghai Metro Museum 上海地铁博物馆
2 km awayShanghai Metro Museum is located above the Wuzhong Road depot near Ziteng Road station. It explains the railway system through models, operating displays and full-size simulated environments.
View guide →Shanghai Zoo 上海动物园
4 km awayShanghai Zoo occupies the former Xijiao Park grounds on Hongqiao Road in Changning. Its animal areas are set within a landscaped park of mature trees, lawns and water.
View guide →Hongqiao International Airport 上海虹桥国际机场
5 km awayHongqiao Airport forms part of the transport hub on Shanghai’s western side. Terminal 2 is beside Hongqiao railway station, while Terminal 1 lies across the airfield.
View guide →Sources & visit information
The linked encyclopedia sources support background and place descriptions. Current opening hours, ticket prices, booking rules and transport schedules have not been independently verified for this guide. Confirm them with the venue or operator before travelling.
Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikipedia contributors, “七宝镇” · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 93732402.
Background paragraphs translated and condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "七宝镇", Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 93732402.