As the cradle of the cilvilization of Shanghai, Qingpu was endowed with a long history and profound cultures. As early as 6,000 years before, clans and tribes have lived and multiplied here and have created the splendid “Songze Culture”. Named after the Songze village of Qingpu District in Shanghai, where it was first discovered, Songze Culture can be traced back to 5,800 to 4,900 years ago, a period which was at the transitional stage from matriarchal society to patriarchal society of the Neolithic Period. Coming successively after the “Majiabang Culture”, preceding the “Liangzhu Culture”, Songze Culture demonstrates important stage of culture in the Taihu Lake region of the lower reaches of Yangtze River. Four historical relic sites have been discovered in Qingpu District (including Songze site, Fuquan Mount site, Jinshan Tomb site and Siqian village site) and more than 800 cultural relics have been unearthed.

Qingpu is home to numerous outstanding figures, who have been shining through the history like stars. Guan Daosheng (1262-1319 BC), wife of the famous calligrapher Zhao Mengkai in Yuan Dynasty, who was a master of poetry, wrting, calligraphy, painting and embroidery, was best known for her calligraphy of xin and kai style. Cao Zhibai (1272-1355 BC), calligrapher and painter in Yuan Dynasty, has left us with the classic chef-d’oeuvre of Wintry Forest (painting series), Pines in Secluded Valley (scroll), Snow-clapped Mountains (scroll), Pine Forest (scroll) and Mountains in Thawing Snow (scroll). Wang Chang (1725-1806 BC), famous scholar in Qing Dynasty, who was one of the “Seven Scholars in Central Wu Region” (the rest are Wang Mingsheng, Wu Tailai, Qian Daxin, Zhao Shengzhi, Cao Renhu and Wang Wenlian), has dedicated half of his life to the collection of bronze ware of Shang and Zhou Dynasty and the rubbings of inscriptions of all dynasts mounting to over 1,500 kinds, and has completed the compiling of the 160-book Selected Collection of Inscriptions. He Qiwei (1774-1837 BC), prominent doctor and poet in Qing Dynasty, was highly praised by Lin Zexu as “a long-lived doctor who can rescue the dying, an old great poet who completed hills of poems”. Lu She’e (1878-1944 BC), novelist and well-known doctor, has written the well-received masterpiece of New Twisted Love, New Travel Notes of Shanghai and The Weird Phenomena in Govenment. Qingpu is also the birthplace of Chen Yun, the Marxist, proletariat revolutionist, politician, economist and one of the leaders of Chinese Communist Party and the People’s Republic of China. Therefore, Qingpu is a blessed land, which is proud of its outstanding people.

Qingpu boasts not only its long history, but also its picturesque scenery, splendid culture and the large number of places of interest and historic relics, including towers of Tang Dynasty, bridges of Song Dynasty, inscriptions of Yuan Dynasty, temples of Ming and Qing Dynasty and the gardens of modern times. The ancient town of Zhujiajiao, located on the west bank of Dianshan Lake, was a well-known market place since Song and Yuan Dynasty, with “a 3-li street and a thousand shops or stands”.

With little bridges and flowing water, the town is of ancient flavor. The 70.8-meter-long Fangsheng Bridge (literally, let animals back to the nature), which was constructed in the Years of Wanli (Chinese emperor’s reign title) is the biggest 5-arch stone bridge in Shanghai. Delicate in structure, exquisite in appearance, the bridge is one of the well-knowns of the town, which was described in a poem as “ like a rainbow, the long bridge is convenient for the people to do the business, the business is done in the middle of the day; people shuffle in the dusk.” Qushui Garden, which tops the 5 ancient gardens in Shanghai, is located in the Chengxiang Town of Qingpu District. It was first built in the tenth year of Qianlong (1745 BC), and has a history of 250 years. Originally called Ling Garden and an appendix garden of Town God’s Temple, taking after the image of “ winding water, flowing cups”, Qushui Garden got its present name in the 3^rd year of the reigns of emperor Jiaqing of Qing Dynasty (1798 BC), for its location is near to Dayinpu. Inside the garden, there are luxuriant trees, hills and rockeries. With each part including a pavilion or a mansion is reeking the beauty of delicate design, Qushui Garden represents a compartatively highvalue in terms of the architectural artisty of gardens south of Yangtze River., Situated in the Qinglong village of White Crane Town, the 7-storeyed octagonal Qinglong Tower, which is of brick and wood construction, was constructed in the years of Qingyuag of Tang Dynasty (821 BC). It is among the famous ancient towers in Shanghai. Qingpu was originally the ancient Qinglong Town, a trading port in Tang and Song Dynasty and was nicknamed “Little Hangzhou” was the spectacular “fireworks shining upon everything”.

Numerous places of interest and historical relics demonstrated that the rich ancient culturally weaves together the colorful natural scenery and broad and profound cultural beauty.