Xi Tang

About an hour just outside of Shanghai is a complex of waterways that flow down from the lower Yangtze river. Situated along these banks are 6 ancient water towns that date back from 500BC and the perfect place for a little respite from the big city - exactly what I needed!

I headed to Xi Tang, the closest one to Shanghai (and, I found out when I got there, where they filmed a scene from Mission Impossible 3), walked the cobbled paths filled with snacks and shops, sampled their local wine huangju and tasted the little known but deliciously crispy shao bing bread.