Zhenjiang, an ancient town, is located about 100 miles west of Shanghai at the confluence of the Yangtze River and the Grand Canal. It is mentioned by Marco Polo as the place he landed after crossing the Yangtze on the way to Hangzhou. I did not verify this from the original source but it’s mentioned in all the Zhenjiang travel websites so it must be true. ;-)
One cannot exactly retrace the Yangtze crossing of Polo from Guazhou on the north bank to Zhenjinag on the south but you take the modern ferry from the outskirts of Guazhou (a very small town even by Chinese standards) to the outskirts of Zhenjiang. The cost is 3 RMB each way and you get to walk on the ferry along side the cars, taxis, buses, tractors, and bicycles. Bus #110 takes you from the Zhenjiang train station right to the ferry landing in about 30 minutes. The ride itself is fantastic, about 15 minutes long, you can basically go anywhere on the ferry, and there is lots river traffic to watch.
There appeared to be 4 ferries operating the day we were there with almost no waiting time between departures. Strange to me as there is a massive, newly completed bridge just a few hundred meters downstream. The talkative ticket taker told us that the ferry is kept open/running for military reasons and that it’s cheaper than the toll on the bridge.
Once on the Guazhou side, it’s a 10 to 20 minutes walk along the Yangtze River levee to Guazhou town and the Ancient Ferry Scenic Park or you can hire a minivan or taxi. The fare is anywhere between 2 to 10 RMB per person depending on your negotiating skills. We walked. See photos. We had to ask directions several times. See video.
The Ancient Ferry landing at Guazhou is now a park, admission 8 RMB (about 1 USD), where one can see the old landing (a bunch of rocks and concrete) and the newer, operational, canal locks. The park is not well maintained.
We did not have time to find the old ferry landing on the Zhenjiang side but the guide books say it exists.
Here are some photos and some video of the ferry excursion.
Boarding the ferry at Guazhou. We are boarding the one at left. The one at right has almost arrived. Check out the tractor.
Riding the ferry. You can see the new bridge in the background.
Walking to Guazhou along the levee that protects the town from the Yangtze (river to the right).
Video of Sun-Ling asking directions in Guazhou Town.
The site of the ancient ferry landing at Guazhou.
Locks on the Grand Canal - part of the Ancient Ferry Scenic Area.
The one on the left is loading, the one I'm on has just pulled out.
Video of the ferries in action.
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