Fengjing Ancient town is a typical water town, being one of the eight new views of Shanghai. It is the best preserved and the largest ancient water town in Shanghai. Its network of waterways covers the whole ancient town. It takes about one and an half hours from downtown Shanghai to here by car.
Fengjing water town gives you a great opportunity to chat with normal local village people. If you want to visit a water town nearby Shanghai, most guides and websites would recommend Zhujiajiao water town at first, however, it depends on your preferences and your schedule. From my perspective, if you are interested in local life; if you love details rather than attractions; if you want to get away from tourists and shops; If you want to have a relaxing day of wandering around local areas, I suggest that you spend a day or an half day in Fengjing water town.