At first sight, people may consider Shanghai a young city where new skyscrapers sprout almost daily.
But if those same people take a tour along Hangzhou Bay in Fengxian District, they will be astonished to discover the city's historic roots are about 5,000 years old.
With sea waves pounding the sandy shores, the ancient tour is best started from an established sightseeing avenue where snow white salt fields were once found.
Fengxian is famous for water towns and as an area rich in salt due to its coastal location.
A former salt field once stretched 75 kilometers from east to west. While the salt is long gone, the area remains important as many relics were found buried in the region. They date back as many as 5,200 years.
Li Bai, a prominent Chinese poet in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) praised the area's high quality salt. In one poem he said it was as pretty as flowers and as bright as snow.
The salt has disappeared as seawater in Hangzhou Bay is gradually being desalinated.
But what remains in the salty land are weather-beaten buildings, unique works of art and ingrained traditions that linger among the locals. The first special building, is a temple. Donghai Putuo Temple, established 700 years ago, is a magic Buddhist temple the local fishermen love to tell tales about.
According to one legend, the temple's Buddha was originally at the base of Putuo Mountain. However, one day, the Buddha floated over the sea to Fengxian. A fisherman surnamed Wu picked it up. Locals believe it was a sign that the Buddha had blessed both them and the area.
To show their gratitude, fishermen erected the temple. Though the temple is not a stunning architectural work, devotees visit it with great respect.
Locals are not only passionate in their Buddhist beliefs, but also about the art created by their ancestors. Near Hangzhou Bay stands Bao Wanrong Beijing Opera Art Gallery.
A fan of Peking opera, Bao started to collect costumes from the 1950s. The exhibits include exquisitely designed ceremonial robes, garments, mantles, official uniforms and head ornaments, covering all stage characters such as Sheng (roles of young men), Dan (roles of young women) and Chou (clowns).
The four main schools of Peking opera are the Mei, the Xun, the Zhang and the Shang, each of which is associated with unique costumes.
Some costumes on display were once worn by famous Peking opera performers such as Mei Lanfang, Huang Guiqiu and Xun Huisheng.
Many of the costumes worn by Bao Wanrong, a former Beijing Opera star, are on display. The best piece is a costume that took three years to complete.
Beijing Opera is the most influential - though not the earliest opera - in the country. The art has spread since 1790.
Kite flying is another ancient art that dates back about 2,000 years. The first kites were used to send signals during wars. But in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), flying kites became a popular leisure activity. The district has set up a special kite-flying ground. People can watch their kites being carried by sea breezes or simply enjoy the collage of other high flyers.
The winds are not just for leisurely kite flying, they are now being harnessed to provide electricity. At 65 meters high and a semidiameter of 26 meters, there are four windmills each equipped with a 850-kilowatt generator.
Fengxian blends its history with a focus on the future.