A Day Trip to Xitang! A Jiangnan Water Town with More Local Charm than Wuzhen
A Day Trip to Xitang! A Jiangnan Water Town with More Local Charm than Wuzhen || In everyone's heart, there lies a yearning for the water towns of Jiangnan.
Especially for those living in the north, where snow falls upon the muddy ground, the misty and rainy Jiangnan is always a place of endless longing and imagination.
Jiangnan is the damp oil-paper umbrella in Dai Wangshu's writings, and also the glamorous and melancholic peach blossom fan in Kong Shangren's works.
But I have a special fondness for Xitang, with its strong sense of daily life.
Xitang is a town of many bridges, lanes, and covered corridors. The corridors are built along the river, with houses topped with grey tiles. The stone bridges are low and solid, while the arch bridges rise and fall. The oar boats tirelessly shuttle through the waterways, and the simply furnished shops exude a quiet and serene atmosphere. Sitting under the corridor, one can overlook the wooden boats passing through the bridges; or in a teahouse by the shore, brew a pot of tea and quietly watch the crowd on the opposite bank. Strolling along West Street, wandering through the lanes, one can taste the delicious food.
🗺️ Route: Main entrance of the scenic area → Huguo Sui Liang Wang Temple → Zui Garden → Misty Rain Corridor → Songzi Laifeng Bridge → Anxiu Bridge → Yongning Bridge → West Street → Tile Culture Exhibition Hall → Button Museum → West Garden → Huanxiu Bridge → Shipi Lane → Wang's Residence.
🔴 Must-visit:
✅ Misty Rain Corridor: A corridor several hundred meters long, a unique structure of Xitang. There are also backrest benches along the river for resting.
✅ Huanxiu Bridge: A semi-circular arch bridge, through which one can photograph the ancient residences, creating a very poetic scene. Standing on the bridge, one can also take pictures of the oar boats.
✅ Yongning Bridge: From here, one can have a panoramic view of both sides of the river, see the quaint Misty Rain Corridor and the scenery of the boats. This place is also the filming location for Jay Chou's music video 'Tianya Guoke'.
✅ Shipi Lane: The most characteristic open-air alley in Xitang, with a narrow strip of sky above, known as Xitang's 'One-Line Sky'.
✅ Songzi Laifeng Bridge: A classic check-in bridge in Xitang, couples who cross it will have their wishes come true. The large white wall between the bridges is filled with tourists' love stories and heartfelt wishes.
✅ West Street: The busiest shopping street in Xitang, with many restaurants and specialty shops on both sides.
✅ West Garden: The largest private garden in Xitang, with a typical Jiangnan garden style.
🍱 Food Recommendations: Spring bamboo shoot siu mai, Malan head, The Number One Noodles in the World, Guan Lao Tai stinky tofu, Bazzhen cake.
‼️ Tips:
1️⃣ It is recommended to take the high-speed train to Jiashan South, then transfer to bus K222; or transfer from Hangzhou East Station to Jiashan South, or fly to Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport and then take a bus.
2️⃣ The scenic area can be entered for free before 8 am and after 5 pm. Spring in Xitang sees the blossoming of cherry blossoms, but they are nearing the end of their bloom now.
The core area of the scenic spot is relatively concentrated, and the main essence attractions can be reached on foot. If you don't want to walk, you can take a cruise from the West Gate or Wolong Bridge to the core scenic spot. Xiyuan is especially recommended, integrating gardens, bonsai and pavilions.
Jiangnan people, building a small bridge and flowing water, melodious sky blue and other misty rain, I am waiting for you in Xitang to follow the editor to punch in #Xitang Ancient Town "Spring and Autumn Water, Tang and Song Town, Ming and Qing buildings, modern people This is a proper generalization of Xitang zui, Standing at the bridgehead and watching this ancient town of a thousand years water town, it is like a picturesque. People are in a paradise. I don't know if it is people who swim in the middle of the painting or the painting moves in the heart. I feel the depth of the multicultural heritage of water, bridges, sheds, lanes, and museums. The scenery of Zui in the ancient town is a long, nearly dry rice-shaped quaint corridor shed, so-called corridor shed is actually a street with a roof.
I have always wanted to come, but I have no chance. This year, I finally have time to visit Xitang on Qingming Festival. The time passed so fast that A Tang brother's disc was shot here, which made Xitang famous. After so many years, Xitang's charm is still there. Many cars lined up to enter the venue. Fortunately, I took a taxi, otherwise it may take a lot of time to queue up to park. But the magic is that after entering the scenic spot, it does not feel so crowded. It is very pleasant to sit on the boat and enjoy the beautiful scenery. There are many small shops on both sides of the road, and there are all kinds of snacks. There are so many beautiful women, wearing ancient clothes, all kinds of shooting, if I am ten years younger, I also want to experience the feeling of wearing ancient clothes to take pictures in the ancient town.
There are not many people entering from the small door, of course, because it is already the fifth day of the year. It's still fun if you haven't been there. The food I eat feels like it is generally the same, even if I find a store with a good evaluation by Dianping. It's just a scenic spot, just eat enough.
I can't remember how many times I have been to Xitang Ancient Town. Every time I come to Xitang Ancient Town, I can always give people a sense of surprise, especially Xitang under the night. Xitang Ancient Town is the most charming and historical place among many ancient towns in Jiangnan Water Town. Xitang Ancient Town is located in Jiashan County, Zhejiang Province, with a history of nearly a thousand years, known as "Dream Water Township, Painting Home".
Xitang is a water town about an hour away from Shanghai; it became very famous because Mission Impossible III was filmed there It is also one of the more popular town to visit due to its beautiful scenery, amazing food, vibrant nightlife, and its close proximity to Shanghai