Nanxun

Established 750 years ago, the Nanxun Ancient Water Town developed into one of the richest towns in China in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The silk was the product that brought an enormous fortune to the merchants in the town. With the extension of the marine Silk Road, the merchants not only did more and more business with westerners, but also learnt advanced science and ideas from their business partners..

The local merchants thought both the Chinese and Western cultures were excellent, so they decided to build their houses according to both Chinese and Western styles. Fortunately, the town survived countless wars and revolutions over the last 750 years, so it is better preserved than most other ancient water towns.

Different from other ancient water towns, there are still residents in Nanxun, and furthermore, it is free to visit the Nanxun Ancient Water Town after 17:00. Although tourist attractions and most shops will be closed after 17:00, tourists can still take a stroll in the town to see local people’s lives. The authentic town emerges only after 17:00 to a certain degree.

Open Hours and Ticket Price

All attractions in Nanxun are open between 7:30 and 17:00 from April 1st to October 31st, and between 8:00 and 16:30 from November 1st to March 31st. The entrance fee is CNY100.

Attractions

Nanxun Ancient Town sits at the border of Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, a charming water town area. It's one of the six famous Jiangnan water towns, famous for its well-kept old houses from the Ming and Qing dynasties. In the morning, arched bridges cast reflections on the water, and evenings bring sweet lotus fragrances. Life here moves slowly, like an old movie - peaceful enough to make you never want to leave.

The Wedding Show on Water

There are at least 10 ferries for the wedding on the water. All the ferries are decorated with red flowers and ribbons because red is an indispensable factor for a Chinese wedding. The bride and groom stand on the first ferry, waving their hands to the tourists on the banks. Sometimes, they even invite tourists to hop on their wedding ferry.

Architecture

The architecture in Nanxun Ancient Water Town shows tourists the most fascinating mix the Chinese and Western styles. The exterior of the houses is the same as traditional Chinese houses, but the interiors are decorated with exquisite bricks, stones, glass and wood carvings that can usually be found only in a Western building. These houses are a sign of the communication between Chinese and Western people.

Xiaolianzhuang

Xiaolianzhuang was a private garden when it was built in 1885. Its former owner was Liu Yong, one of the richest men in Nanxun’s history. It took Liu Yong and his descendants 40 years to finish the building project. The lotus in the garden attracts thousands of photographers every summer, during which the lotus looks most beautiful. Tourists can also draw the lotus with Chinese writing brushes. Some teachers will help tourists to make their writing brushes in the garden.

Block Printing in Liu Family Compound

The former owner of Liu Family Compound was Liu Ansheng, a rich merchant and government official in the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912). The compound is a showpiece of the architecture in Nanxun. It is a great experience to learn block printing in the compound. Tourists can also learn their Chinese names during the lesson.

Transportations

From Shanghai to Nanxun: There are 40 buses respectively depart from 5 bus stations in Shanghai to Nanxun every day. Normally, it takes CNY50 and 3 hours to go to Nanxun from Shanghai by bus. Please check out the timetable below.

From Nanxun to Shanghai: There are 10 buses from Nanxun to Shanghai every day. They all depart from Nanxun Bus Station and arrive in Shanghai South Long-Distance Bus Station. The departure times are 7:20, 8:40, 10:20, 11:05, 12:20, 13:25, 13:55, 15:10, 16:40, and 17:50.

Nanxun Day Tour Plan from Shanghai

People in Shanghai did not often go to Nanxun Water Town for a day tour a few years ago, because it is further away from Shanghai than most other water towns. Over the last few years, most water towns near Shanghai have become hotter and hotter and more and more familiar to people in Shanghai, so they have begun to explore new water towns, and they find Nanxun, where Chinese and Western cultures intermingle harmoniously, will meet their needs.

Where to Go

The Nanxun Water Town is larger than most other water towns, so it is almost impossible to visit all the attractions. Please check out the must-sees for a one-day tour in Nanxun below.

One Hundred Residential Houses

Time for Visit: 60 Minutes

The area of One Hundred Residential Houses is the most attractive part of Nanxun Water Town. You cannot find something similar in other water towns. The ancient houses in the area were built by a high official in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD). He built these houses for his servants. These houses were so ordinary that even gangsters and soldiers didn’t try to destroy them or seize anything from them. That is why these houses are preserved so well till today.

These houses, painted in white, are located on the banks of a small river. Some ancient relics can be seen when walking on the banks, and local people may wash clothes beside the river. We are sure that you will enjoy the atmosphere of history. Furthermore, there are fewer tourists in this part.

Little Lotus Garden

Time for Visit: 30 Minutes

The Little Lotus Garden was a private villa. The scenery in the garden is not second to any ancient gardens in Suzhou. The pool full of lotus flowers offers tourists photo opportunities and a cool place to rest in summer. The exquisite decoration in the garden tells tourists why the former owner of the garden spent 40 years building it.

Liu Family Compound

Recommended time for stay: 30 minutes

Due to the color of the houses in it, the Liu Family compound is also called Red Houses. The outer part of the houses looks the same as traditional Chinese houses while the inside decoration is all according to Western style. It is amazing to know the Chinese people decorated their houses in this way 400 years ago.

Food

Jiaotou Noodles: noodles with sauce that includes chicken, beef, vegetables, and soy sauce.

Stinky Tofu: There are two options: fried or steamed stinky tofu.

Qianzhangbao: stuffed buns boiled with vermicelli.

Travel Tips

• The Nanxun Water Town is large, so it is better to take a sculling boat to go to the One-Hundred Residential Houses, which is far away from other attractions.
• There are lots of writing brush shops in Nanxun. You can make a writing brush by yourself in these shops.
• The pastries are a must-eat in Nanxun.
• The Canhua Festival is celebrated between April 5th and 8th. The ceremony includes a boat race, Kungfu Show, and ritual dance.
• Although Nanxun Ancient Water Town only covers an area of 34 square kilometers, the tourist attractions are distributed widely, so tourists may want to spend two days covering all the highlights.
• There are lots of restaurants along the central river in Nanxun. They offer not only delicacies but also a beautiful river view.

Recommended Nanxun Tours

• 3-Day Shanghai Water Town Tour
• 1-Day Nanxun Tour from Shanghai
• 1-Day Nanxun Tour from Hangzhou