Xitang

Found in northern Jiashan County in the Zhejiang province, Xitang is an ideal day trip from Hangzhou and Shanghai, almost equally. It is a town steeped in history with a beautiful setting to complete its allure. With a flat terrain and numerous rivers allowing for picturesque old bridges to connect the pieces of land, Xitang is a stunning place for photography and gazing.

Another element that makes Xitang a unique destination is the well-preserved Ming and Qing Dynasty constructions. For example are the ancient lanes of all sizes and measurements, with Shipi Lane the most well-known of them all. Xitang opens from 8:00 to 16:30 with the ticket price of CNY100.

Best Time to Visit Xitang

Xitang enjoys a semi-tropical monsoon climate with four distinct seasons. It is raining for almost half of the year in Xitang. July is the hottest month with an average temperature of 27°C, and January is the coldest month with a temperature of 4.5°C.

Spring and autumn are the best times to visit Xitang Water Town. During this time, the usual raindrops are minimal. The month of April is considered to be the best month as it offers the right temperature, beautiful flowers, and trees begin to bloom.

Transportation

Xitang is about 90 kilometers from Shanghai, 80 kilometers from Suzhou, and 100 kilometers from Hangzhou. This makes the town accessible from all 3 major nearby cities. It is also easily reached by bus or train from the larger hubs. Jiashan is the easiest hub to first reach, then from there access Xitang. Buses depart from Jiashan Bus Station, or hail a private or shared taxi to take you to Xitang.

By Train

Coming from Hangzhou, there are frequent trains to Jiashan, and the high-speed trains departing from Hangzhou station or Hangzhou East station take 35 minutes only to Jiashan and 30 minutes only from Shanghai Hongqiao station.

By Bus

Shanghai to Xitang: you can take either a taxi or a tourist bus beginning from the Shanghai City Bus Centre. Buses in Shanghai usually leave Shanghai Stadium and Hongkou Football Centre at exactly 9:00 in the morning and return to Xitang at 4:00 in the afternoon.

The transportation price is affordable, starting at CNY85. If you take the trip during weekdays or working days, it will be beneficial for you as there are several buses available during these days starting from Shanghai North District up to Xitang Water Town.

Hangzhou to Xitang: you can take a bus from the Hangzhou East Bus Station (departures every 40 minutes) to reach Jiashan. The journey is 1.5 hours. In Jiashan, catch a bus to Xitang; departures are frequent, about every 5 minutes for a 30-minute journey.

Jiashan to Xitang: if you come from Jiashan City, you can ride several express buses there starting from Hangzhou East Bus Station up to Xitang. Note that it takes 40 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the speed of the bus you ride. The rate initially costs CNY27, so prepare your budget for this.

Suzhou to Xitang: take a bus from Suzhou North Square or Suzhou South Station. The trip is about 1.5 hours.

Nanjing to Xitang: some buses depart every 10 minutes and take about 30 minutes to arrive.

Attraction

The old Chinese architecture contrasted with the natural beauty of its surroundings is what makes Xitang a pleasure of a place. The quaint family-owned boats that float peacefully in the rivers add a touch of life to the otherwise tranquil landscape, and the homes that sit right along the waters will make you want to own one of your own. Life continues as it has for generations in Xitang, a nice place to soak in the ancient energies of China.

There are many well-preserved architectural groups in Xitang, which were constructed during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Through a bird's-eye view of the whole town, green waves ripple everywhere, and every family resides near water. It will be an exciting and unique experience if you try to get in touch with their lives like you were living here several years ago.

Ancient Lanes

There are about 122 small lanes in Xitang town, all of which were paved with stone slats. Lines along these lanes are these hundreds-of-years-old houses, which are still home to the locals. Of all the 122 lanes, the Shipi Lane is the best preserved. It is situated on the west side of Zhongfu Hall in the west street, with a total length of 68 meters. The lane is about 1 meter at the widest, but the narrowest point is only 80 centimeters.

It is paved with 166 stone planks, which are only 3 centimeters thick, which it hard to chisel from the granite. That is why it is called Shipi (the skin of the stone) lane. Walking through the long, quiet lane with stained tall walls is just like traveling through the town's long history in a Spatio-Temporal Tunnel.

Xitang’s Narrowest Alley

The narrowest alley is being honored by two major alleys. The first one is a bit narrow, where only one person can pass at a time, and can be found at the so-called Li House. The second is Ca and can be found at the west side of Huanxiu Bridge and it is considered the narrower of the two because it is scarcely 30 cm wide and no one can pass through it.

Prehistoric residences

Xitang Water town preserved most of its historical properties and collections like the residence of the famous families during ancient times. Xue's house is a typical wooden building of the rich merchants of that region in the late Qing Dynasty.

Ancient Bridges

Their ancient bridges are remarkably amazing, especially those that have stories behind them. Wangxian Bridge was one of the famous among them. It was built in the Song Dynasty more than a thousand years ago. The name of the bridge is associated with an interesting legend that a Taoist once stood on the bridge to watch immortal spirits. Wangxian means to watch immortal spirits in English.

Things to Do in Xitang

Xitang Water Town is fantastic and well-known because of its tranquil ambience, peaceful community, and beautiful, picturesque views. Nowadays, although Xitang is considered an old-fashioned town, more people tend to appreciate its beauty than other places on Earth because of its originality and uniqueness, which results in this water town being patronized by several tourists and visitors from around the world. There are some unique experiences that you should not miss during your trip.

Boat Cruise in Xitang

When you are in Xitang, you should try the boat cruise to experience the ancient town. The location of the Boat Cruise is at Futang Cruise Ship Port. Timetables for each boat available during the day and evening are located here. It is better to plan a trip during the daytime to get to your destination earlier.

If you want to try an evening shift of the boat cruise, it will normally start at 18:00. Price ranges depend on the type of boat you choose to ride, the normal rate is CNY80 per person, and that is for 12 persons. For night trips, the cost is normally CNY10 per person.

Night Walk Around Xitang

If you visit Xitang Water Town, you must spend at least one day and one night to enjoy this beautiful town. It will be great wandering around the ancient town during the night because you will see all of the picturesque scenes here in Xitang along with its beautiful lights and breeze. This is just the beginning of your nightlife in Xitang. Once you visit during the night, you must take the opportunity to walk along the covered corridors, and you will see numerous tables, and at each table, people are drinking a beer, chatting with each other and seeing the beautiful nightlife in Xitang.

Dining in Xitang

There are abundant yummy foods available in Xitang. Featured dishes such as Braised Baisi Fish, Braised meat with preserved vegetable, Caihua Fish Braised with Egg, Green soybean with water chestnut meat, Crab in oil and salt, Pangpi Fish, and Quick-fried snails with soy sauce. Yellow Rice Wine, Spiced Beans, Yellow Cake, Steamed Pork Swathed with Lotus Leaves and Cake of Eight Treasures are the very famous local snacks.

Shopping in Xitang

Memorabilia and souvenirs like amulets, bracelets, and other jewellery made up of coral and other marine reefs, hand-made bags, hats, caps and umbrellas are specialities in Xitang.

Food

The local food adds just one more dimension to Xitang’s attractiveness. Since the town is found in the fertile Yangtze Delta and consistently supplied with the life of many rivers, visitors Argentina able to enjoy many fresh foods such as fish and vegetables. The area around Fengqiao Bridge has many eateries to discover, such as Qiantang Restaurant. Don’t be afraid to experiment with flavors!

One of the finest pleasures in Xitang is its delicious local food. Located in the fertile Yangtze Delta with abundant rivers, Xitang is famous for its fish dishes. The place around the Fengqiao bridge is one of the best places to sample Xitang food. Qiantang Restaurant next to the bridge, is the favorite of many.

1. Steamed Pork Swathed with Lotus Leaves

Steamed pork wrapped with lotus leaves is considered the most popular dish in town and patronized by most visitors and tourists because of its unique taste. This dish is enclosed with lotus leaves and famous spices like curd skin, fried noodles, cloves, aniseeds, soya beans, and sweet sauce that create a fragrant aroma for its visitors and tourists.

The pork is pure pork without any added additives or preservatives. The serving process of this dish is remarkably natural and only learned chefs and cooks can cook this kind of dish.

2. Yellow Cake

One of the most delightful desserts you can experience in Xitang is their Yellow Cake. This is one of the prominent foods in Xitang because of its unique taste and style. This is also called summer cake. Considered as a seasonal pack food of Xitang Water town, it is a combination of a thousand-year tradition.

This food is made up of traditional ingredients including glutinous rice, black seeds, red peas, walnuts, kernels, cudweed herbs and spices, wheat flour, and white sugar. Cudweeds are responsible for the fragrance of the cake. According to the people of Xitang, this food is capable of giving you a longer life once you eat it.

3. Spiced Beans

Beans are one of the most popular foods in Xitang that you shouldn’t miss tasting once you are here. The beans are cooked under the sun, enabling each bean to become more flavourful than if they were cooked under fire. Afterward, these beans will be cooked on a stove with all of the seasonings and spices like orange peels, peppers, cooking wine, salt and aniseed.

4. Yellow Rice Wine

People in Xitang love to drink wine. As a result, they also include wine among their dishes. One of the best recipes they have is the yellow Rice Wine. The biggest producer of yellow rice wine in China is found in the northern part of Xitang Water Town. These wines in Xitang offer mildness and a unique taste to most of the people in Xitang and as well as the visitors and tourists.

5. Cake of Eight Treasures

This is also one of the premier dishes in Xitang because of its unique style and taste. The reason why it is called the “eight treasures” is that it is made up of eight medicinal herbs, including Chinese Yams, Tuckahoe, amaranth, rice kernels, malt, hyacinth beans, lotus leaves, and hawthorn berries. These are the eight major 8 herbs that make the cake of eight treasures best.

One-Day Xitang Water Town Tour

Entering the Xitang Water Town from the Yejia Lane and starting your tour in a counter-clockwise direction will let you fully understand the charm of the Town. The eight attractions listed below are the essence of Xitang. It is recommended to spend 20 to 30 minutes in each of them.

Eaves Tile Display Hall

Tiles were indispensable architectural materials in Xitang during ancient times. Over 300 ancient tiles, bricks, and vessels are collected in the display hall. It is a wonderful place to learn the history of the architecture of Xitang.

Button Museum

Built in 1927, the Button Museum was originally owned by a rich merchant in Xitang. He liked to collect buttons, so his house finally became a museum of buttons. The six exhibition halls in the museum show you the development of buttons between the Song (920 AD to 1279 AD) and Qing (1636 AD to 1912 AD) dynasties.

Shaoxianggang Street

The street was the rich people’s residential area during ancient times. The rice people built their houses between the river and their fields. The thresholds of their houses were much higher than normal people, because they believed the higher their thresholds were, the more money they could earn. It is poetic to enjoy the river view from the second floor of one of the houses.

Wood Carvings Hall

The wood carvings in the hall have a history of over 200 years. They were the decorations of rich people’s houses. They show the wisdom and technique of the ancient craftsmen in Xitang.

Yellow Wine Museum

It is a museum, as well as the biggest yellow wine factory in China. People in Xitang have been brewing yellow wine for over 1,000 years. We suggest you try it even if you are not a fan of alcohol.

Ceilinged Corridors

You will go through lots of ceilinged corridors during your tour in Xitang. You can take a rest in the corridors if you are tired. The benches and small food shops in these corridors will help you refresh in a short time.

Drunk Garden

The Drunk Garden was originally owned by the Wang Family. The senior members hoped their descendants would get drunk by the books, views, and paintings in the garden, absolutely not by alcohol.

West Garden

The West Garden is the largest private garden in Xitang Ancient Town. The Zuixue Pavilion, located on the rockery in the garden, is the best place in Xitang to admire the snow view in winter.

Tips

• Some local people at the entrance of Xitang may ask you to follow them into the water town at very low prices. You can do it, but you have to miss lots of attractions without buying the official tickets.
• The Ceilinged Corridor was used as the background for the movie Mission Impossible 

Recommended Tour: Xitang Water Town Day Tour from Shanghai