Live Your Best Lives
It's the fifth day since the May Day holiday, and I'm thinking about it! Working hard after the holiday always feels overwhelming. Take advantage of the weekend and find a quiet, peaceful place with few people and beautiful scenery to cure your post-holiday syndrome!
Picture @王缘雄一
Here, the ever-energized You Xiaoxia has compiled seven fun and delicious ancient towns near Hangzhou. Each drive takes only 1-3 hours, so you can spend a whole day exploring them! Experience the tranquility and vibrant charm of the ancient Jiangnan region and soothe your inner restlessness!
Every ancient town has its own legendary stories and unique snacks. When you go there, remember to savor them carefully! GO!!!
🚗Driving time: 1 hour from Hangzhou
Even if you haven't heard of Tangqi Ancient Town, you've definitely heard of the Grand Canal. Tangqi Ancient Town, located in the Hangzhou section of the Grand Canal, was ranked first among the "Ten Famous Towns in Jiangnan" during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
"Tangqi Water Village is one of the most beautiful places in Jiangnan."
Even the renowned literary master Feng Zikai expressed his admiration for this place. The tall yellow wine flags, the incessant hawking of vendors, and the pedestrians passing by on the shore seem to be a continuation of its former prosperity!
There is also the Guangji Bridge, the only remaining seven-arch ancient stone bridge on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. It spans the Grand Canal from north to south. Whether you are looking at it from a distance or standing on the bridge to look at Tangqi, it has a unique flavor!
Shuibei Street is an ancient street in the ancient town, full of local snacks and various handicrafts. The street is dotted with ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties. You can eat and stroll along the street to experience the slow and leisurely life here.
"Fagen cakes and Huichang rice dumplings, the prickly meat balls are fragrant and glutinous, the fine sand sheep tails are fragrant, and the Tangqi pressed duck is authentic." This folk song sings about the Tangqi delicacies that make people drool.
The traditional delicacies always have a unique charm, attracting diners from all over the world to come and taste them.
Tangqi's loquats are truly exceptional! Every May, when the loquats reach maturity, they are large, sweet, and juicy. People from nearby drive in droves to buy them, and these days are the perfect time to go!
🚗Driving time: 1 hour from Hangzhou
Longmen Ancient Town is located on the south bank of Fuchun River, at the foot of Longmen Mountain. Looking north, you can see the famous Fuchun River. This is the most famous ancient town in Fuyang!
Picture @王缘雄一
Sun Quan, the emperor of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period, came here to live in seclusion, and his descendants have taken root here since then. Today, more than 70% of the people here have the surname Sun, making it the most concentrated place for Sun's descendants. Even the famous Longmen gluten here is called Sun Quan gluten, which shows that the place has a deep connection.
With long alleys and quiet courtyards, a large number of huge buildings built in the Ming and Qing dynasties are well preserved here. There is also a Sun Clan Ancestral Hall in the town, which is the main place for the Sun family to worship their ancestors and hold meetings.
The most worthwhile attraction in the entire ancient town is Yanchi Yeyue. The Yanchi is like a mirror dropped here. The houses with white walls and black tiles and the green mountains in the distance are all reflected in the pool, which is very beautiful!
Wear cheongsam or Hanfu and come here to take a set of blockbuster photos, full of ancient charm!
Picture @王缘雄一
After a satisfying meal, spend the afternoon in the ancient town, enjoying tea, a refreshing breeze, and a stroll through the alleys. The ancient town is not very large, but the old street is worth a visit, about three miles long, with merchants and shops everywhere.
Picture @王缘雄一
The old street is the most lively at night, when all the lanterns are lit up, creating a completely different scene!
The food here is of high quality and affordable. Longmen has three treasures: gluten, beef and rice wine, all of which are worth a try!
🚗Driving time: 1 hour from Hangzhou
Anchang Ancient Town is one of the four famous ancient towns in Shaoxing. It was first built in the Northern Song Dynasty. It was burned down many times due to wars and was rebuilt in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Walking on the street, you will have the illusion of going back in time. There are houses along the river in an orderly manner, and quaint rice wine and milk tea shops. Only when you come here can you truly feel the taste of "the scenery is as good as Suzhou".
Compared to Wuzhen, the atmosphere of life here is richer. You can drink tea and play chess in the teahouse by the river, or take a ride on Shaoxing's unique black-sailed boat and listen to folk songs while boating on the river. The old people will also sit together and chat, which is very pleasant!
In the ancient town, there are locals selling local specialties, various cakes, pickles, fermented bean curd, pulled sugar... You must remember to come with an empty stomach!
There is also a "Renchang Sauce Factory" here, which was once the filming location of "A Bite of China".
Even if you stand 50 meters away from the soy sauce drying yard, you can still smell the intoxicating aroma of the soy sauce.
Image @crazyone
If you also want to spend a quiet and comfortable time, why not come here for a stroll!
Image @crazyone
🚗Driving time: 1.5 hours from Hangzhou
"The hedges are sparse and the path is deep, the flowers on the tree have fallen but no shade has been formed; children run fast to chase yellow butterflies, but they fly into the cauliflower and are nowhere to be found."
Yang Wanli once described the infinite scenery of the ancient town of Xinshi at that time in "Staying Overnight at Xu Gongdian in Xinshi".
Xinshi Ancient Town has a history of thousands of years. Some people say that it is an ancient town with the meticulous painting style of famous artists. This description is not an exaggeration, because it is the hometown of the great flower and bird painter Shen Quan.
The Grand Canal runs through the town, with 72 arch bridges and 36 alleys crisscrossing it. You will find that there are many places worth visiting here!
Juehai Temple is a thousand-year-old temple built during the reign of Emperor Xianzong of Tang Dynasty. It is very popular and you can appreciate the simplicity and elegance of the architecture.
Zhuangyuan Bridge was named after Wu Qian, a native of Xinshi who won the imperial examination and later became the left prime minister during the Song Dynasty. It implies that one's name was on the list of successful candidates.
When you come to Xinshi, you must not miss the braised lamb. It is crispy but not mushy, fat but not greasy. Drinking a cup of rice wine and eating a bowl of lamb is the happiness of Xinshi people.
You can also try Xinshi tea cake, which is made from crushed glutinous rice flour and steamed with pork filling and has a history of more than 400 years.
When you are tired of shopping, you can find a teahouse to rest for a while, bring some fruits, playing cards, and melon seeds, and play for the whole afternoon. It is really comfortable!
🚗Driving time: 2 hours from Hangzhou
The name "Meicheng" comes from the fact that a section of the battlements along the river on the ancient Yanzhou city wall was built in the shape of a plum blossom. It is known as "most of the plum blossoms in the world are in Beijing, one in Nanjing, and half in Yanzhou."
Meicheng Ancient Town is located at the confluence of Xin'an River, Fuchun River and Lan River. Thousands of years ago, it was the ancient capital of Yanzhou, with a status comparable to Hangzhou, and was once unparalleled in its scenery!
Famous literati Fan Zhongyan and Lu You both served as officials here, and great poets Li Bai and Meng Haoran also traveled to the mountains and rivers of Meicheng.
Walking on the pedestrian street, you can see traces of history everywhere. The ruins of the ancient city wall of Yanzhou are preserved here, and you can see the whole picture of the ancient town by climbing up.
There is also a "Prefect's Parade" performance every day, where a team of people parades to the bottom of the city gate in a grand manner, which is very lively!
Walking out of the city gate, you will see the Xin'an River in front of you, with mountains, water and beautiful scenery. There are also many special snacks hidden in the streets and alleys, such as Jiande tofu buns, Yanzhou pancakes, stinky tofu corn cakes... They will make you stop and salivate, and you will enjoy the food to your heart's content!
🚗Driving time: 2 hours from Hangzhou
“Traveling all over Jiangnan for ninety-nine days is not as good as visiting Nanxun.”
While there are many Jiangnan ancient towns, Nanxun stands out. It's the first Jiangnan ancient town in China to be inscribed on the World Cultural Heritage List. Known for its silk, Nanxun, located in Huzhou, is renowned for its silk production and has also spawned a wealth of wealthy individuals, resulting in the rise of various luxury homes and private gardens.
Western aesthetics and Chinese culture blend together here, making Nanxun the only ancient town in all the Jiangnan water towns that combines Chinese and Western styles.
According to the Records of Gardens in Jiangnan, “with only one town, it has five gardens, all of which are huge structures, which is unique in Jiangnan.” Nanxun has numerous cultural landscapes and historical sites.
Xiaolianzhuang is Liu Yong's private garden, with a lotus pond, a curved bridge, and strange peaks and rocks.
Zhang Shiming's former residence, known as the "No. 1 House in Jiangnan", has both typical Jiangnan traditional architecture and European-style buildings from the Renaissance period.
With its flowing water, winding paths and corridors, Nanxun, as one of the six ancient towns in the south of the Yangtze River, is also known as the "cover of China's Jiangnan region".
Baijianlou has a unique Jiangnan style. Buildings are built on both sides of the river and connected by a long stone bridge. A rowboat sways leisurely in the river.
Nanxun also has its own unique delicacy - smoked bean tea, which is brewed with smoked beans, tea leaves, sesame seeds, dried radish, etc. It is a unique tea drink here.
Double-cross noodles, topped with fried fish and crispy pork, are a taste that even the locals can’t forget.
There are also Xun's hoof, braised lamb... Enjoy the home-cooked delicacies and have a drink, how wonderful!
🚗Driving time: 2.5h-3h from Hangzhou
“The smell of fireworks in the world is the most soothing to the hearts of ordinary people”
Zhejiang is full of ancient towns, but Youbu Ancient Town is a very special one! My favorite thing about it is the morning tea culture.
The right way to start your visit to Bugu Ancient Town is with a bowl of authentic beef noodles. These noodles are cooked on a single side, with the noodles hand-rolled for a springy texture. The broth is rich and refreshing, a true delight!
Long tables and benches are lined up, and you can try most of the Lanxi snacks here, including chicken cakes, tofu dumplings, flatbreads, meat dumplings, etc., accompanied by a pot of tea, and the day begins like this!
After having morning tea, strolling around the ancient street is a good way to digest the food. There are still many old houses and old objects preserved in the streets and alleys, including old-fashioned barber shops, bamboo weaving department stores, camera museums... These are the most simple memories left in the torrent of the times.
The ancient town is rich in history, hiding its past and perhaps its future. It's not far away, but right before your eyes. Why not take a weekend trip and go and see it together?
Welcome everyone to chat in the comment area #What other treasured ancient towns around you make you excited#
