Day 1 Shanghai → Shendang Ancient Town → Qiyuan → Guanhai Garden → Shanghai
07:45
Meet at the designated location between 7:45 and 8:00 to sign in and head to your destination in a good mood:)
08:00
We set off on time at 8:00. Tourists introduced themselves to each other on the bus and laughed and chatted all the way.
11:30
Our first itinerary will revolve around [Shendang Ancient Town]. Shendang is the "treasure town" described by Yu Hua and is also the prototype of Yu Hua's novel "Sundang".
The Victory Hotel, the filming location for the movie "Xu Sanguan Selling Blood," still retains the original film's scenery, complete with water lanes, stone bridges, and ancient houses. The Victory Hotel was inspired by the novel, and after selling blood, Xu Sanguan would always order a plate of stir-fried pork liver with two taels of rice wine. This is why "Stir-fried pork liver with snow vegetables" has become the hotel's signature dish.
You can check in at the "Shen Dang" sign wall at the entrance of Xuanhutang Coffee;
The Shendang Brewery, formerly known as the Taixing Sauce Factory, dates back over 100 years to the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. This intangible cultural heritage-listed factory, built during the Guangxu era, continues to brew sauce today. The mountains of wine jars piled high within the factory grounds are a spectacular sight, and visitors can witness the authentic drying of soy sauce in the century-old soy sauce drying yard.
We arrived at the ancient town at noon, and everyone was free to find food and experience the delicious food of Jiaxing Haiyan.
Recommended: Shendang Cake, Soy Sauce Ice Cream, Soy Sauce Latte, Si Shi Chun Shao Mai, Da Fa Noodle House 😋
After a hearty meal, we will embark on a journey of exploration in Shendang✨——
The ancient town is minimally commercialized, preserving its bluestone pavements, old-fashioned soy sauce factories, and the local life of its inhabitants. The Victory Hotel, bathed in sunlight, exudes a quaint atmosphere, transporting one back to the 1990s, as described in Yu Hua's books.
Strolling along the ancient town, at the entrance of Xuanhutang Coffee, you can see the iconic check-in spot "Shendang". After being washed by rain, it has a sense of age. Under the swaying shadows of the trees, it tells the story of the development and changes of the ancient town over the years.
We'll continue our leisurely stroll to the Shendang Brewery, where we'll visit the underground wine cellar and soy sauce drying yard. This is the largest underground wine cellar in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, housing over 60,000 jars of rice wine piled high. Century-old pottery jars are sealed with lotus leaf mud, and thousands of soy sauce jars are drying in the open air. The sun shimmers amber, and the air is filled with a salty, savory aroma. Interested tourists can also try the unique flavor of white soy sauce ice cream. 😋
2:00 PM
After our visit to Shendang Ancient Town, we headed to Guanhai Garden for a stroll along the Qiantang River. Compared to the crowded Haiyan Windmill, we opted for the Guanhai Garden-Chihai Guantang City Balcony section, where the expansive balcony offers a more comfortable vantage point. Standing on the Chihai Guantang City Balcony, we experienced the rich history of the millennia-old seawall up close. (The Qiantang River's tide-watching season runs from late September to late October, and we'll try to time our itinerary to accommodate the tides. 🌊)
Watch the breeze sweep up the Qiantang River, dyeing the distant sky red. Enjoy the peaceful moment at this moment🌅; in the evening when the tide is out, interested friends can go into the water to catch some seafood, and you may even get some unexpected gains🦀
4:00 PM
After our visit to Shendang Ancient Town, we've prepared a special "dream-seeking" journey for you—a visit to Qiyuan, the filming location for Baochai's butterfly-catching scene in the 1987 version of "Dream of the Red Chamber." Qiyuan, formerly known as Feng's Garden, is a typical private garden in Jiangnan. Passed down through the generations by different families, it has witnessed the social development and rise and fall of Jiaxing's families. Historically, it was a favorite gathering place for local literati, who composed poems, painted, and played the zither in the garden, leaving behind countless legends and masterpieces, adding to Qiyuan's rich cultural heritage.
As soon as we stepped into Qi Garden, we felt like we'd been transported back to ancient times. The garden was filled with towering ancient trees and lush greenery, many of which are centuries old. 🌲 Strolling along the winding paths, we came into view of the "Nine Bends of the Pool." The delicate Nine-Bend Bridge spanned the water, its reflection reflected in the emerald waters like a flowing ink painting. 🏞️ Walking across the Nine-Bend Bridge, we marveled at the "Beauty Looking in the Mirror" stone, reminiscent of the beauties in "Dream of the Red Chamber" applying their makeup in a dreamlike and poetic scene. Continuing on, we ascended to the "Xiaoyin Pavilion," the highest point in the garden, offering a panoramic view of the entire park. Before we knew it, we had already entered the world of "Dream of the Red Chamber." 📖...
5:00 PM
Good times are always so short, and we are about to return, ending a wonderful day. We expect to arrive in Shanghai at 19:30. We kiss goodbye with tears and look forward to meeting you next time.
