48-Hour Slow Travel Guide: Experience a Republican Era Dream in Jiangnan

At 6 a.m. in Nanxun, the scent of soy milk drifts along the bluestone streets. There are no crowded tour groups, only rowboats stirring the reflections of the Baijian Building. This underrated ancient town in Jiangnan hides the gilded years of the Republican-era merchant guilds and retains the warm, everyday life of ordinary families.
【Day 1: From the Silk Merchant Mansion to the Bustling Market】
9:00 The Lotus Breeze at Xiaolian Manor
Stepping into Liu Yong’s private garden feels like entering a scene from Dream of the Red Chamber. The ten-acre lotus pond’s withered branches carry an ink-wash painting vibe in autumn, while the red-brick library behind the Western-style gate houses the legendary silk merchant story of “a town’s strength rivaling a nation.”
11:00 Glass Carvings at Zhang Shiming’s Former Residence
The luxury of a “Jiangnan residence” takes your breath away—French-imported blue crystal glass windows that have stayed dust-free for a century; copper coin patterns under the hall’s floor tiles symbolizing “stepping on wealth to enter.” The most stunning is the Baroque ballroom in the backyard, where the scent of perfume from Republican-era ladies still seems to linger in the air.
13:00 Double Toppings Noodles at Zhuangyuan Building
The golden combo of fried fish and crispy pork with sweet and salty toppings. Sitting by the riverbank eating noodles and listening to elderly locals chatting in Wu dialect across the water—that’s the daily BGM of Nanxun people.
15:00 Daydreaming in the Corridor of Baijian Building
A riverside residence built by Ming Dynasty Minister of Rites Dong Fen for his servants, now the most photogenic hidden spot. Find a teahouse, order a cup of smoked bean tea, and wait for the sunset to dye the mottled white walls honey-gold.
19:00 Night Stroll Surprises in the Free Area
When the tour groups leave, carry a lantern and walk along East Street at night. Encounter the sound of Pingtan storytelling spilling out from an old teahouse, and a shop selling Ding Sheng cakes glowing with warm yellow light around the corner.
【Day 2: Mulberry Fish Ponds and Mogan Mountain Secrets】
8:30 Fish Soup Rice at Digang Ancient Village
Just a 20-minute drive away, this living museum still preserves the millennium-old system of “pond-based mulberry planting and feeding fish with mulberry leaves.” Drink three rounds of tea at the Zhang family’s old residence and watch fisherwomen stew milky fish soup in iron pots, paired with a bowl of freshly steamed mulberry leaf dumplings.
13:00 Artistic Afternoon in Yucun, Mogan Mountain
Next to the French mountain villa, a Republican-era library and camping coffee under the phoenix trees... This town, recommended by The New York Times, perfectly blends Western style with local charm. Don’t forget to pick up a handmade mulberry bark paper at Baiyun Art Museum.
16:00 Healing Moment at Yiyuan Farm
After feeding New Zealand dairy cows, sit in the glass house by the rice fields and enjoy fresh milk ice cream. If it’s autumn, you can also experience the rustic fun of harvesting rice.
【Practical Guide】
🚗 Transportation: There is a direct bus from Huzhou High-Speed Rail Station to Nanxun (about 1.5 hours); self-driving is recommended for more flexibility.
🛏️ Accommodation: “Shiyuan Jiangnan” guesthouse along the Baijian Building waterfront offers views of the water town’s morning mist right from your window.
🍜 Food Tips: Choose lean yet tender Xunti pork; embroidered brocade vegetables only grow well in Nanxun’s soil and water.
🎫 Ticket Bonus: Free entry to the ancient town after 5 p.m.; before 7 a.m., you can capture photos of Tongjin Bridge without crowds.
While other ancient towns sell Yiwu small commodities, Nanxun people still trim the years with mulberry scissors. There’s no anxiety about “internet-famous check-ins” here, only a long, leisurely phrase in the old teahouse: “Let’s have some tea—”