Huishan Ancient Town (Wuxi)

Huishan Ancient Town is a historic district in Wuxi's Huishan District, Jiangsu province, China, known for its clusters of ancestral halls and old lanes at the foot of Huishan (Mount Hui). The shopping here is centered on local folk crafts and food rather than generic souvenirs, and its best-known product is the Huishan clay figurine, a painted folk craft with a long history in the area, often shown as the chubby child figure called Ah Fu. Souvenir shops along the lanes sell painted figurines in a range of sizes, along with Wuxi snacks, tea and small crafts connected to the ancestral hall heritage. The ratio of authentic handcrafted items to mass-produced souvenirs varies: some workshops make and paint figurines by hand, while many shops sell factory-made copies that look similar at a lower price. Visitors who want handmade figurines should look for workshops that display molds and painting work, and be ready to pay noticeably more than for factory-made copies. Prices run from about CNY 10 for small trinkets to a few hundred yuan for larger or hand-painted pieces. Bargaining is accepted at small stalls and shops, though established craft shops may hold fixed prices. Payment by Alipay and WeChat Pay is standard, cash is accepted at most vendors, and foreign cards are seldom taken. Tax-refund purchases are unlikely at these small vendors. The atmosphere is calmer than the big canal towns near Shanghai, with a mix of local residents and visiting groups, and it becomes busier at weekends and holidays. Layout follows the lanes running past the ancestral halls, so the must-visit corners are the clay figurine shops and the streets close to the halls themselves. Food is available on site, including Wuxi specialties such as sweet-savory braised dishes, small dumplings and snack stalls. Opening hours run from about 9AM to 9PM daily, and the town pairs easily with a visit to the ancestral halls and Huishan's natural areas.