Xitang Ancient Town

Xitang Ancient Town sits about 110 km northeast of central Hangzhou in Jiashan County, Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, reached in roughly 1.5-2 hours by direct tourist bus from Hangzhou East Bus Station, or by high-speed train to Jiashan South followed by a short taxi ride. Xitang is threaded by nine canals crossed by more than 100 stone bridges, with covered wooden corridors (langpeng) running along the water so visitors can walk in the shade or rain. Highlights include the Songzikong Bridge, the Sea of Bamboo Carvings, the Bogong Hall ancestral hall, and the old cangku (grain warehouse) district. A typical morning is spent walking the canal-side lanes and covered corridors near the entrance, followed by an afternoon canal boat ride and a visit to one of the small folk-craft workshops making paper cuttings or wine. Xitang is well known for its late-night lantern-lit atmosphere, since many of its guesthouses and teahouses stay open after the day-trip crowds depart, and its food stalls sell local specialties such as babeard's tofu and eight-immortal duck. Arriving in mid-morning gives time to see the main sights before the midday crowds peak, and spring or autumn weather keeps the stone walkways comfortable underfoot. Because the town is smaller and slightly less commercialized than Wuzhen, an unhurried half-day is usually sufficient, leaving time to sample the local rice wine at a canal-side stall before heading back to Hangzhou by early evening.