Two Days and One Night of Slow Living in Xitang

Escape Shanghai for the Weekend! A 30-minute high-speed train ride takes you directly to Jiashan South Station🚄. From there, take bus K222 straight to Xitang Scenic Area (only 2 yuan for the fare—super affordable, don’t fall for unlicensed taxis!). This time, I booked **Huazhu·Xitang Demao Hall**. Pushing open the wooden door felt like stepping back in time—carved windows, bluestone courtyards, and a waterside terrace. Falling asleep to the sound of flowing water at night—pure magic!💤 🏮 Must-Experience Highlights at Demao Hall **The Ultimate Private Kitchen—Houbu Private Cuisine** 🌙 For dinner, I pre-ordered **Houbu Private Cuisine**, which comes with the hotel! The meal is customized per person and paired with a pot of warm Jiashan yellow wine. Sipping wine while watching lantern reflections shatter on the river—a truly healing Jiangnan night~ Open the window, and the Misty Rain Corridor is right there! The butler even gifted us a hand-drawn map. 🍃 **24-Hour Xitang Highlights Guide** **6:00AM: Exclusive Access to the Empty Water Town** Before the crowds arrive, rush to **Misty Rain Corridor** for empty shots! Blue tiles and white walls reflect the morning mist—wear a neo-Chinese long dress and carry an oil-paper umbrella. > ✅ Hidden Gem: The free Button Museum inside the corridor, where aunties share stories of "Xitang as the Button Capital of China"~ **10:00AM: Explore Alleys and Listen to Pingtan** Head straight to **Shipi Alley**! Squeeze through the 0.8-meter-wide lane and touch 300-year-old bluestone slabs. At **Xiyuan Garden**, free Pingtan performances start at 2 PM—sip green tea while listening to "Jasmine Flower," and let the soft Wu dialect melt your heart~ **4:00PM: Glide into Dusk on a Wupeng Boat** Charter a boat at Laifeng Bridge Pier near the hotel (💰150 yuan/boat, max 6 people). As the boatwoman rows slowly, toss fish food under Huanshou Bridge—ripples shatter the lantern reflections, and you’ll instantly understand "starlight crushed in the water"🌌. **7:00PM: Night Feast + Tipsy Stroll** After dinner at Houbu Private Cuisine, wander to **Tangdong Street**! Grab a box of Zhao Dayou’s osmanthus gorgon fruit cake (18 yuan/box)—soft, chewy, and not too sweet. Then slurp a bowl of Lu’s wontons with Xitang chili oil—the perfect late-night soul food! ⚠ **Pitfall Avoidance Guide** 🚫 Don’t buy "free entry" tickets from unlicensed taxis outside the scenic area—book a homestay in advance for reliable entry. 🚫 For the famous Granny Guan’s stinky tofu, stick to the original Pingqiao shop on West Street—the sauce is the soul of the dish. ✅ For Hanfu rentals, choose "Zanhua Ji" on West Street (80 yuan/day)—light-colored Song-style outfits with oil-paper umbrellas are ultra-photogenic!