[2025 Tongxiang ] Travel Guide for Floating Market (Updated Mar)

#favouriteitinerary The Waterside Market is full of life, with colorful koi fish swimming in the water, numerous shops lining the banks, and a waterside stage where the melodious sounds of Wu dialect opera echo, telling the gentle and intricate tales of Jiangnan. Personal Opinion: In my opinion, the Waterside Market is a vibrant and enchanting destination. The lively atmosphere, combined with the cultural performances and picturesque setting, makes it a must-visit for anyone looking to experience the charm of Jiangnan.

With the current serious internal competition, tourist attractions have also begun to compete inwardly! As far as the ancient towns are concerned, Nanxun Ancient Town announced free admission [small attractions with combined tickets], Xitang Ancient Town is free before 8:00 in the morning and after 5:00 in the evening [not on holidays], Lu Town has been separated from the Keyan Scenic Area and offers free admission [optional community operas], and Paotan Ancient Town has also started to offer free admission from time to time, so that everyone can slowly take a tour of the ancient town and satisfy their desire to visit the Jiangnan water town! So the question is, if you want to go to an ancient town with better facilities, where should you go with your family? I recommend everyone to come to Zhejiang's thousand-year-old ancient town. Now you can stay in the hotel for free. Come live by the water and become a Jiangnan person! The one I want to introduce is Wuzhen in Zhejiang, formerly known as Wudun. It has a civilization history of more than 7,000 years and a town history of 1,300 years. It is a typical ancient water town in the south of the Yangtze River in China and a famous historical and cultural town in China. It is known as the "land of fish and rice, and the home of silk" and is known as "the last waterside home in China"! Up to now, Wuzhen has four gates, namely East, West, South and North [East and West gates are charged, South and North gates are free], as well as resorts such as Wucun. It is famous for its complete facilities and perfect experience, and is one of the well-known tourist destinations for family travel! In the New Year of 2025, good news came from Wuzhen. Starting from March 16, 2025, tourists staying in all homestays and hotels in Wuzhen Xizha Scenic Area (except Shuixiang Youth Hostel) can enjoy the free ticket policy of Wuzhen Xizha Scenic Area according to the actual number of guests staying. Simply put, staying at Xizha Hotel is free of charge for Xizha tickets. After that, you can check in at the front desk of Wuzhen Xizha Tourist Service Center by presenting a valid mainland China ID card and enter the Wuzhen Xizha Scenic Area. In this way, you can find an ancient and charming home built along the river in the south of the Yangtze River. After waking up, you can go out to see the scenery and feel the peaceful years! Moreover, most of the hotels and B&Bs in Xizha are converted from century-old residences, and the guest rooms are either facing the water or the street. You can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Jiangnan water town by opening the window, and step into the long Xizha Street when you go out. It is an excellent experience. You can also enjoy the family-like service from the landlord, which is comfortable and heartwarming. Friends who are visiting Wuzhen for the first time can take a two-day tour; On the first day, the South and North Gates are full of original ecology, where you can feel the life of local residents In the morning, you can come to the South Gate to experience the popular shops, delicious snacks, ancient houses, and check in and take photos. You can visit popular online shops such as Jixu Zixian, People Living by the Water, The Clouds Are Deep, Windy Courtyard, Alley Coffee, and Frozen Time, or you can sit around the stove and make tea, and enjoy the slow time in the ancient town! Also, if you like cheongsam, you can go shopping in Nanzha! Arriving at Beizha in the afternoon, there are many highlights. You can check in at the door of Wuzhen Granary, and you can also visit the venue of drama performances over the years [renovated brewery], which is a perfect combination of retro and modern! Walk along the river and the old times of Beizha Old Street are waiting for you to discover. In addition, the Midnight Library, modern buildings, container check-in points and other features are still the favorites of literary and artistic young people! The next day, Xizha, Jiangnan is a book, and Wuzhen must be its cover Xizha, as the core of Wuzhen, its blue water, white walls and gray eaves create a vivid Jiangnan water town charm! After the official start of the tour, you can follow the following route; Xizha No. 1 Visitor Center➡Muxin Art Museum➡Zhou Culture Corridor➡Caomu Bense Dyeing Workshop➡Jingxing Bridge➡Zhaochake➡Shusheng Mutton Noodles➡Zhaoming Academy➡Wuzhen Post Office➡Wuma Wonton Shop➡Yongping Fentuan Shop➡Zilala Fried Fried Rice Shop➡Longxingtian➡White Lotus Tower➡Water Theater➡Wujiangjun Temple➡Women's Red Street. When you are tired of shopping, you can try Wu Ma Wonton - wild vegetable wontons, Zilala Fried Rice Shop - shredded radish cakes, Yongping Fentuan Shop - osmanthus cake, Xunwu Shuiyan Restaurant and other delicious dishes, which are very good! If you have more time, you can also try the Plant and Wood Dyeing Workshop, take photos with blue print background [quickly produce photos], Wuzhen Old Post Office, send postcards to relatives and friends [10 yuan/piece, with special stamp], the floating market, see koi, experience the waterside teahouse [take photos in good condition], cruise at the pier at night [choose the bow position to take unobstructed panoramic views of the water town] and other experiences! In this way, all tickets are free. Dongzha, which requires additional tickets and has a similar style, is excluded. With the extra money, you can spend more on food, drinks and fun! Wuzhen Practical Information: Tickets to East Gate are 110 yuan, West Gate 150 yuan [East and West Gate combined ticket is 190 yuan], South Gate and North Gate are free. Located at No. 18, Shifo South Road, Tongxiang City, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, take the high-speed rail to "Tongxiang", transfer to bus K282/281➡Wuzhen Bus Station➡Bus K350➡Wuzhen West Gate Visitor Center. There are direct buses from Shanghai and Hangzhou. Self-driving tours and chartered tours are recommended. How about it? Do you like staying in a hotel in Wuzhen and getting free tickets? Welcome to leave a message to discuss!

📍Address: Wuzhen is located at the northern end of Tongxiang City, Zhejiang Province, west of Huzhou City, and north of Wujiang District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, at the junction of two provinces and three cities. As one of the first batch of Chinese historical and cultural towns, one of the top ten charming towns in China, and a national 5A-level tourist attraction, Wuzhen is known as "the last water town in China" 🚗Transportation: Transportation guide - Public transportation: You can take the high-speed train to Tongxiang Station, and then take bus K282 to Wuzhen Scenic Area. You can also take a bus to Wuzhen at the bus stations in Hangzhou, Shanghai, Jiaxing, and other cities. - Self-driving: It takes about 1.5 hours from Hangzhou or Shanghai. There is a parking lot in the scenic area, and the fee is CNY 10 within 6 hours. 👍️Must-see attractions: Attraction features - Historical buildings: The four old streets of Wuzhen, east, west, south, and north, intersect in a cross shape, forming a double chessboard-style ancient town pattern with parallel river streets and adjacent water and land. The residential houses are built along the river, with stone bridges on the river, reflecting the charm of the ancient town in the south of the Yangtze River with small bridges, flowing water, and ancient houses. - Cultural landscape: There are many cultural attractions such as Zhaoming Academy and the former residence of Mao Dun, with a strong cultural atmosphere. In addition, the Muxin Art Museum is also worth a visit, where many of Mr. Muxin's manuscripts are collected. - Folk culture: Wuzhen has rich folk cultural activities, such as water markets, flower drum opera, shadow puppetry, etc. Visitors can feel the strong local characteristics and the charm of traditional culture here. 🎟️Ticket information: - Ticket price: East Gate CNY 110, West Gate CNY 150, East and West Gate joint ticket CNY 190. 💗Other tips: - Food recommendation: Wuzhen's food is mainly fish and lake sheep, with specialties such as braised mutton, Taihu white fish, and duck in soy sauce. In addition, there are traditional pastries such as Dingsheng cake, green dumplings, and sister-in-law cakes. - Travel route: In the morning, you can go to the East Gate Scenic Area first to visit the former residence of Mao Dun, Lizhi Academy, and other attractions; in the afternoon, go to the West Gate Scenic Area to visit the grass and wood dyeing workshop, Wuzhen Post Office, and other places, and in the evening, you can enjoy the beautiful night view in the West Gate Scenic Area. If you have enough time, you can also go to Wucun to experience rural life or participate in cultural activities such as the Wuzhen Theatre Festival.

Wuzhen's New Year celebrations are so good this year! I highly recommend anyone planning a trip to Wuzhen to check out the New Year events! 🎉 🌟 Wuzhen New Year Events - Lingshui Wharf - Water Market (11:30 - 20:30) - As soon as I arrived in Wuzhen, I was captivated by the New Year atmosphere! Boats filled with New Year goods docked along the shore for people to choose from, including local residents' homemade cured meats and handicrafts. It was so tempting. - Rende Bridge (East Gate) - Boxing Boat Performance - ⏰ Time: 8:50, 9:30, 10:00, 11:10, 13:00, 13:30, 14:00, 15:30, 16:10, each performance lasts 10 minutes. - You can see Wuzhen's intangible cultural heritage boxing boat performance here. The performers' clothes are changed to festive New Year attire, and their moves are powerful and impressive. The atmosphere is amazing, and it got me so excited 🎊. - Longxing Field - Wuzhen Water Lantern Festival (9:00 - 22:00, lights on at 17:00) - There are several lantern exhibitions in Wuzhen during the New Year, but don't miss the one at Longxing Field! I arrived just in time to see the lights turn on, and it was absolutely stunning 💥. It felt like the whole world was lit up. 🍱 Food Recommendations - Tong'an Restaurant · Hejia Xiaoguan - ✨ Recommended: The restaurant specializes in "Wutong Banquet" dishes, preserving the traditional flavors of Tongxiang. The elegant environment offers a view of boats through the windows, creating a poetic atmosphere. I highly recommend the Hejia Claypot Fish Head (the soup is white and the fish is fresh, it's the restaurant's signature dish), the Crab Roe Tofu (fresh and tender, I love it!!), and the Black Garlic Sweet and Sour Pork is also great 😋. - Shuige Restaurant - ✨ Recommended: This restaurant is a waterside pavilion with the best view. It serves authentic local cuisine, with several large pots cooking outside the entrance for self-service. Must-try signature dishes include Zongxiang Huating Dongpo Pork, Wuzhen's famous Soy Sauce Duck (a traditional snack with a sweet and savory flavor), and the Braised Bamboo Shoots in Rich Soup is also delicious 👍. Overall, this trip to Wuzhen was unforgettable. I not only experienced the strong New Year atmosphere but also enjoyed a lot of delicious food. It was definitely worth it 🥰.

If you come to Wuzhen and stay in the ancient town for a night, you must get up early in the morning, go to the water market, join the morning tea guests, and experience the charm of the lively Wuzhen. Morning tea is only for guests staying within the Xizha scenic area. You can make a reservation when you check in, limited to 300 people per day. If you don't get a reservation, you can also pay to experience it, from 7:00 to 9:00. The price is very affordable, with pan-fried buns, shumai, fried dough sticks, sesame cakes, and various other local snacks to tantalize your taste buds. Starting at 8:00, there is also a performance on the water stage. Water Market Wuzhen Xizha