Wuzhen Water Town 乌镇Wūzhèn

Why go to Wuzhen Water Town

Wuzhen is a canal town of arched stone bridges, black-tiled houses built right over the water and narrow stone lanes beside canals still plied by wooden boats. Its West Scenic Zone has been restored with real care, and once the day-trippers leave, the lanterns come on and the canals turn to mirrors. Stay a night to see it at its best.

The story

The novelist Mao Dun, one of the great names of modern Chinese literature, was born here in 1896, and his family home is open to visitors. Today the town also hosts a well-regarded theatre festival that turns its old halls and courtyards into stages.

What to see at Wuzhen Water Town

• Mao Dun's former residence 茅盾故居: The family home of the novelist Mao Dun, born in Wuzhen in 1896 and raised here until 1910, preserved as a Qing-era Jiangnan house on Guanqian Street. The memorial hall is closed on Mondays except public holidays.
• Xiuzhen Taoist Temple 修真观: A Taoist temple on Guanqian Street in the East Zone, first founded in 998, with three halls and an old opera stage on the square opposite.
• Hongyuantai dye workshop 宏源泰染坊: A traditional dye workshop in the East Zone, famed for blue-printed cloth that is hung out to dry in tall courtyard frames.
• Jiangnan Hundred Beds Museum 江南百床馆: A small museum of old Jiangnan beds from the Ming, Qing and later periods, a window into everyday domestic life.
• Canal boat ride 摇橹船: Wooden boats are rowed along the canals; the classic scene is the lit canals of the West Zone after dark.

How to visit Wuzhen Water Town

Visit the East Zone in the morning, when it feels more lived-in, then take the shuttle bus to the West Zone for the afternoon and evening. A half day covers one zone; a full day or an overnight shows both and the lanterns at night.

How to get to Wuzhen Water Town

Take a high-speed train from Hangzhou to Tongxiang (about 20 minutes), then a bus or taxi for the last half hour to Wuzhen. Direct coaches also run from Shanghai and Hangzhou.

Where to stay

Stay in the West Zone for the evening scene, or in a canal-side guesthouse in the East Zone for a quieter, more local feel.

What to eat

• Sauce duck 酱鸭: Duck braised in soy and spices, a Wuzhen favourite.
• Braised lamb 红烧羊肉: Slow-braised lamb, a local winter dish.
• Dingsheng cakes 定胜糕: Sweet rice cakes pressed in wooden moulds, a traditional town snack.

Tips for visiting Wuzhen Water Town

• Spend the night inside the West Scenic Zone (Xizha); after the crowds leave, the lantern-lit canals are almost yours alone.
• Get up early for a misty walk along the water before new visitors arrive.
• The smaller East Zone (Dongzha) feels more lived-in and makes a good morning visit.

Nearby

• Zhouzhuang 周庄古镇 50 km
  Jiangnan's most famous water town, famed for its Twin Bridges and merchant halls
• West Lake 西湖 60 km
  The lake that taught China what a perfect landscape should look like
• Classical Gardens of Suzhou 苏州园林 70 km
  Whole landscapes of rock, water and pavilion folded into a city block
• Lingyin Temple & Feilai Feng 灵隐寺 70 km
  A working Chan monastery beside a hillside of 1,000-year-old rock carvings
• Former French Concession 原法租界 100 km
  Plane-tree streets, garden villas and shikumen lanes for Shanghai's best city walk
• Shanghai Museum 上海博物馆 110 km
  Ancient Chinese bronzes, ceramics, painting and jade, now shown at Shanghai Museum East

Also within 30 km: Luojiajiao Site Park 罗家角遗址 (10 km), Nanxun Ancient Town 南浔古镇 (20 km), Three Bridges of Shuanglin 双林三桥 (20 km), Shijian Hall 师俭堂 (20 km), Zhenze Ancient Town & Ciyun Temple Pagoda 震泽古镇 (20 km), Dongmiao Bridge 东庙桥 (20 km).

On the map

Open Wuzhen Water Town on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• Wikipedia (Chinese)