Shanghai-Xitang-Suzhou-Hangzhou-Shanghai. How to take this route? Starting from Shanghai, the destination is also Shanghai. The order of other places can be disrupted.

Suggested Shanghai-Suzhou-Xitang-Hangzhou-Shanghai. First see the Suzhou gardens, then the Jiangnan water towns, then go to the paradise on earth, and finally the shopping metropolis. You can arrange it according to your own itinerary. Only Xitang is introduced below.

Xitang Town

One of the six ancient towns in Jiangnan. Xitang Ancient Town is located in Jiashan County, Zhejiang Province, at the junction of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai. It was named Xietang and Pingchuan in ancient times and is 10 kilometers away from Jiashan City. Xitang town has a total area of ??83.61 square kilometers, of which the ancient town area covers 1.04 square kilometers and has a population of nearly 86,000. Xitang - a thousand-year-old ancient town. It has been included in the preliminary list of world historical and cultural heritage, one of the first batch of historical and cultural towns in China, and a national AAAA-level scenic spot.

Geographical location

Xitang is one of the six ancient towns in the south of the Yangtze River, located in Jiashan County, Zhejiang Province. Jiashan is located in the southwest of Shanghai and borders Shanghai at zero distance. It is 80 kilometers away from the center of Shanghai, 60 kilometers away from the Dahongqiao Business District, 110 kilometers away from Hangzhou in the west, 35 kilometers away from Zhapu Port in the south, and 85 kilometers away from Suzhou in the north. It is in the center of the Yangtze River Delta. . The transportation is extremely convenient. The Shanghai-Hangzhou Railway, Shanghai-Hangzhou High-speed Railway, Shanghai-Hangzhou Expressway, Shenjiahu Expressway, Hangzhou Bay Cross-Sea Bridge North Connection Line, Tingfeng Expressway Connection Line, and National Highway 320 all pass through the border. You can take a car. It can be reached by high-speed rail and train. Taking the Shanghai-Hangzhou High-speed Railway, which was opened to traffic on October 26, 2010, it only takes about 20 minutes from Jiashan to Shanghai Hongqiao Hub Station, and about 35 minutes from Jiashan to Hangzhou. There are three major airports in the surrounding area: Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, Shanghai Pudong Airport, and Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport. Xitang is 10 kilometers north of Jiashan City and can be reached in 20-30 minutes by bus.

The origin of the town’s name

Version 1: It is said that during the Spring and Autumn Period, Wu Zixu of the State of Wu developed water conservancy, transported salt, and dug Wuzi Pond to the north of Xu Mountain (12 miles southwest of present-day Jiashan County) The water reaches the territory directly, so Xitang is also called Xutang. Because the terrain of Xitang is flat, it is also called Pingchuan and Xietang.

Version 2: There is a 3,400-acre lake in the northeast of Xitang Town, which is one of the largest lakes in Jiashan County. It is said that during the Dazhong Xiangfu period of Zhenzong in the Northern Song Dynasty, a large family named Tang moved to Dangbian. They saw that the lake had beautiful scenery and was rich in kingfishers and red caltrops. During the Fu years, this lake was called "Xiangfu". This family with the surname Tang had two brothers who lived happily beside Xiangfudang, but later they separated. The elder brother lives on the east side of Dang, and is known as the Eastern Tang Dynasty; the younger brother lives on the west side of Dang, and is known as the Western Tang Dynasty. Later, the brother's house gradually declined, while the younger brother's house was very prosperous, just like a tree, giving birth to many trees and branches. Therefore, people added a soil mark next to the word "Tang" where they lived. , called Xitang.

The origin of the corridor shed

In the Jiangnan water towns, scattered corridor streets with several households integrated into one can be seen everywhere. However, only Xitang has a corridor street with a length of more than 1,300 meters. The corridor streets in Xitang have shops or houses on one side, and a river on the other side. The corridor streets are surrounded by small rivers, and are winding and charming. When you step into the gallery street, you will see the houses on the water on both sides of the river and the river ports that call back and forth. For example, on a rainy day, the raindrops on the eaves of the corridor form a long rain curtain, and even people who can't write poetry will suddenly feel poetic. There is no official record of the origin of Corridor Street. There are only two popular versions: "Built for men" and "Built for good deeds".

One version: The young widow Mrs. Hu supports a family and a shop alone in Xitang. On the river beach in front of Hu's shop, there is Wang Er who sets up a tofu stall. Wang Er sympathized with Hu and often helped with some manual labor. As time passed, Mrs. Hu felt that she couldn't live without Wang Er, but it was difficult to express her feelings. So she took the opportunity of repairing the shop and asked people to build shacks along the river to cover the street in front of the shop. In this way, Wang Er can be protected from wind and rain, and the two of them can be under the same roof. Unexpectedly, Hu's shop suddenly became prosperous because of this shack. Businesses in town followed suit, and over the years, a line of shacks formed. Later generations took the meaning of "built for men" and called the shacks Corridor Street.

Version 2: There was an owner of a cigarette paper shop in Xitang. One day when the shop was closing, he saw a beggar taking shelter from the rain under the eaves in front of the shop, so he let him in. The beggar refused, so the boss took a bamboo curtain and connected it to the eaves, and built a temporary shed for the beggar to take shelter from the rain. The next day, the beggar left a line on the door of the shop: "The shed can protect you from wind and rain all night, and good luck will come to those who have accumulated good deeds." After that, the cigarette paper shop did a prosperous business. In order to thank the beggar for his kindness, the shopkeeper simply built a corridor with bricks, tiles and wooden frames under the eaves in front of the shop, and crossed the small street to the river port.

The legend of Wolong Bridge

Wolong Bridge was originally a wooden bridge, which was in disrepair and dilapidated for a long time. One day, a bamboo craftsman named Zhu who lived by the bridge saw a pregnant woman slipping and falling into the water and died. He wanted to rebuild it, but he didn't have the funds. He cut off his hair and became a monk named Guangyuan. He spent ten years begging for alms, accumulated three thousand taels of silver, and started construction. When the silver ran out and there was still a shortage of stone, the monk died of illness due to ten years of age.

The project was about to stop due to lack of bridge deck. At this time, two gods came to Xitang. They heard that Xitang's dried tofu was very famous. They tasted it and were full of praise. When they were intoxicated, a piece of dried tofu fell and fell on the unfinished Wolong Bridge. , forming a bridge deck. Therefore, the bridge deck of Wolong Bridge is a large piece. The entire bridge is engraved with a dragon, with its head east and tail west, which is still clearly visible today.

The legend of sending a son to Laifeng Bridge

According to "Xitang Town Chronicles", Laifeng Bridge was built in the 10th year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty (1637 AD) and rebuilt twice in the Qing Dynasty. It is said that when the bridge was first built, a bird flew over. The city people thought it was auspicious, so they named it "Send a Child to Phoenix Bridge". In 1988, it was converted into a single-hole reinforced concrete arch bridge. It was rebuilt in 1998 and adopts the form of "complex corridor" in classical gardens, with partition walls and flower windows in the middle and passages on both sides. It is said that when a newlywed couple crosses this bridge, if the man is on the left and the woman is on the right, it will predict your son. This bridge is also nicknamed "Dishui Qingyu Bridge" and "Lovers Bridge". The former can remind people of the scene on a rainy day. Wouldn't it be better to sit here and have a drink? Slope. Of course, a man will rise step by step by walking up the steps, while a woman will take steps as small as three inches of golden lotus and run the house steadily. The old people say: "When newlyweds take a walk, the south will give birth to a child, and the north will bring a phoenix." If there is a married couple who has not yet had a child. , you might as well come and take a walk.

The legend of the Qilaoye Temple (Temple of the Protector Suiliangwang)

During the Chongzhen period of the Ming Dynasty, there was a famine in the Jiashan area, and the people were starving. At that time, the Qilaoye Supervisor was passing by to transport the imperial grain, and he saw people dying of hunger everywhere. Unable to bear it, he actually gave away all the imperial rations to the people. He knew that distributing the imperial rations to the people privately was a capital crime, so he drowned himself in the Yantawan River. The people in the nearby area were saved. In memory of this upright official, they raised funds to build a building for him. I built a temple - Qi Lao Ye Temple, which is very popular.

Transportation Guide

2. Highway, Railway and High-speed Railway

Jiashan-Xitang Jiashan Passenger Transport Center, go to the bus interchange area and take the K215 or K216 bus to Xitang (fare 2 yuan, coin-operated bus is required. The bus interval is about 10 minutes, and it takes about 40 minutes to arrive at Xitang. Starting and ending time: 5:30-17:50). From Jiashan Railway Station, exit the station and walk along Huanbei Road in the left-hand direction for 5 minutes to Jiashan Bus Terminal and transfer to bus K210 to Xitang. (The fare is 2 yuan, and coins are required. The bus interval is about 20 minutes, and it takes about 25 minutes to arrive at Xitang. The starting and ending times are: 5:30 to 17:50). High-speed rail Jiashan South Station, transfer to bus K702 to Jiashan Passenger Transport Center (fare is 2 yuan, coin-operated bus is required. The bus interval is about 10-20 minutes, and it takes about 10 minutes to arrive at the passenger transport center. Starting and ending times: 6:30-21:45) Then transfer to bus K215 or K216 to Xitang. A taxi from Jiashan to Xitang costs at least about 40 yuan. The last urban and rural bus from Xitang back to Jiashan is at 18:00. If you miss the last bus, don’t worry. Generally, you can always find a taxi back to Jiashan near Jiashan Second People’s Hospital in Xitang before 8 or 9 pm, and the price is very good. Cheap (10 yuan/person, sometimes even if you go alone, it is better than driving back with an empty car). Jiaxing-Xitang After getting off the high-speed railway at Jiaxing South Station, you can take bus K93 directly to Jiaxing North Bus Station, and then transfer to urban and rural bus K152 at Jiaxing North Bus Station to reach the ancient town of Xitang. (The first and last bus times of K93 high-speed rail at Jiaxing South Station are 7:00~22:40. The first and last bus times of K152 bus at Jiaxing North Bus Station and Xitang are 6:30~17:25). After getting off at Railway Jiaxing Station (which stops close to 90 ordinary trains every day and can be reached from most large and medium-sized cities across the country), you can take night buses No. 4, 5, 22, 32, 87, and 55. Directly to Jiaxing North Bus Station, transfer to urban and rural bus K152 at Jiaxing North Bus Station to reach Xitang. After getting off at Jiaxing West Bus Station (soon to be relocated to a new location, named Jiaxing Express Passenger Transport Center), you can take the urban and rural bus K151 at Jiaxing West Bus Station to Jiashan, and then take the bus from Jiashan to Xitang, or you can take the bus at Jiaxing West Bus Station Take bus No. 15, No. 15 at night, No. 20, No. 23, No. 55 at night and other buses to Jiaxing North Bus Station and transfer to K152 directly to Xitang Ancient Town. After getting off at Jiaxing North Bus Station, take the K152 urban and rural bus directly to Xitang Ancient Town. Shanghai - Xitang Shanghai Tourism Distribution Center (under escalator No. 5, Gate 12, Shanghai 80,000 Stadium), there is a tourist bus to Xitang at 9:15 every day, returning at 16:30 on the same day, the fare is 140 yuan/person, with guided tour service (Including attraction package). There are only two trains a day from Shanghai South Railway Station to Jiashan, and the last long-distance train from South Railway Station to Jiashan is at 18:00. At the entrance of the Agricultural and Industrial Commercial Supermarket in Xitang Town, a car went straight back to Shanghai at 17:40 and parked near People's Square. The ticket is 25 yuan. High-speed rail is now open from Shanghai Hongqiao Station to Jiashan South Station. There are corresponding trains from 7:00 in the morning to 20:20 in the evening. The fare is 32 yuan (the price of the high-speed train is 20 yuan) and the time is 20 minutes. After arriving at Jiashan South Station, you can take a taxi to the Xitang Ancient Town Scenic Area in about 10 minutes. Hangzhou-Xitang Starting from Hangzhou, you can take the express bus from Jiubao Passenger Transport Center to Jiashan (about 30 minutes, 1 and a half hours drive, fare 35 yuan), and then transfer to the ticketed express bus at Jiashan Passenger Transport Center to go directly to Xitang ( 5 yuan at the ticket window), or you can take the express bus directly from Jiubao Passenger Transport Center to Xitang (four buses a day, about 2 hours' drive, fare 39 yuan).

Suzhou-Xitang

Getting on the station Arrival station Departure time Car type Fare (yuan) End station

Suzhou South Station Xitang 07:25 Large Grade 2 37.0 Jiashan Suzhou South Station Xitang 09:25 Large Jiashan Suzhou South Station Xitang 11:25 Jiashan Suzhou South Station Xitang 11:25 Jiashan Suzhou South Station Xitang 13:25 Jiashan Suzhou South Station Xitang 37.0 Jiashan Suzhou South Station Xitang 15:35 Jiashan Suzhou South Station Xitang 37.0 Jiashan Suzhou South Station Xitang 17:25 Jiashan Suzhou South Station Xitang 17:25 Jiashan can also be in Buy a ticket and get on the bus at the North Square Bus Station next to the train station

Travel Tickets

Introduction

Since January 1, 2012, Xitang Tourism Tickets are only available in Xitang There is a combination of tourist tickets, priced at 100 yuan/ticket, which includes 11 small attractions. Tickets will be checked daily at each entrance and exit starting from May 2012. Do not throw away the tickets after checking in. You need to show them when purchasing ferry tickets and taking the boat.

Preferential policies

Ticket type, retail price, same journey price

Adult combined ticket 100 80

1. Free of charge: national guide card, Tour leader certificate, travel agency manager qualification certificate, reporter certificate, disability certificate, officer certificate, soldier certificate, disabled military certificate, veteran cadre retirement certificate, people over 70 years old with ID card or senior citizen certificate, travel agency driving with AA2 and children under 120cm in height. 2. Discount: 10% off for private groups of 16 or more people, 10% off for teacher ID cards; 50% off for full-time students with ID cards, 50% off for children between 120-140cm tall, 5% off for seniors aged 60-69 with ID card or senior citizen ID card Discount, and 50% off for those with teaching experience certificate issued by the state for over 30 years.

Night Tour:

Xitang has night tours from 17:00 to 20:30 every night from May to October every year. During the night tour, the West Garden, Zhang Zhenggen Sculpture Art Museum, and Button Museum will be open as normal. The price of the evening coupon is 50 yuan/piece. It is 20 yuan/person to buy a boat ticket with the coupon, and 150 yuan/boat to charter a boat with the coupon (limited to 8 people regardless of size). The cruise ship will depart as soon as it is full. Departure time: 18:00 to 20:30.

Main Attractions

Xitang has won the favor of tourists for its three major characteristics: "many bridges, many lanes, and many corridors and sheds". Among them, there are 11 scenic spots developed by Xitang Tourism Company Go from the counterclockwise direction: enter from Yejia Lane in the middle of the ancient town, turn right on West Street, and pass by "Root Carving Hall (1), Wadang Hall (2), and Xue Zhai Button Hall (3)"; --- At the Shuangqiao, go straight across the Anjing Bridge and turn right. After burning Hong Kong, visit "Ni Ju (4), Sheng Temple (5), and Wood Sculpture Hall (6)"; --- Go north along the ancient street east of Xitang Port, and pass From Lion Bridge, you can see the "Yellow Tavern (7)"; --- Along the slender Misty Corridor, pass by Shuangzi Laifeng Bridge, and go west to "Zuiyuan (8) and Qilaoye Temple (9)" ;---Go back to Huanxiu Bridge, turn right into "Zhongfu Hall (10)"; go east along West Street, and finally visit "Xiyuan (11)".

West Garden

The former site of Xitang Xiyuan is located in Jijia Alley, West Street. It was a separate property of the Zhu family in the Ming Dynasty and was later transferred to the Sun family. There are trees, flowers, plants, rockeries, pavilions and ponds in the garden. The West Garden has beautiful scenery. There is a "Tingtaoxuan" teahouse on the rockery on the east side. It is named because there is a white bark pine on the rockery, several feet high, and the wind makes a sound.

Zuiyuan

It was first built in the Ming Dynasty, and now the courtyard houses are well preserved. The garden has three entrances, halls and corridors, blue pools and bluestones, corridors of green bamboo, and the scenery is intoxicating. The most impressive thing is the small brick bridge in the yard, which can only accommodate one person. It is exquisite and clear, both ornamental and practical.

Langpeng

The most famous scenic spot in Xitang Ancient Town is a nearly kilometer-long corridor with a simple shape. The so-called corridor is actually a street with a roof.

Lufen Ginkgo

There are two Lufen Ginkgo trees, a male and a female, at the entrance of Fengbang Lane, Post Road, Xitang Town. It was planted during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, more than 600 years ago. The old trunks of ginkgo are whirling and the branches and leaves are lush. The male ginkgo is 13.5 meters high and has a circumference of 3.92 meters; the female ginkgo is 9.35 meters high and has a circumference of 3.08 meters.

Shipi Lane

Before the Ming Dynasty, the big families in the ancient town had the four surnames of Tang, Wang, Zhao and Lu. After the Ming Dynasty, there were also big families such as Ni, Jiang, Zhu, Bu and Lu. There are many deep houses and courtyards built in Pi Nong. Among the 122 lanes of different lengths in Xitang Town, Shipi Lane is the narrowest, with a width of only 1 meter. The narrowest part of the lane entrance is only 0.8 meters. The total length is 68 meters. It is paved with 166 fast stones. The lane surface is flat. The bottom is sewer. The stepped gables on the left and right walls of Shipi Lane are 6-10 meters high, and their ancient and unique style has been completely preserved.

Folk Tile Exhibition Hall

Tile is a kind of architectural decoration accessory made of simple materials. Because it is not easy to preserve and has a long history, it has certain historical value.

Chinese Wine Culture Museum

The ancient town of Xitang has been a wine town in history. "Drinking good wine and reciting good poetry" have always been the two major pursuits of many literati in ancient times.

Zunwen Hall

Zunwen Hall was built in the late Yuan and early Ming Dynasties, and the Baishou Hall in the hall is unique. The beams, columns and corridor windows in the hall have patterns, lifelike shapes, delicate knife skills and exquisite carvings.

Button Museum

Xitang is the hometown of buttons in China. The Button Museum is located on West Street. It has six exhibition halls: ancient button exhibition area, modern button exhibition area, Modern button display area, shell button production process display area, button application area, and Chinese knot display area.

Root Carving Museum

Xitang is a geomantic treasure, suitable for recuperation and inspiration for artists. Mr. Zhang Zheng, a root art sculptor, was born in Hangzhou, Shucheng, Anhui Province. He was born in 1958. In 1999, he moved to Xitang through the introduction of talents. Master Zhang Zheng's works are based on seven parts natural and three parts artificial. More than 500 large-scale works have been included in the "Guinness Book of World Records". Master Zhang Zheng was listed in the Who's Who of the World for his outstanding craftsmanship and fearless spirit, and was known as the "Son of the East".

Lions Bridge

Also known as Liren Bridge, because there are eight small stone lions of different shapes carved on the bridge railings, the people also call this bridge Lions Bridge.

Huanxiu Bridge

Built in 1581 (the ninth year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty), it spans Xiaotong and Beicui at that time and is the Xihuan Xiu Bridge

< p>The earliest high bridge in Tang Town. Legend has it that in the past, standing on the top of the bridge on a sunny day, you could look north at the green mountains on the edge of Taihu Lake.

Wufu Bridge

It was built in the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty and repaired in the 27th year of Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1901). According to the old man in Xitang, people who walk on this bridge will bring five kinds of blessings, namely: longevity, wealth, health, virtue and a good death.

Wolong Bridge

Wolong Bridge was built in 1719 (the fifty-eighth year of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty). Located at the mouth of Beizha City, it is a single-wollen dragon bridge.

The Kongshi Arch Bridge is 31.46 meters long and 4.95 meters wide. The east slope of the bridge has 32 levels, the west slope has 30 levels, and there are 9 levels at the south corner of the west slope. class. The patrol staff is rectangular, 44 cm high, the watch column is 71 cm high, and the capital is square. The arches are built vertically and side by side with exquisite craftsmanship. It is the tallest bridge in the town.

Send Zi Laifeng Bridge

It was rebuilt in the 48th year of Emperor Kangxi’s reign in the Qing Dynasty and the 15th year of Emperor Daoguang’s reign. Laifeng Bridge was rebuilt in 1997. Its unique shape and structure make it suitable for tourism and viewing, and it is one of the new attractions. Common people call it "Qingyu Bridge".

Horse Head Wall

In the mid-Qing Dynasty, Huizhou merchants moved eastward and brought architectural culture to the Taihu Lake Basin. Buildings with fire sealing walls quickly became popular among the people. The difference is that local people transformed the straight walls of the original Huizhou architecture into a horse head shape, which is known as the horse head wall.

Beauty Pavilion

As the saying goes, "Beauty depends on beauty, and beauty does not rely on beauty." It is said that the earliest beauty palace was built by King Wu to please the beautiful Xi Shi. Everyone, take a look Does the shape of this support look like a "goose neck"? In the Xitang dialect, "Goose Xiang Kao" and "Wu Wang Kao" are homophones. Some people call it "Wu Wang Kao". Later, this style was widely used in riverside buildings in the Jiangnan area. Today's Beauty Kao is also "Everyone Kao". ”, everyone can rely on it!

Hebu

Hebu is not only a place where people park boats and trade goods, but also a place where people collect water and wash items daily.

Boat nose

The relationship between the river port and the ship is inseparable. If you pay a little attention, you can find that there are perforated stones with mooring cables on the wall next to the river port. Secure the vessel.

Mooring stones

The mooring stones are shaped like stone lotus flowers, buried in the soil, and shaped like lotus piles. They are used for mooring moorings for passing boats. Several mooring stones can be tied to one mooring stone at the same time. A cable is one of the few public facilities in the ancient town.

Flower wall

It is made of ordinary tiles. It is generally located on the upper part of the enclosure wall of the patio or yard and is used for ventilation. It is both beautiful and practical.

High-level edge

In the Ming and Qing dynasties, wealthy families, especially those near the river, paid great attention to keeping their wealth hidden. There is a metaphor for "a big crab can be found in a small crab hole." Architectural features. But if people pay a little attention, people can often observe the identity or worth of the owner at the gate. In the Ming Dynasty, bluestone was generally used as building stone, but in the Qing Dynasty, because the word "green" in "bluestone" has the same pronunciation as the word "Qing" in "Qing Dynasty", rough stone was used instead. The steps in front of some houses in Xitang Town are more than a foot high. This is because they were paved with bluestones in front of their doors in the Ming Dynasty and then covered with whole strips of rubble in the Qing Dynasty.

Guanyindou

There are almost no flamboyant cornices on the roofs in Xitang Town, showing elements of civilian culture everywhere. The tops of most houses are the simplest hard tops in the shape of a herringbone. In the Qing Dynasty, new houses had to pay taxes. The tax standard was based on the main beam. Several main beams were required to pay several taxes. If you want to expand the area without paying taxes, you have to find a way. People in Xitang are very smart. They use hard tops when building houses and only need one main beam. Then the east and west wing rooms usually have single roofs and no main beams. Some sophisticated people build side walls very high, even higher than the roof. The top of this raised wall is made into a beautiful arc shape, just like the turban of the Guanyin statue. It is very charming and is called the Guanyin bag.

Flower Window

There are many structures of flower windows, the most common ones are various grid patterns, and there are also grids with other patterns or auspicious patterns carved on them.

This is a reflection of the contradiction between the conservative and open minds of the local people. When people first started using glass, they always felt that it was inappropriate to expose all the things at home and the life of the whole family in front of others, but they also wanted to follow the fashion very much, so the idea of ??glass appeared. The windows are covered with wooden grilles.

Tile tiles

The tile tiles are located on the eaves. There are tile tiles at the ends of the bottom tiles and the facing tiles. The lower tile end is called dripping water, and the upper tile end is called "cat head". The tile is commonly known as "tube tile head" or "tile head". There are many Ming and Qing buildings in Xitang. The earliest tiles on existing residential buildings date from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. They have a rich historical and cultural background and are rich in tile patterns. In Jiashan, where Xitang is located, the clay texture is fine and sticky. After being made into bricks and tiles, they are dark blue in color and produce a pleasant sound when knocked against each other. The bricks and tiles were famous in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Over the years, many buildings have disappeared, but the tile, a very small component of traditional Chinese buildings, has remained and has become a record of the changes in social history and local customs. Wadang is developed on the basis of tiles. The special tiles at the lower end of the roof tiles that have both the functions of decoration and rafter protection are called tiles. The flower-shaped pattern first appeared of evergreen, which inherited the "" The cultural connotations of "prolonging life" and "long live the future" later appeared in the form of lotus, hibiscus, etc. Lotus tiles are mostly used in temples and tomb houses, while hibiscus tiles are mostly used in ordinary residences. Typical types of residential tiles in Xitang include the following types: four plum blossom eaves tiles, spider web eaves tiles, commemorative coin tiles for the founding of the Republic of China, etc. Although tiles are inconspicuous, different patterns, patterns, shapes, and materials have different cultural connotations. They are a kind of concentration and accumulation of social history and culture.

Accommodation

Xitang inns are divided into three types: ancient houses of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Linshui inns and modern hotels.

The ancient house category

best reflects the ancient charm of Jiangnan ancient towns. Most of the ancient houses of the Ming and Qing dynasties in the scenic area are located in the inner courtyards of deep alleys. The courtyards are deep and all the furnishings are antiques. Although they are not near the water, the houses are spacious and you can deeply experience the ancient life of the famous families in the ancient town. Very quiet and the cheapest price. Sleeping on a century-old carved bed, smelling the scent of the water town hanging in the air, and gradually falling into a deep sleep, it is intoxicating. Xiyuan Yaju and Shende Hall are both typical Jiangnan mansion buildings of the Ming Dynasty. They are the residences of the Wang family, a prominent family in the ancient town of Xitang. If you stay in a West Garden View Room, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of West Garden for free. The Shende Hall is full of musical instruments, and there are often musicians playing together; the bar in front of the Chen family’s old house (youth hostel) (the bar is next to the water) and the back house are charming at night. Staying in the yard behind the bar is very quiet; Zunwen The hall itself is an attraction, hidden in Shipi Lane. The "Hundred Life Pattern" in the hall is a national historic site; Ruyilou Inn is renovated from an ancient house. If you stay in Ruyilou, you can visit the "Drunken Garden" for free; Tongcun Inn is an old house built in the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty, and the owner As a folk artist, he has the unique skill of writing with both hands. These inns are the most ancient inns in Xitang Scenic Area, and they have a good reputation among travelers.

Waterside type

Living by the water, it is full of the characteristics of Jiangnan water towns. Characteristics of this type of inn: They are generally converted from residential buildings. The houses are low and the rooms are not large. The river-facing rooms in the central area (between Yongning Bridge and Huanxiu Bridge) are more valuable for viewing, especially on West Street. The rooms facing the river are truly living by the water, but the housing prices are quite high and not affordable. According to the online introduction, most of the inns near the river are close to the river, but they are not really close to the water. The price is quite moderate.

Hotel type

Full of modern features. Characteristics of this type of inn: Some are built outside scenic areas, are generally larger in size, mainly have double standard rooms, and can accommodate a team of dozens of people at the same time. Such as: Xitang Hotel, Laifeng Inn, etc. The usual price of these rooms is about 70 yuan to 100 yuan, and the price increases on weekends and holidays. Rooms can be ordered online, but the general price is somewhat different from the online introduction (due to changes in information release time). The price can be discussed with the store. It is recommended that friends who travel independently can also make an on-site inspection before making a decision. Special reminder: vans or tricycles will lure tourists on board with low prices or other baits, and then introduce inns to tourists. In essence, they are getting kickbacks from introducing inns, so tourists are asked to contact the innkeeper in advance to pick them up. good.

Specialty snacks

Specialties: Jiashan rice wine, steamed pork with lotus leaf flour, Bazhen cake, Gorgon cake, "June red" river crab, malt cake, smoked green beans, honey kohlrabi, Wonton duck pot. Snacks: glutinous rice cake, maltose, mung bean soup, tofu cakes, large and small wontons, smoked green beans, pork chops, rice dumplings, orange cake, stinky tofu, fresh meat shaomai, mustard roasted pork, salt and pepper pumpkin, wonton duck pot, Minced meat with wild flowers, white chopped chicken, Malantou, white water fish, cicada clothes wrapped in balls, Xitang's best noodles in the world.

Malt cake

Also known as Beginning of Summer cake, it is a characteristic seasonal snack in Xitang for thousands of years. Dingji Malt Pancake is made from glutinous rice flour, black sesame, adzuki beans, walnut kernels, white sugar, Chinese herbal medicine Fructus Herba and malt, and is refined using traditional techniques. Dingji Malt Crumble Cake has a soft texture, is neither sticky nor sticky, and has a rich aroma of Buddha's ears, which tempts the appetite. It can also digest food, reduce fat, and prolong life. It is a good gift for friends and respect for the elderly.

gordon cake

Gorgon cake: a plant belonging to the aquatic Nymphaeaceae family, which has the effect of strengthening the spleen and stomach. Crushing the gorgon and adding glutinous rice flour to make a cake is the specialty of Xitang Gorgon Cake. Xitang Ping'an Hall Gorgon Cake The cakes are popular in many flavors, with unique tastes that are different from others, especially the sweet-scented osmanthus flavor and the pollen-honey flavor, which are the waxiest and most delicious. Xitang Gorgon Cake can be tasted before buying.

Send a son to the dragon's hooves

It is said that a rich man in Xitang in the Ming Dynasty got married and had no children for a long time. Later, he was advised by a person to do good deeds and build roads and bridges so that everyone could live in heaven while building the bridge. Birds and phoenixes rested beside the bridge, and the wealthy businessman also gave birth to a son that year, so the bridge was named "Send a Son to Phoenix Bridge". Now after renovation, it is facing south of Xitang, a thousand-year-old ancient town. When a wealthy businessman celebrates the birth of a child, he throws a big banquet, and one of the main dishes is hoof. Everyone named it "Children's Hoof" in congratulations. Since then, this dish has been served as the main course during wedding celebrations, moving to a new house, and family reunions all over the country, which means that the baby will be born early and the reunion will be auspicious. Send the dragon's hooves. It uses high-quality pork leg meat, paired with dozens of ancestral condiments, and is repeatedly simmered, steamed, braised, and simmered. The meat is tender and bone-free, fat but not greasy, and delicious.

Steamed Pork with Lotus Leaf Vermicelli

A traditional famous dish in the ancient town, with five flavors and a hundred flavors. It is made from appropriate pork ribs, five-spice fried rice noodles, tofu raisins and fresh lotus leaves, plus seasonings such as cloves, star anise, soy sauce, sweet noodle sauce, etc. This dish has a unique flavor, the meat is crispy and glutinous, the fragrance is not greasy, and it can be eaten Wine can also be used as a snack, and the pharmacological effects of lotus leaves can be fully utilized to relieve summer heat, clear away heat, disperse blood stasis and stop bleeding.

Xitang’s No. 1 Noodles

Noodles are the staple food of northerners, and the cooking methods are generally very simple and pure. For southerners, especially those in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, noodles are used as a snack to change the taste. Therefore, when making noodles, they pay special attention to the matching of auxiliary ingredients. Many things are often added, such as tripe slices, shredded eel, beef, etc., to make noodles. There are many good fabrics, plenty of flavor and rich nutrition. Xitang people are famous for being particular about making noodles. To make noodles, two pots are used to cook the noodles at the same time. One pot is used to cook the noodles, and the other is used to stir-fry the auxiliary ingredients. The auxiliary ingredients commonly used by Xitang people are tripe slices, eel shreds, homemade fried fish, etc. Put the cooked noodles into another pot, add water to the tripe slices, eel shreds, etc. and cook for 2-3 minutes. After the noodles come out of the pot, the soup is fresh, thick and delicious, and the noodles have somersaults.

Five-spice beans

Every year after the broad beans are put on the market, the green-skinned and black-headed broad beans are dried in the sun, and the dried broad beans are boiled with tangerine peel, pepper, cooking wine, salt, fennel, etc. Let the flavor enter the beans quickly and completely, then take them out, roll them with licorice powder and let them dry. When they are seven to eight minutes dry, put them in a large pot and fry until they are crispy. In this way, crispy and delicious spiced beans are made. Become a kind of snack after dinner.

Jiashan Yellow Wine

Xitang people have always loved drinking some rice wine. Therefore, there have been many large and small rice wine workshops in Xitang history. Today, the largest single rice wine production enterprise in the country, Jiashan Winery, is located in the north of Xitang Town. The factory strictly controls quality and produces more than 20 varieties of Fenhu series such as Huadiao, Shanniang, and rice wine, which are mild in nature. , the wine has a mellow taste and a unique taste, making it a good choice for modern people to communicate their feelings and give as gifts to relatives and friends.

Bazhen Cake

Bazhen Cake is made from eight herbs such as yam, poria, gordon seed, rice kernel, wheat teeth, lentils, lotus meat, hawthorn, etc., and is refined with high-quality glutinous rice flour and white sugar. Become. This cake is green, black and crispy. It first became popular because it can eliminate malnutrition in children. Later, due to its exquisite selection of materials, fine processing, sweet taste, and benefit to the spleen and stomach, it became a famous snack in the south of the Yangtze River and has been famous for more than a hundred years.

A bite of rice dumplings

The rice dumplings in Xitang come in many flavors, such as fresh meat, bean paste, lard, red bean, etc. Although rice dumplings are a snack available in many places, Xitang However, the rice dumplings made in China are more fragrant and glutinous because of the good rice, sufficient ingredients and tight binding. They have become one of the traditional tourism products in the small town today.

"June Red" river crab

June Red refers to the river crab produced in the summer of June on the lunar calendar. The "June Red" crab body is only as big as an egg. The crab meat is fresh and tender, the crab fat is dripping with oil, and the shell is thin. It turns crimson when steamed in water, hence the name. There is also a popular saying in Hangzhou, Jiaxing and Huzhou that "no matter how poor you are, never forget the red in June", which is a compliment to the "red in June" river crab.

Wonton and old duck stew

Wonton and old duck stew is a local dish in Xitang. It is said that it was invented by the kiln workers here. Due to the long working hours and high labor intensity, so The kiln workers solved the problem on the spot and stewed the old duck in the kiln. However, the duck meat alone was not enough to eat, so some kiln workers added wontons to the pot, which not only satisfied their hunger but also supplemented their nutrition. Killing two birds with one stone, wontons The old duck pot spread among the kiln workers, and later this dish also appeared on the dining tables of the people in Xitang. The cooking method is very particular. First of all, local grass ducks should be used, preferably old ducks that have finished laying eggs. Secondly, in terms of ingredients, each family also has its own preference. Some add wild rice, green peppers, and shiitake mushrooms, while others add black fungus. , bacon, and bamboo shoot tips, depending on everyone’s taste.

Steamed white fish

Xitang, the "Land of Fish and Rice", is particularly rich in aquatic resources. Fish ponds are dotted among the streets, and the most famous one is Fen Lake. The white silk fish grown in it has delicious meat and rich nutrition, and it occupies a place in Xitang's delicious recipes.

Night Tour in Xitang

“A night in Xitang, I have been waiting for you for a thousand years.

"It's a pity that I didn't see the night view of Xitang when I came to Xitang! Due to climate reasons, Xitang opens night tours from May to October every year. Three attractions and cruise ships are open from 17:00 to 20:30: Zhang Zhenggen Sculpture Art Museum ( Located in the parking lot, you can visit first after getting off the car), China Button Museum (the water stage is located along the river of the Button Museum), and Xiyuan (where you can enjoy tea and enjoy Jiangnan silk and bamboo performances). There is a row of red lanterns under the promenade along the river. At night, they are bright all night long. To the people, they are just street lights, but to tourists, they are a beautiful scenery. During the night tour, the water stage has performances such as the Yue Opera "Five Girls Pay Birthday" and the Tiange "Five Girls", and the people sit around. Watching a play on the other side, tourists watch the play on the boat, and the scenery is beautiful both on and off the stage. Don’t forget to take a cruise when you visit Xitang at night. You can sit leisurely on the boat and learn to sing the tunes of Xitang with the tour guide. In the water town when the lanterns come on, you will be amazed. People seem to be in a poetic and picturesque dream in the south of the Yangtze River.