How to arrange a self-guided tour to Wuzhen and Hangzhou from Dalian

I went there after the Spring Festival this year and would like to offer some experiences and suggestions for reference.

1. About the itinerary:

Jiangnan, Suzhou and Hangzhou are all worth visiting, and many places worth visiting are very close. For example, the distance between Wuzhen (former residence of Mao Dun), Tongli (former residence of Ye Shengtao), Jiaxing (former residence of Big Red Boat, Jin Yong), Shaoxing (former residence of Lu Xun and Zhou Enlai) is only 100KM, and many of them are an hour's drive away. Therefore, when you have time there, take a nice and slow stroll. Recommended places to go (also a tourist route): Suzhou-Tongli/Zhouzhuang-Wuzhen (Tongxiang)-Jiaxing-Xitang (Jiashan)-Shaoxing-Hangzhou.

2. Transportation

1. The bus transportation there is very developed. Unless absolutely necessary, it is recommended to take the official bus, which is cheaper and faster. Long-distance buses between various places basically run several times a day or even more than a dozen times a day. There are more buses than expected and they are easier to take. Taxis or black cars are also available, but the price is high. You can consider them at night or when there is no public transportation.

2. The train is the cheapest, but the frequency is few. Before considering taking a long-distance bus, go to the train station to see if there is any suitable one.

3. When there is no direct long-distance bus, go to a larger place nearby and then change buses. For example, if there is no bus from Hangzhou to Xitang (Tongxiang) or Wuzhen (Jiashan), go to Jiaxing first. There may be buses in the area that come and go.

4. Buy a map and ask more questions. The folk customs there are pretty good. I've asked for directions dozens of times and I've never met anyone who pointed me to the wrong way.

3. Living

It is recommended to live in residential houses in the ancient town. If it's not a holiday, the price is less than 100 yuan per room (around 100 yuan for those near the river, and as low as 60 yuan per day for those not near the river). In big cities (such as Hangzhou and Suzhou), it is recommended to stay in youth hostels (you can rent by bed, 30-50/person, 100/room), or you can choose business chains such as Home Inn.

4. Eat

There are too many delicious foods. Snacks vary from place to place. Search online for tips. Very cheap too.

Compared with the ancient town, the city’s scenery and cultural landscape are far different.

5. Precautions

1. Bring your student ID card, as it is much cheaper to buy tickets in many cases;

2. Many ancient towns charge tickets in name, and More expensive. But you can enter without a ticket at night (Xizha in Wuzhen is the only exception, because you have to take a boat to enter, so you can't evade the fare), or you can bypass the ticket collection office. There are many unguarded intersections where you can enter the village (just follow the villagers) . Without tickets, you can only enter some official museums. (The loss is not big if you don’t visit)

3. Whether you are buying a ticket or booking a room, you can ask for directions, but do not let tricycle drivers, black truck drivers, etc. lead the way. They will charge referral fees to increase your costs. The process of booking a room and buying tickets is not difficult and can be done by yourself. Especially for residential houses, you must look around more and find the ones you like at the right price.

The following is my answer to others’ suggestions on how to travel to Suzhou and ancient towns for reference:

1. Suzhou Railway Station is in downtown Suzhou. It is also very close to Guanqian Street, the bustling area of ??the city center. You can live in Guanqian Street, which is the most prosperous city center in Suzhou. There are many businesses and snacks. Walk to Guanqian Street, where you can have dinner. There are many chain hotels such as Hanting Hotel and 7 Days Inn.

2. Visit Suzhou on the second day.

The gardens in Suzhou are actually very similar. Local people say that if you go to the Humble Administrator’s Garden, you don’t need to go to anything else. Tiger Hill has some special features. I agree.

My suggestion (also my itinerary at the time): In the morning, eat wontons and noodles from a century-old store in Suzhou (there are many) on Guanqian Street or on the street, and then go to Hanshan Temple (that is, " Hanshan Temple outside Gusu City, the place where the bell rings at midnight) - can be done in one hour, and then go to Tiger Hill (climbing Tiger Hill and seeing the Sword Pond can also be done in one hour), if it's early, you can At the entrance of Huqiu, take the "Qili Shantang" cruise ship downstream into the city to the Shantang intersection. On the boat, you can enjoy the scenery of Suzhou's ancient city, small bridges, flowing water, and ancient restaurants. It should be noon by now. The gardens in Suzhou are all small and not very time-consuming.

After lunch (you can have snacks on Shantang Road), visit the Humble Administrator’s Garden and other gardens. It is recommended to visit Suzhou Museum-Prince Zhong's Mansion-Humble Administrator's Garden. Take a bus to the Suzhou Museum and get a free ticket to visit this modern garden designed by I.M. Pei. It is recommended to watch the film and television introduction to gain an understanding of the past and present of Suzhou gardens and the value of gardens in the eyes of the master. The museum, Prince Zhong's Mansion, and Humble Administrator's Garden are all next to each other. Walking there, I saw all the gardens of the Qing Dynasty and the classic gardens of the Ming Dynasty.

I think Suzhou gardens are famous because they are folk garden classics. They are basically similar in style to the Summer Palace and Beihai in Beijing, except that the ones in Beijing are royal ones, while in Suzhou they are private residences built by local officials. The momentum and scale are certainly incomparable to the royal gardens. The Lion Forest is also nearby. If you are interested, you can also visit it. I don't think it makes much sense. It's just a park.

That night, you can listen to Pingtan, or continue walking in the park. If you are not tired, you can go directly to Tongli, Xitang and other ancient towns.

(It is recommended not to go to Zhouzhuang)

Take the tourist bus from Pingsi Road in Suzhou. There are direct buses to Tongli and Zhouzhuang. Very convenient. You can get on the bus before four o'clock in the afternoon, and you can usually reach those ancient towns within two hours.

3. Visit the ancient town on the third day.

Zhouzhuang is famous, but it was developed early and has a strong commercial atmosphere. The ancient town tastes bad. It is recommended to consider going to Xitang, Tongli or Wuzhen, they are not far away. You can also go to Tongli or Zhouzhuang first. If you are not satisfied, take a taxi to Xitang (remember the fare is only more than 100 but less than 200) and stay in Xitang Ancient Town at night. very good. Houses on the water, riverside houses, large carved beds, cost more than 100 yuan per room. The conditions are also good.

Suzhou is very small, and the gardens are also very small and easy to see. But the taste of Jiangnan Ancient Town is very good, especially for girls from the north who like romance, they will definitely come and go and feel that the trip is worthwhile.