Xitang Ancient Town is a tourist attraction that takes you away from the hustle and bustle and returns to tranquility.

Traveling to Xitang Ancient Town, during the day, the boats are floating in the water, and the market is bustling; at night, the full moon hangs low, and the light and shadow are flowing; The string ripples slightly. The cool wind blew slowly, slowly carrying people's footsteps back to where they stayed. Have a good sleep at night, and let the people and scenery of Xitang at night be displayed on the surface of your brain. There is no need to go deep, but some beautiful fragments will be left alone to accompany you to a light sleep.

Xitang Ancient Town covers an area of ??1 square kilometers. The ancient town area is crisscrossed by 9 rivers, dividing the ancient town into 8 blocks, among which 27 ancient bridges connect the town. A typical Jiangnan town, with white walls and black roofs, small bridges and flowing water and people living in it, is a unique Jiangnan water town. "Many bridges, many lanes, and many lofts and sheds" are the three major characteristics of Xitang. Deep alleys and thousands of meters of lofts and sheds create There is a wonderful scene of "On a rainy day, if your shoes don't get wet, you can still walk around."

Xitang Ancient Town Tourism: Scenery Highlights

1. Langpeng

Langpeng is actually a street with a roof. The more famous ones are the sheds in Xitang. Some of the sheds in Xitang are close to the river, and some are in the middle. Some of the sheds along the river have long orange backrests for people to rest. The tops of the sheds have "a drop into the water" and " "Erluoshui" also has a roof that forms a gallery across the street. Although they are different, they can protect businesses and pedestrians from the sun and rain. The total length of the pavilions in the ancient town is 877 meters. Made of wooden frame and felt roof. The gallery shed is made of brick and wood, and the middle section is the most outstanding, with two layers of carved patterns. When the weather is fine, you can do this; when it rains, you can protect tourists from the rain. Those corridors and sheds facing the river are the most distinctive. On a rainy day, walking under the misty rain corridor will give you a nostalgic feeling.

2. Xiyuan

The former site of Xiyuan is in Jijia Alley, West Street. It was a separate business 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, and the scenery is beautiful. 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. In the winter of 1920, the poet Liu Yazi came to Xitang, lived in Xiyuan, and took a souvenir in Xiyuan with fellow members of the Nanshe Society in Xitang, titled "The Second Picture of the Elegant Collection of Xiyuan". In March 1990, a park with a total area of ??16.6 acres was built in Xishan, Zhenzhen. In commemoration of Liu Yazi's visit to Xiyuan, it was named "Xiyuan". There is a small bridge and flowing water at the entrance, a stone lion foyer, and the garden is surrounded by brick lattice verandahs, waterside pavilions, curved bridges, rockeries, pavilions, and artificial waterfalls.

3. Shipi Lane

Shipi Lane is a lane formed between the two residences of the Wang family. The ground is paved with 168 stone slabs. The total length is 68 meters, and the narrowest point is only 0.8 meters. 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, so many of them had deep houses and courtyards. The houses are deep and form long lanes. There are still 122 lanes of different lengths in the town, among which there are 5 house lanes that are more than 100 meters long. The most distinctive open-air lane is called Shipi Lane. 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.

4. Send Zi Laifeng Bridge

Laifeng Bridge is located on the east side of Xiaotong Street. It was built in 1637 (the tenth year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty) and is a three-hole stone slab bridge. Legend has it that a bird flew over when it was being built. The bridge builder thought it was auspicious and named it "Songzi Laifeng Bridge." Laifeng Bridge was rebuilt in 1998. Its shape and structure are unique, suitable for tourism and viewing, and it is one of the new attractions. . The bridge is 10 meters wide and separated by a flower wall in the middle. Pedestrians can walk on each side. 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. The red name of this bridge is "Dishui Qingyu Bridge" and the nickname is "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. At the same time, "Sending Children to Fengqiao" best reflects the meticulous and thoughtful nature of Xitang people. The stone steps on the bridge are divided into two. The stone steps on the left are for men; while the right is designed to The reason for the small slope is that the ancients considered that women at that time had the bad habit of binding their small feet, and their steps were small, making it inconvenient to walk on the steps, so they made a small slope for women's exclusive use.

5. 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. The owner of the tomb, Lu Bang, was born in Xitang and served as a capital official. He was an upright official and knowledgeable. He once served as the teacher of Zhao Wenhua, the imperial envoy of the Ming Dynasty. Legend has it that Lu Bang's residence was built by Zhao Wenhua using the excess city bricks when he supervised the construction of the Jiashan city wall. The ruins are now Yujia Lane under the South Peng of Xitang. No trace of the tomb can be found now, except for the stone figures and horses around the tomb and the two old ginkgo trees, which still stand here to confirm this period of history.

6. Zhongfu Hall

Zhongfu Hall was the private residence of the Wang family in the Qing Dynasty. The Wang family originated from the imperial camp of the Song Dynasty where Wang Yuan controlled Wang Yuan. Wang Yuan escorted Zhao Gou, Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty, after he crossed to the south. After the Ming Dynasty, his descendants disappeared in the Hangjiahu area. During the Shunkang period of the Qing Dynasty, one of the descendants moved to Xitang and built this house. It has seven front and rear courtyards and a back garden, which is a typical Ming and Qing residential style.

The third entrance is the main hall. In the center of the hall hangs a plaque titled "Zhongfu Hall" by Haining Chen Bangyan, a Hanlin scholar during the Kangxi period, to warn future generations that "doing more good deeds and accumulating virtue in daily life will surely make your descendants blessed in the future."

7. Zuiyuan

First built in the Ming Dynasty, the courtyard houses are now well preserved. Zuiyuan *** has three courtyards, covering an area of ??more than 200 square meters. It is an old house garden. The corridors of the hall, green pools, blue stones, and green bamboos in the corridors are intoxicatingly beautiful. 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. The Wang family has passed down poetry and calligraphy from generation to generation. His grandfather was good at calligraphy, and his father and son were obsessed with the art of printmaking. The "Yixiangzhai" library in the garden has a display of Wang's "Water Country Charm" print series.

Xitang Ancient Town Tourism: Cruise

Boat ride location: Futang Cruise Ship Pier, which is at the head of Shuangzi Laifeng Bridge.

Departure time: Only chartered boats are available during the day, so the departure time is determined according to the needs of tourists. There are also cruise ships in the evening, with three departures: 18:00, 19:00 and 20:00.

Cost: Purchase a boat ticket with the scenic spot ticket. There are only charter boats during the day. You can charter a boat in the evening or buy individual tickets for 10 yuan to 20 yuan per person. Boats can only be chartered after 8pm. The route is marked with a red line on the picture.

Xitang Ancient Town Tourism: Itinerary Planning

It is best to stay for one night when traveling to Xitang. The biggest features of the ancient town are in the morning, dusk and night. You might as well go to the covered bridge at night. The secluded riverside and high-hanging red lanterns will definitely give you an unforgettable feeling.

(1) Classic one-day tour: The classic one-day tour of Xitang not only appreciates the beautiful scenery of the water town in the ancient town but also appreciates the unique local culture.

D1 Zhang Zhenggen Sculpture Museum → Jiangnan Wadang Museum → Langpeng → Shipi Alley → Zhongfu Hall → West Garden → Chinese Button Museum

Experience the Langpeng, unique in the Jiangnan water town Buildings, walking under the rain corridor along the river in the continuous drizzle, listening to the sound of rain lapping on the river surface, breeds a touch of sadness. Then go to Shipi Lane, the longest and narrowest lane in the ancient town. The crisp footsteps on the bluestones make you feel like you have returned to the era when the courtyard was deeply locked in spring and autumn. You may even meet a Lilac girl by chance.

Xitang Ancient Town Tourism: Scenic Area Tickets