How to have fun in Xitang

The bluestone road in my memory, the misty rain in my memory, the morning after the rain in my memory, and the pure land in my memory all make me have too much yearning for the ancient town, too much preference, too much. Much persistence.

Wuzhen, Xitang, Nanxun, Zhouzhuang, Tongli, Zhizhi, connect the feelings of the ancient towns in the south of the Yangtze River. The white walls and gray tiles are like smoke, and the ancient stone bridges are half-curved. I prefer the tranquility in the small town in the early morning. To be precise, I love the deserted early morning in every ancient town.

The sun is just right, the temperature is just right, and the mood is just right, then go to Xitang to spend a leisurely weekend. Let's just go, let's start on the road.

Travel: EMU to green minibus is highly comfortable

The journey from Hangzhou East Railway Station to Jiashan South takes 30-60 minutes, depending on the train time

High-speed trains/high-speed trains are both good choices. They are more comfortable than cars. Of course, choosing a car eliminates the need for transfers and goes directly to Xitang. Arrive at Jiashan South Station around 2:30 pm. The station is very small. Go downstairs and reach the exit. For the green minibuses and buses to Xitang, there is a bus interchange station on the right side of the exit.

The nearest high-speed rail station to Xitang

The bus cost is 2 yuan, and the green minibus is 8 yuan. In terms of the comfort of the journey, it is strongly recommended to take the green minibus. The distance is about 20 Kilometers, about 35 minutes, 1 person per seat, the departure interval is fast, so I don’t have to wait too long. Anyway, I set off as soon as I got on the bus. Be equipped with cash, you cannot swipe cards or Alipay

⊙_⊙There is a long queue on the bus and it will take more than an hour.

Arrive at the parking lot of the scenic spot, the first parking lot to be precise. All high-speed rail trains leave from this parking lot, so be sure to remember it on the return trip. Because there is a third parking lot, it’s okay even if you go in the wrong direction. There is a free shuttle bus in the third parking lot. Those who have sold tickets can get on by swiping their ID cards. The driver drives an open-top multi-person electric car, and the breeze blows all the way. , pretending to be driving on the beach~

Accommodation: There are too many B&Bs, just stay in whichever one you like

This trip that I just walked away all came from my boredom . I visited Lv Mama during my lunch break and placed an order. We stayed at Xitang C Tribe Theme Inn, which is very close to the third parking lot. The innkeeper drove a very aggressive red BMW to the first parking lot to pick us up. Because it was a pre-booked package, the boss helped us exchange for electronic tickets (anyone after that) Where tickets are checked, ID cards are used), and you happily enter the ancient town.

Two nagging words:

1. Some people say that there is no need to waste money on buying tickets. Tickets are not checked in Xitang after dusk until 8 o'clock the next day. The reason I chose to buy tickets was simply because I thought the price was right and I didn’t have to worry about the attractions I was interested in. The tickets are purchased together with the accommodation, so they are 55 yuan per ticket, which is relatively cost-effective. Of course, because I like the museum and am interested in local characteristics and history, I must buy tickets to experience it. Entering the scenic spot in the afternoon, the ticket can be used for two days and can be entered and exited 3 times.

I really like the small courtyard and the mini bridge in the house. I have walked on it several times and it still feels unsatisfactory. The bridge reminds me of the one in Lilliput. When I stood on the steps, I felt like The feeling of giant expansion, haha.

2. From a psychological level, many people will comfort themselves that the scenery is not good-looking and there is no need to spend money on the scenery. I don’t deny that I had this mentality before, thinking that walking on the stone pavement would count as a visit. But if you really want to integrate into the local area, these attractions, museums, and exhibition halls are the most intuitive display.

Let’s talk seriously about B&B.

Compared with the unified standard of Wuzhen, the B&Bs in Xitang are relatively messy, with various inns hidden in various small alleys. Each house has its own little characteristics, some live on the water, and some have small courtyards

I was not very satisfied with the theme room in the package, so I paid an additional 100 yuan, and I liked it at first sight. on the room.

Tickets plus accommodation cost 345 yuan per day.

Private courtyard with plain wood

It’s nice to make tea and chat

The shower room with big nozzle is so cool~

I’ve never changed my feelings about it The love of floor-to-ceiling windows

At 4pm in Xitang, it’s actually about eating and eating

At 4pm, the sun is no longer shining so much, so I’m ready to go out to feel the atmosphere of the ancient town and look for food. Before coming here, I checked out some food guides to get a rough idea of ??what to eat in Xitang.

Xitang Lu’s Little Wontons

There are many Lu’s Little Wontons in Xitang. I don’t know which one is the authentic one. I found a restaurant and ordered a bowl for 10 yuan, which was said to have increased in price. The wontons are very transparent, so many people call them transparent wontons. The texture is very similar to the wontons in Shaxian snacks (authentic local Shaxian). They are also crystal clear, and the filling is made of minced meat, which is springy. The store also sells Nanxiang Xiaolongbao and soup dumplings.

Small wontons

The old lady's stinky tofu is everywhere, so I bought one near the Yanyu Corridor and chatted with the grandma who fried stinky tofu for a while. She told me in Mandarin mixed with Xitang dialect that she started selling stinky tofu when she was in her 50s and is now 75~

He enthusiastically gave me two yuan. I forgot whether a portion is 8 yuan or 10 yuan. The price of the scenic spot is nothing more than 5 yuan, 8 yuan, or 10 yuan. It doesn't smell bad, it's quite fragrant, but it tastes quite bad, haha.

Stinky tofu

Tofu curd can also be found everywhere.

Not far away, we saw the legendary Guan Laotai’s Stinky Tofu Store. Went in and had another bowl of tofu curd that received rave reviews, priced at 5 yuan a bowl. The bean curd tastes really good and is very tender, but it is really salty as mentioned in the guide. It is probably because of the addition of dried shrimps, pickled mustard or something, which makes it more salty.

Salty Tofu Pudding

Xitang Medicinal Cake, I can’t stop using it as a snack, 20 yuan a box, I like almonds and melon seeds with tea~ It was also made by an old man, so I supported it One serving.

Medicinal Crisp

Grandma’s chicken feet, I was worried that I couldn’t find them at first, so I turned a corner (probably next to a bar called Our Story) and smelled the braised flavor~< /p>

4 chicken feet for 10 yuan each, 2 duck gizzards for 10 yuan, and duck necks, etc. I had eaten chicken feet in Suzhou and couldn't help myself. I had to satisfy my craving when I came to Xitang. I really had two brushes. The taste was very good and the texture was very glutinous. I went to pick up another bag the next day. I can't help but be a foodie when it comes to delicious chicken feet. I heard from the boss that it can also be delivered by express delivery, so many people came to her to order on WeChat.

The most recommended chicken feet

Lao Ma steamed pork with rice noodles, 8 yuan a portion, really a lot of rice noodles, not much meat, wrapped in lotus leaves, the taste is not much different, really There are too many rice dumplings! I still love Jiaxing meat rice dumplings more!

There are many stalls selling steamed pork rice dumplings, but this one is more famous

Steamed pork rice dumplings

Pork, BBQ, stir-fried screws with sauce and a shepherd's purse bun (Chan Yi Bao Yuan) are definitely the standard for late night snacks. Pair it with beer. If you are not fat, look for me, haha! There are many small fry shops, and after dinner time, there are many hawkers. Some recommended restaurants

Tie Pork

Tie Pork, ordered individually, each one costs about 15, it’s a bit cumbersome, if you love eating meat, bear with it!

Sauce-fried screws

Sauce-fried screws are everywhere. Some meal specials are priced at 1 yuan. The basic price is 5 yuan. Of course, there are also 3 yuan.

For 1 yuan, you must order two regular-priced dishes to enjoy it. The taste is not very special, just go with the food and wine. If you don’t usually eat screws, you just come to Xitang to take advantage of the situation.

Chanyi Baoyuan

Xitang has many famous restaurants with many tourists, such as Sendzi Deyuelou, Yulouchun, etc. Anyway, there are many people and the prices are normal. If you are interested, you can go and eat. I went directly to a restaurant on the roadside.

I didn’t try the malt pancake. I saw a few that looked very bad, and I was worried about sticking my teeth. To give a brief introduction, malt pancake is a special seasonal snack in Xitang. It is made of glutinous rice flour, black sesame seeds, adzuki beans, walnut kernels, white sugar, and Chinese herbal medicines such as Buddha's ears and malt.

Malt pancakes

Xitang has a lot of specialties. I brought home a can of handmade chopped peppers for 15 yuan a can. I particularly like this kind of handmade one, although it is more expensive than the ones in the supermarket. Up some. Gorgon cake, I took a walk outside the scenic area early in the morning and happened to buy one for 5 yuan. In the scenic area, it is basically 8 yuan or 10 yuan.

gordon cake

chopped pepper

Bluestone alleys, stroll around Xitang like this

Xitang has 11 scenic spots, large and small , tell me a few places that I find interesting.

Shipi Lane is a lane formed between the two residences of the Wang family. The ground is paved with 216 stone slabs. The total length is 68 meters, and the narrowest point is only 0.8 meters. This long Shipi Lane is the longest alley in Xitang.

Shipi Lane

Burning Hong Kong is named after the river. The river from Lujia Bridge to Wufu Bridge is called Burning Hong Kong, and the streets on the north and south banks of Hong Kong are named after it. It is Burning Hong Kong South Street, collectively known as Burning Hong Kong Street. Shao Hong Kong is the earliest prosperous center of Xitang Ancient Town. The word "Hong Kong" in Shao Hong Kong means two ports: one is the street and the other is the river port. It was a place where rich people lived a long time ago.

It is said that the buildings in Hong Kong have a distinctive feature: the threshold here is extremely high, more than one foot, and is made of a whole strip of stone. I didn't even notice this, it's a pity~

Wolong Bridge is a famous stone bridge in Xitang. It was originally a wooden bridge that was in disrepair and was in dilapidated condition. 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 praised it full of praise. When they were intoxicated, a piece of dried tofu fell and fell on the unfinished Wolong Bridge. , forming a bridge deck.

Wolong Bridge

There are more than 20 bridges in Xitang, large and small, connecting both sides of the river.

Songzilaifeng Bridge was built in 1637 (the tenth year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty) as 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 "Send a Child to Phoenix Bridge". It was rebuilt in the 48th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign and the 15th year of Emperor Daoguang's reign in the Qing Dynasty.

Send your son to Fengqiao

How to walk on the bridge is a bit tricky. The ancients paid attention to the theory of yin and yang, south yang and north yin. In ancient times, men were yang and women were yin. There are stairs on the south side of the bridge and a slope on the north side.

The so-called rain corridor is actually a covered street. It is a unique building in the Jiangnan water town and a unique landscape in the ancient town.

The Button Museum is my favorite. There are all kinds of buttons. Oh my God~ I still like the buttons from ancient times.

Of course, Xitang also has a series of scenic spots such as Xiyuan and Zuiyuan. It is good to stay for one night and visit in the evening and morning when there are not many tourists. The scenic spots open at about 8:30. /p>

There are three museums open until night. You can find out at any ticket gate and ask.

Night in Xitang

After dark, Xitang became restless. This is much noisier than Wuzhen. Xitang is a paradise for bars at night.

But as far as the characteristics of the bar are concerned, it's chaotic! The quiet bar next to the inn is much more comfortable~

In Xitang, it feels like I'm in Chengdu, with all the bars singing "Chengdu"! It makes me miss it so much. Go for a walk on the streets of Chengdu~