Zhenze Ancient Town

It's a very quiet little town, especially quiet Walking around here alone, you can best experience the unique charm of the Jiangnan region! I made a special effort to go early in the morning, when there were very few people and the scenery was incredibly beautiful, exceeding expectations!! Take Metro Line 4 to Songling Avenue, walk forward 50 meters, take the Zhensze special line, 45 minutes, get off, walk over the bridge and you are there. Zhensze Ancient Town

Can we still find a place during the long holiday that has enough beautiful scenery, few enough people, and traffic that is not congested? I would never dare to travel within the country during the National Day holiday in the past, but this time I want to try. After about a month of research, I set my sights on Taihu Lake, especially Huzhou, which I have long wanted to visit. As I was researching, I found out that there is no such place as the ancient town of Huzhou. When people talk about traveling to Huzhou, they are actually referring to a series of ancient towns scattered around the south of Taihu Lake. To meet the aforementioned three conditions, I avoided those well-known popular ancient towns and chose a few that are less known, but highly regarded by the locals. Such ancient towns have a low degree of commercialization, are home to many local natives, and lack flashy neon lights and loud music. That is the true waterside residence in my heart. The first stop in Huzhou was thus set to be Zhenshan Ancient Town, a 2000-year-old human settlement that began to be established during the Tang Dynasty and quickly became the gateway to the Grand Canal from Beijing to Hangzhou. In Zhenshan, I always see the shadow of Venice, with the commercial buildings by the river having warehouses on the lower floors and residences on the upper floors, and the doors facing a private freight dock, neatly parked with several cargo ships. It was only after some research that I found out that this place was also a drainage lake in ancient times, 'first a torrent, then a marsh, and finally a patchwork of fields and lanes'. Although the ancient town is a 4A-level scenic spot, it is not crowded with tourists. The sparse flow of people gives the ancient town a sense of breathability, allowing one to slowly relax. On the second evening at Taihu Lake, it was still a case of seeing clouds but no sun. Although the sun was hiding, it generously provided a sky full of sunset colors. I think this may be the charm of Taihu Lake in autumn. The crisp autumn air makes even the humidity of this great lake compromise a bit, giving a pleasant surprise to the travelers each day.

The charm of Zhenshe Ancient Town lies in its relative tranquility, likely due to the lack of commercialization and the small number of visitors. It's a place where you can stroll and relax in peace! Along the riverbank, there are many teahouses~ The local ecology is largely preserved, with riverside shops run by locals who have lived here for generations, closely tied to their daily lives. Zhenshe boasts numerous historical sites, particularly the Ci Yun Temple Pagoda, an ancient pagoda from the Ming Dynasty, which is a five-story, octagonal brick and wood pavilion-style tower; and the Yu Ji Bridge, a single-arch stone bridge built during the Qing Dynasty. Together, the pagoda and bridge form the iconic landmarks of Zhenshe Ancient Town. Zhenshe is also known as the home of silk in China. It remains serene as time flows by, unchanged. Walking here, one feels a sense of relaxation, free from over-commercialization, making it a suitable place for a weekend getaway to reminisce about the small town's appearance decades ago. Recommended attractions: Jiangnan's number one hall, Shi Jian Hall. A Qing Dynasty building, with the West Residence and East Garden. The garden in the East Garden, despite its small size, includes rockeries, pavilions, and a hall on all four sides, truly deserving of its reputation as a miniature garden. The private residence, with its carved beams and painted rafters, as well as brick carvings, stone carvings, and wood carvings, is breathtaking. Ci Yun Temple Pagoda & Yu Ji Bridge The large bridge in front of Ci Yun Temple is a rare sight in the ancient towns of Jiangnan with its wide river surface. Standing on the bridge and looking at the Ci Yun Temple Pagoda, one feels a sense of age-old vicissitude as if from another era. ☕️: There are particularly many tea-drinking restaurants in the ancient town, basically one after another, with transparent pricing, ranging from 20-30-40. The coffee shop 'Bangdou' CAFE on Baota Street is highly recommended. The price is around 20, and the environment is simple and rustic, elegant yet fashionable. Additionally, at the very end of Baota Street (the westernmost part), there is an old Suzhou brand, Ren Chang Shun, offering various Suzhou snacks to try. There's also the 'Old Yan Lu Cai Guan' on Baota Street, which closes early due to the large number of people. 🍝🍲🫕 📍: It's very convenient to drive there, just search for 'Zhenshe Ancient Town Tourist Center' in your navigation system. 🅿️: There is a dedicated free parking lot at the entrance, and the parking spaces along 'Zhen Xin Nan Road' are also free, so you can park anywhere.

Shenzhen Ancient Town, hidden in the quiet place of Wujiang, Suzhou, is petite and unique, like a pearl that has not been tainted by the dust of the world. It is the famous hometown of sericulture. Tea houses are scattered throughout the town, with the fragrance of tea overflowing. Sitting by the river and brewing a pot of tea, one can daydream for half a day. There is not much commercial development in the town, and tourists are scarce, which adds a bit more tranquility and peace to the town. In the center of the ancient town, the thousand-year-old Ci Yun Zen Temple stands quietly. It is said that this Zen temple was founded during the Tang Dynasty and is known as the first ancient temple. Currently, some areas of the ancient temple are under renovation. An ancient pagoda in the temple and the stone bridge outside the temple gate form the most distinctive scenery of Shenzhen Ancient Town with one pagoda and one bridge. In the town, the Shenzhen Lao Yan Lu Cai Restaurant is a major culinary highlight. The brightly colored marinated duck, with crispy skin and tender meat, melts in the mouth, and each bite emits an enticing aroma. Before noon, the restaurant is already full. Shenzhen Ancient Town is a place worth slowing down to savor carefully.

Suzhou has many ancient towns under its jurisdiction, with beautiful scenery and rich historical and cultural heritage. Among them, Zhensze Ancient Town is my favorite, 1.5 hours away from Shanghai and 1.1 hours away from Suzhou. Zhensze is one of the most unspoiled and least commercialized ancient towns, known as the 'Hometown of Silk', 'Hometown of Silk Quilts', and also the 'Hometown of Silkworm Babies'. The people of Zhensze still retain the most traditional ancient methods of sericulture, which has gradually become an important destination for children's study tours. Every year, elementary school students are required to write an essay about sericulture, and the best place for children to experience it is, of course, the hometown of silkworm babies. Many years ago, I visited the Taihu Snow in Zhensze, which at that time mainly showcased silk bedding. However, it has gradually developed into a comprehensive destination for research, study, and vacation: 1. Visitors can take their children to get up close with silkworm babies and see every stage of sericulture. They can also buy small houses for silkworm babies, but they can only be taken away by car, as live ones cannot be taken on high-speed trains; 2. You can visit the museum and then participate in the manual production of silk cocoons, experience silk reeling and cocoon stripping, as well as the production of mulberry silk quilts, which are of the highest quality in the world. In addition, the coffee shop, courtyard afternoon tea, dyeing, etc., are all experience projects of Taihu Snow Sericulture Garden; 3. Opposite the exhibition area is the mulberry and silkworm picking garden, where you can pick mulberries, and of course, you can also pick mulberry leaves to feed the silkworm babies; there is a very popular wild fire rice that almost always requires advance reservation, the glutinous rice with broad beans and wild pork belly is simply too delicious; our friends not only treated us to wild fire rice but also barbecue, and French-style table setting, including an oval bread for 60 yuan each, limited to 200 per day, which you can't buy without a reservation, and I have never tasted such delicious bread before. Friends joked that parents eat and drink, while children go play. 4. There are also accommodations in the garden, and the environment is quite good. Taihu Snow was created by a local teacher in Zhensze, and now it has grown larger and larger, and the sericulture garden has become a large-scale parent-child study tour center. For me, a northerner, coming to the world of silkworm babies is truly a unique experience.

| Zhenze Ancient Town. Small bridges and flowing water, stone alleyways, slightly tipsy years, intoxicating warm wind, the ancient towns of Jiangnan naturally have a comfortable and leisurely, ethereal and graceful charm. Zhenze Ancient Town in Suzhou is a special one. It is delicate and graceful, it has a thousand years of ancient charm, and it is also a famous town of silk. The wide river on both sides hides countless worldly fireworks. - Address: Zhenze Ancient Town (1333 Zhenxin South Road, Wujiang District, Suzhou City) 🚗Transportation: Drive to the location, there is a parking lot at the entrance of the scenic area🅿️plenty of spaces 🧭Zhenze is located in Wujiang District, Suzhou, and it is very close to Suzhou or Nanxun, Huzhou, Zhejiang 🎫Ancient town ticket: free, small attractions charge ⏰Opening hours: all day - Food: Ren Changshun: Sesame oil cake. Malt pancake. Fresh meat moon cake. Must try. Old Yan's Pickle Shop: Soy duck noodles. Black tofu is a big feature. Various toppings can be ordered separately. A very elegant shop, if the timing is right, there is Pingtan to listen to. Sitting by the river and listening to Pingtan while eating noodles is very comfortable. Grandma's Dumplings: Made by grandma and grandpa. Glutinous rice dumplings. Cauliflower dumplings. Radish shredded dumplings are very nice. - Attraction check-in: 1. Shijian Hall can be checked in. It is the home of the richest man in Zhenze Ancient Town. It doesn't look very impressive from the outside, but it's a different world inside. It is also one of the landmark buildings of Zhenze Ancient Town, with beautiful scenery everywhere. It is a must-visit place for tourists in Zhenze Ancient Town. It is very suitable for Hanfu check-in. 2. Tower Bridge Reflection: Ciyun Temple Tower and Yuji Bridge are the iconic buildings of Zhenze Ancient Town. The ancient tower and ancient bridge complement each other and are definitely the signature landscape of Zhenze. The ancient town is not big and can be strolled around in more than an hour. Compared to Xitang, Zhouzhuang, and Tongli, there is basically no commercialization here. There are many riverside tea seats on both sides of the river. Find a place to drink tea, empty your mind, and quietly feel the slow life.

Unexpectedly, in Wujiang District of Suzhou, there hides a quaint little town--Zhensze! Simple, peaceful, tranquil, and comfortable... I want to give it all the nouns that describe the good old days, as time here is meant to be slowly savored! I have summarized 10 things you must do in Zhensze Ancient Town, come and check them out~ . ✔️ Be sure to go to the corner of the ancient town and have a Youtun'er at Renchangshun ✔️ Be sure to try the Dingsheng cake that is unique to the ancient town ✔️ Be sure to drink a bowl of local specialty 'Siwan Tea' at Zhensze Siwan Tea House ✔️ Be sure to have a bowl of egg yolk wontons at Ren'anxuan ✔️ Be sure to eat a bowl of sauce duck noodles at Lao Yan Noodle House ✔️ Be sure to visit Shi Jiantang to see the century-old promise of white sandalwood ✔️ Be sure to eat an Apo Tuanzi ✔️ Be sure to go to Bangdou Coffee and have a latte made with fresh daily milk ✔️ Be sure to walk around the ancient streets in a cheongsam and take photos ✔️ Be sure to stay a night at Xipo Homestay to experience the low-key and elegant life of the ancient town . 💰 Ancient town ticket: Free 🕙 Opening hours: All day, small attractions 08:00-17:00 📍 Address: No. 1333, Zhenxin South Road, Wujiang District, Suzhou City 🚉 Transportation: Zhensze is located in Wujiang District of Suzhou, and you can get there by direct navigation if you are driving. From Suzhou Railway Station, take the Metro Line 4 (towards Tongli) to 'Songling Avenue' station, then take the Wujiang-Zhensze special line; you can also take a taxi or carpool from Suzhou, which is about 60 kilometers away.

**** Zhènzé Ancient Town, a place with a long history and rich cultural heritage😃. Here, you can feel the sediment of time and the charm of tradition✨. **One, Transportation🚗** You can choose to drive there, convenient and free; or you can take public transportation to experience a different journey🌟. **Two, Accommodation🏠** It is recommended to stay in the characteristic inns within the ancient town, making you and your children feel as if you have traveled back to ancient times😜. **Three, Food😋** 1. **Zhènzé Xiaolongbao (Soup Dumplings)**: Thin-skinned and juicy, a bite brings a full sense of happiness😍. 2. **Ancient Town Pastries**: A variety of types, sweet but not greasy, a favorite among children🥰. **Four, Attractions🎉** 1. **Ancient Street**: Stroll around and appreciate the unique style of ancient architecture🤩. 2. **Ancient Bridge**: A great place to take photos📷. **Five, Activities🎈** 1. Participate in traditional handicraft making, such as sugar painting, paper cutting, etc., to increase the fun of parent-child interaction🤗. 2. Take a boat ride and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the ancient town🛶. **Six, Conclusion and Interaction🙋‍** Dear parents and children, do you have any special experiences while playing in Zhènzé Ancient Town😉? Come and share with everyone🎉! I hope this guide will help you have a pleasant parent-child time in Zhènzé Ancient Town🥳! That's all for the Zhènzé Ancient Town family travel guide, are you satisfied😉?

Strolling through Zhenze, encountering the ancient town by chance. Among the many ancient towns in Suzhou, Zhenze is not the most famous, but it is the only ancient town in the south of the Yangtze River that shares its name with another name for Tai Lake, and it is the birthplace of silk culture. The ancient town is not large, but it is quite interesting. There are two old streets built along the river, the one on the north bank is called Baota Street, and just a few steps away is the Shijian Hall. This is a large house that was built in the third year of the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty (1864), where the local gentry Xu family once lived and did business. I have visited many gardens and houses in the south of the Yangtze River, but there was not much that attracted me when I first entered, instead, it was turning into a small courtyard that caught my eye. The courtyard is narrow and long, and after careful design, it surprisingly gives a feeling of a hidden paradise. Leaving the large house and moving forward, there are various food, coffee, and cultural and creative shops on the street, many families are growing roses, and the blooming flowers are quite beautiful. At the end is the Ciyun Zen Temple.