Things to do in Xitang Historic Town of China

Xitang truly lived up to expectations! The long, covered covered walkways are a highlight, with ancient bridges scattered along the river and cobblestone paths exuding a timeless charm. Quiet and elegant during the day, the night view is exceptionally captivating when the lanterns are lit, and the rowing boats gliding across the water create a truly immersive water town atmosphere. The combined ticket includes all the small exhibition halls inside, offering a wealth of content to explore at a leisurely pace. Online order verification was seamless; you can simply scan the code to enter without exchanging tickets, making for a great experience. Highly recommended for experiencing a Jiangnan water town.

A scenic spot in Xitang Ancient Town, there are many small restaurants and B&Bs around it. You can also go boating on the river next to it, and there are different scenery at night, so there are more tourists. There are also many shops selling various small commodities along the river.

Shipinong is one of the most distinctive attractions in Xitang Ancient Town. Shipinong is located on Xiaxi Street in Xitang Ancient Town. It is an open-air alley sandwiched between two houses and was built in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. It is named "Shipinong" because of its deep and narrow alley and the thin stone slabs as leather. It is also known as the "One Line of Sky" in Xitang. Shipinong is 68 meters long and is paved with 216 stone slabs with a thickness of only 3 cm, and the ground is paved with 168 stone slabs. The widest part of the alley is 1.1 meters, the narrowest part is only 0.8 meters, and the height of the gables on both sides is between 6 meters and 10 meters. There is a narrow sky above Shipinong. When walking in it, you can only see a thin ray of light, so it is called "Xitang One Line of Sky". Shipinong is the passage between the two houses of the Wang family, "Zunwen Hall" and "Zhongfu Hall", and is the passage to the house of the Wang family, a prominent family in Xitang. The narrow space and unique light and shadow effects of Shipinong make it a great place for taking photos, and it is suitable for checking in wearing Hanfu or ancient costumes. As one of the iconic attractions of Xitang Ancient Town, Shipinong attracts many tourists with its unique architectural style and profound cultural heritage.

The Songzi Laifeng Bridge is an important scenic spot in the Xitang Ancient Town Scenic Area in Jiashan, and it is also a must-visit place for tourists to Xitang. The original bridge was built in the late Ming Dynasty, and the current bridge was rebuilt in 1997. There are various messages and graffiti from tourists on the white wall of the bridge.

Huanxiu Bridge connects the Misty Corridor and the bustling West Street, and is also the only way from the Corridor to Shipinong. Standing on the top of the bridge and looking out over the water town, you can see layers of gray walls and white tiles, two rows of big red lanterns hanging high by the river, and black-sailed boats swaying in the river, which is also a romantic scene.

Xitang is a nationally famous button town. Its subordinate Dashun Village produces tens of billions of buttons annually, which is close to half of the national total. The China Button Museum came into being in the ancient town of Xitang. The specific address is in Xue's house in the middle section of West Street in the ancient town. The Button Museum has six exhibition halls: Ancient Button Exhibition Area, Modern Button Exhibition Area, Modern Button Exhibition Area, Shell Button Production Process Exhibition Area, Button Application Area, and Chinese Knot Exhibition Area. Among them, the Ancient Button Exhibition Area displays a large number of belt hooks made of metal casting or jade carving in ancient my country. Many of them are Warring States treasures before the Qin and Han Dynasties, which are extremely rare.

The former site of Xitang Xiyuan is located in Jijia Lane, West Street. It was the second home of Zhu family in Ming Dynasty and was later sold to Sun family. There are trees, flowers, rockery, pavilions and pools in the garden, and the scenery is beautiful. There is a teahouse called "Tingtaoxuan" on the rockery on the east side. It is named because there are white pine trees on the rockery, which are several feet high and make a rustling sound when the wind blows.

This time when I came to Xitang, I found that there was a new place called Huaxiang. After walking across the Sixian Bridge, I came to Huaxiang. There are large areas of imitation Ming and Qing water town buildings here. The north and south entrances of the scenic area are all in this area. Many fast-moving consumer goods restaurants are opened here, and there are also many fashionable homestay hotels settled here. When I saw Huaxiang, it reminded me of Shuhe. When I first went to Shuhe, it was still a rather old town, and there were fewer tourists than local elderly people squatting in the corner to hatch the sun. After a few years, there were more tourists, and a new place was opened in the town, with some trendy coffee shops and handicraft shops settled in. People stopped here to rest and stroll, just like being in the ancient town, and like experiencing the different side of the ancient town.

Xitang's nightlife begins earlier than elsewhere. Just after 7 p.m., the ancient town's bar street is already bustling with activity. High-pitched dance music blares from the rows of bars, converging onto the cobblestone streets into a mighty wave of sound. Walking along this street, it's difficult to discern the melodies; only the throbbing rhythm of the music shakes you to the core.

Yongning Bridge is the most lively place in Xitang Ancient Town! You can't see the doorway during the day! At night, it is full of lights and wine! The bars and OK shops on both sides are very noisy! It is not recommended to stay near this place! Unless you are also a night owl! But as a tourist, walking on this bridge, watching the lights all over the street and the wine confessions in the clouds, and singing in the singers! 【Scenery】 【Fun】 【Value for money】