Anchang can be said to be an ancient town in Shaoxing with an original flavor. The three-mile market street along the river still retains a simple atmosphere of life. Sausages and soy sauce are a major feature here. There are almost no tourist groups. More are locals living a leisurely life. Many people say that this is Xitang ten years ago. The ancient town is built along the river. The north bank is a commercial market, and the south bank is residential.
Many stone bridges on the water connect the exchanges between the two banks. The paid scenic spots in the joint ticket of the ancient town are basically distributed on both sides of the river. At the ticket office at the entrance of the ancient town, you can get a beautifully printed tourist map. Walking in from the entrance of the scenic area, on the north bank are successively the Literature and History Museum (City God Temple), Suikang Bank, Stone Carving Museum, and Shaoxing Private Secretary Museum. Among them, the Shaoxing Private Secretary Museum is worth seeing. In addition to yellow rice wine, private secretaries are also a famous specialty of Shaoxing. The museum displays the history, classification, daily necessities and diaries of private secretaries, etc., allowing people to have a more comprehensive understanding of this industry. The Stone Carving Museum is an old residence with three entrances and collects a large number of Shaoxing stone carvings and steles, which is quite interesting. Along the south bank of the river, you can see the style of a state-owned bank at the former site of the Bank of China, and the large-scale Ankang Temple. In the Anchang Folk Customs Museum, a large number of pictures and daily necessities can give a glimpse of Anchang’s living customs. If you just walk on the streets of the ancient town and feel the local conditions and customs of Anchang, you don’t need to buy a ticket. Walking under the corridor along the river, there are many small stalls set up by locals. Different from the all-in-one Yiwu small commodities in other commercialized ancient towns, the trinkets sold by people in Anchang are more down-to-earth. From felt hats to shoe brushes and buttons, they are all the needs of people’s daily lives. There are also some old craftsmen who make pulled white sugar, hoop barrels, and make cloth shoes. They have adhered to the craftsmanship passed down from generation to generation all their lives. In addition, it is particularly worth mentioning that Anchang’s sausages and soy sauce are famous far and wide. After being broadcast on ‘A Bite of China’, they became even more popular all over the country. The dense sausages hanging on the bamboo racks on the river bank are also a unique scenery in the ancient town. The ‘Renchang Soy Sauce Garden’ on the ancient town is not only a scenic spot but also one of the secrets to the deliciousness of Anchang sausages. People who come here always buy some to take back. Taking an affordable black-awning boat in Anchang Ancient Town to experience the life in the water town is also a reason why many people choose Anchang. The black-awning boats here are much cheaper than in other places in Shaoxing. It is recommended to experience it. The fun time in Anchang Ancient Town is the La Yue Fengqing Festival in the three days of New Year’s Day every year. Although the weather is cold at this time, it has a unique flavor. In addition to the local operas and folk Xuanjuan singing with a strong local flavor, you can often encounter lively water wedding fleets. People who come here to play generally will return to the urban area of Shaoxing after playing and seldom stay overnight in the ancient town. But you must not miss the braised pork with pickled vegetables and dried bamboo shoots in the Wuzhanmao Restaurant in the ancient town, or order a portion of homemade sausage at Baolin Restaurant with three tables and have a pot of self-brewed Huadiao wine. It is very enjoyable.Anchang Ancient Town is open from 08:00 to 17:00 during the period of May 1st to September 30th.
From October 1st to April 30th, the operating hours are from 08:00 to 16:30.
