Wuzhen, a historic Jiangnan town located in the northern suburbs of Tongxiang, is divided into two main scenic areas: West Street and East Street. Visitors must experience the night view of West Street, take a gondola ride, and watch folk performances. It is also the filming location for the drama ‘Like Flowing Years’ starring Huang Lei and Liu Ruoying. West Street and East Street are about 1.5 kilometers apart. If you want to visit both in one day, arrive at Wuzhen early in the morning and start with East Street (2-3 hours). After lunch, begin your tour of West Street, which can last until the evening when you can enjoy the night view. With two days at your disposal, you can allocate a day to each street.
West Street and East Street Highlights: You can spend a day strolling on the cobblestone paths of West Street, tasting local snacks like stinky tofu, Ding Sheng cake, and Gu Siao Bing, or visiting cultural sites such as Zhaoming Academy and the Old Post Office. Of course, you must not miss the gondola ride to savor the water town. If time permits, do not miss the night tour of West Street. The water lanes, ancient bridges, and white walls are beautifully illuminated by lights, making for a stunning view, especially when experienced on a gondola. After the night view, you can enjoy drinks at a bar or watch an open-air old movie, or listen to a Hua Gu Opera, which is very pleasant.
Compared to West Street, East Street is smaller but has a stronger sense of life. Locals still live here, and there are attractions such as the Shadow Puppet Theater, San Bai Wine Workshop, Xiuzhen Temple, and Mao Dun’s former residence. You can also watch performances like fist-fighting on a boat and climbing bamboo poles on a boat, which offer a richer folk and historical experience. There is a shuttle bus between East Street and West Street.
Food and Specialties: Braised mutton and soy-sauce duck are must-try delicacies in Wuzhen, especially the mutton. Popular restaurants include Hanlin Mansion Hotel and Fengyuan Restaurant in East Street, and Yusheng Restaurant and Soy Sauce Duck Brine Restaurant in West Street. You can also try local snacks like fried stinky tofu, Ding Sheng cake, and Gu Siao Bing in the streets and alleys. If you want to bring back some specialties, consider handcrafted ‘San Bai Wine’, Tao Xuchao brand bean paste, exquisite wood carvings and bamboo carvings, and ‘Blue Flower Print’ products such as headscarves, tea cup mats, umbrellas, wallets, and various shaped ornaments. There are many specialty shops on the streets.
Accommodation: There are many hotels and inns in West Street, all managed by the official authority with varying prices. Staying inside the scenic area is convenient for sightseeing and allows for a better experience of the night view. There are also many hotels and inns outside the scenic area, which are relatively cheaper. The opening hours are 09:00-22:00 all year round. The operating hours for attractions in Wuzhen are as follows: West Street 09:00-22:00, West Street night lights close at 22:30 from Sunday to Thursday in summer, and 23:00 on Friday and Saturday; close at 22:00 from Sunday to Thursday in winter, and 22:30 on Friday and Saturday.
Children under 2 meters (not included) or aged 6 years old (included) with valid identification enter for free; children between 1.2 meters (not included) and 1.5 meters (included) or minors aged between 6 years old (not included) and 18 years old (included) with ID receive discounted tickets. Senior citizens aged 60 (included) to 70 (not included) with ID receive discounted tickets; seniors aged 70 years old (included) and above with valid identification enter for free. Full-time university undergraduate students and below with student ID receive discounted tickets. Military personnel, martyrs, and disabled individuals with relevant certificates, including the Disabled Soldier’s Certificate issued by the People’s Liberation Army, receive discounted tickets. Active duty, disabled firefighters, and academy students with valid identification enjoy the same treatment as active military personnel. Foreign nationals with a disability certificate issued by the government enter for free. Retired personnel with a retirement certificate issued by the State Council or Central Military Commission enter for free. Tour guides and travel agency managers with a qualification certificate issued by the National Tourism Administration (with business card) and a national guide certificate (IC card, electronic certificate), and tour leaders enter for free. Drivers with A or A1 licenses traveling with a group (one per group) enter for free. Journalists with a press card issued by the Central News Agency enter for free. Zhejiang province’s unpaid blood donors with an honor certificate enter for free. Service Facilities Parking: [1/2/3 Parking Lots] Reference price: ¥20 per entry; Address: At the entrance of the scenic area; Spaces: 2000; For 1 and 2 parking lots, vehicles with 7 seats or fewer are charged ¥10 for up to 6 hours (included), and an additional ¥5 for every 3 hours (included) after 6 hours (up to ¥20 per day), vehicles with more than 7 seats are charged ¥20 for up to 12 hours (included), and ¥30 for more than 12 hours. For 3, Dongzha, and Wucun parking lots, vehicles with 7 seats or fewer are charged ¥10, overnight vehicles are charged ¥20, vehicles with more than 7 seats are charged ¥20 for up to 12 hours (included), and ¥30 for more than 12 hours. Social vehicles can park for free for 30 minutes, and operational vehicles for 15 minutes; the free parking time is included in the parking fee calculation for exceeding the free time.
WIFI: Account: i-zhejiang-awifi; Password: Log in with mobile phone account. Scope: Public WiFi, covering the entire scenic area.
Luggage storage: Reference price: Subject to on-site disclosure at the scenic area. Address: Tourist Service Center. Scenic area tour guide: Tour guide fee is 200 yuan/one-way/time. For English and other special language tour guides, it is 300 yuan/one-way/time. Transportation within the park: Reference price: One-way: Chartered boat (within 8 people) 480 yuan/boat; Shared boat 60 yuan/person (sail after 8 people are filled). Address: Tourist Center Pier, Andufang Pier, Ruyi Bridge Pier, etc. The specific open piers are subject to on-site conditions. Reference price: 10 yuan/person/time. Address: VIP parking lot of the wind and rain corridor on the south line of Xizha, tour bus station of the service center on the north line of Xizha. Audio guide rental: Reference price: 30 yuan/set/day in Xizha. Deposit for 1-5 sets is 200 yuan. The deposit will be refunded upon return. Address: Tourist Service Center. Stroller rental: Reference price: Free rental. The deposit standard is 400 yuan/vehicle for strollers. The deposit will be refunded upon return. Address: Tourist Center. Umbrella rental: Reference price: Free rental. A deposit of 30 yuan is required. The deposit will be refunded upon return. Address: Tourist Service Center. Wheelchair rental: Reference price: Free rental. The deposit standard is 800 yuan/vehicle for wheelchairs. The deposit will be refunded upon return. Address: Tourist Service Center. Toilets: There are eye-catching signs in the scenic area. Nursing room: Address: Tourist Service Center. Catering: There are eye-catching signs in the scenic area. Alipay and WeChat can be used. Souvenir store: Located at the tourist service center. Vending machines: Located at the tourist service center.
