YaoWan Ancient Town, a national 4A-level scenic spot, is located at the southwestern edge of Xinyi City, at the intersection of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the Luoma Lake, connected with Suqian, Suining, and Pizhou. It is a water town with a thousand-year history, well-known throughout the country. It is often described as ‘looking east towards the sea, west towards Pengcheng, south towards Huaihai, and north towards Mount Tai’ and is known as the ‘Golden Waterway Golden Triangle’, ‘Water Scenery in Northern Jiangsu Surpasses Jiangnan’, and ‘Little Shanghai’.
YaoWan integrates ancient town scenery, water landscape, historical sites, and mythical fairylands, and holds high value for appreciation, tourism, and historical research. The ancient town of YaoWan has a long and splendid history. According to historical records, it was part of the Zhongwu State during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, it served as a kiln for military supplies. In the Tang Dynasty, it was located at the border of Pizhou and Haizhou and was named YaoWan due to the numerous kilns surrounding it.
The ancient canal has numerous bends, and YaoWan is the golden section of it; the thousand-year-old locust tree has witnessed the rise and fall of YaoWan ancient town; the sauce jars in the backyard have carved the traces of long-standing years; and the old-style buildings exude a strong cultural atmosphere. It is like Zhouzhuang in southern Jiangsu with lakes and water networks; it is also like Pingyao in Shanxi, with ancient alleys and a culture that has been inherited for thousands of years.
The human history and landscape of YaoWan ancient town are profound. The town was first established in the early Tang Dynasty. With the prosperity of grain transport and the salt industry during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the town was bustling with shops and merchants. The streets were crowded with pedestrians, and the waterways were full of boats. Within the town, there are city gates, towers, shops, courtyards, palaces, temples, and halls, which were built from the Song to the Qing Dynasties. The ancient alleys, houses, guilds, workshops, commercial firms, warehouses, pawnshops, and docks still basically retain the style of the ancient town.
Opening hours are from 09:00 to 21:30 all year round.
Preferential policies for the elderly: YaoWan Ancient Town scenic spots (Wu’s Courtyard, YaoWan Folklore History Museum, Zhao Xinlong Sauce Garden, and Mung Bean Liquor Exhibition Park) offer free admission to people aged 60 and above (with their ID card or ‘Jiangsu Province Elderly Preferential Certificate’, unlimited visits to the scenic spots).
Free for children: Children aged 6 and under or with a height of 1.4 meters and under enjoy free admission.
Free for military personnel: Active-duty military personnel with valid IDs enjoy free admission.
Free for those with military disability certificates, police certificates, press cards, photography certificates, firefighting certificates, disability certificates, elite cards, ‘Three Free Cards’ (Jiangsu Province Blood Donation Honor Certificate), and holders of preferential treatment certificates for veterans: Those with military disability certificates, police certificates, press cards, photography certificates, firefighting certificates, disability certificates, elite cards, ‘Three Free Cards’ (Jiangsu Province Blood Donation Honor Certificate), and preferential treatment certificates for veterans all enjoy free admission.
Free service facilities – Parking lot: [YaoWan Ancient Town Parking Lot], reference price: 10 yuan per car; Address: YaoWan Town, Xinyi City, Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province; Spaces: 200
