One Day in Wuzhen

Yves Weissig -

Wūzhèn is a historic scenic town in the southern part of the Yangtze River Delta. It lies south of the Taihu Lake roughly in the middle of a triangle formed by Hangzhou (~ 60 kilometres/40 miles to the south-west), Suzhou (~ 60 kilometres/40 miles to the north) and Shanghai (~ 110 kilometres/70 miles to the east). It's one of China's most famous ancient water towns (one of the many towns called Venice of the East) and probably the best way to experience what historic life in the Yangtze River Delta must have been like. It boasts a more than six thousand year old history being an important stop on the Grand Canal, sometimes also called Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, a 1,700 kilometre long waterway linking the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nowadays the canal town is a popular destination for day trips from bigger towns in the delta.


The town is divided into four districts: Dongzha, Nanzha, Xizha, and Beizha. Most of the visitors head to Dongzha and Xizha as they have been heavily developed for tourism and are easily accessible by train, bus or boat. For both areas you will have to pay a small admission fee. Go here if you want to escape the bustling cities in the Yangtze River Delta. Enjoy the picturesque views of ancient stone bridges and pathways and experience how time passes much slower here. It can be crowded, but the districts are so big that you definitely will find peace and quietness. Stroll around, sit in well-preserved tea houses, enjoy street food, visit a museum and in the evening enjoy a beer in one of the many bars.


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