Wuzhen is a historic ancient town in the north suburbs of Tongxiang, renowned for its long-standing history and cultural charm in Jiangnan. The main scenic areas are divided into West and East Gats, where visitors can enjoy the night view of West Gate, take a leisurely boat ride, and watch folk performances, all of which are essential experiences for tourists. This place is also known as the filming location for the drama ‘Like Flowing Years’ starring Huang Lei and Liu Ruoying. The East and West Gats are about 1.5 kilometers apart. If you plan to visit both within a day, it is recommended to arrive early in the morning at Wuzhen, start with a tour of the East Gate (2-3 hours), have lunch, and then proceed to explore the West Gate until the evening to enjoy the night view there. With two days at your disposal, you could consider dedicating a day to each gate. Highlights of the West and East Gats include strolling along the flagstone paths in West Gate, tasting local snacks such as stinky tofu, Ding Sheng cake, and Gu Saobing, or visiting cultural sites like the Zhaoming Academy and the old post office. Of course, a boat ride is a must to savor the essence of this water town. If time permits, the night tour of West Gate is a must-see, with its waterways, ancient bridges, and white walls illuminated by lights, creating a breathtaking scene. After enjoying the night view, you can relax with a couple of drinks at a bar, watch an open-air old movie, or attend a Hua Gu Opera performance, all of which are very pleasant experiences. Compared to West Gate, although smaller, East Gate has a stronger living atmosphere, with local residents, shadow puppet theaters, Sanbai liquor workshops, Xiuzhen Temple, and the former residence of Mao Dun, among other attractions. You can also watch performances such as boxing on boats and climbing bamboo poles on boats, offering a richer cultural and historical experience. There is a shuttle bus service between East and West Gats. For food and specialties, braised mutton and marinated duck are must-try delicacies in Wuzhen, especially the mutton. Restaurants like the Hanlin Mansion Hotel and Fengyuan Restaurant in East Gate, and Yusheng Restaurant and Marinated Duck Deli in West Gate are popular dining spots. You may also want to try local snacks like fried stinky tofu, Ding Sheng cake, and Gu Saobing in the streets and alleys. If you’re looking for souvenirs to take home, ‘Sanbai liquor’ brewed by hand, Tao Xuchang brand bean paste, exquisite wood carvings and bamboo carvings, as well as ‘blue print cloth’ products such as scarves, tea cup mats, umbrellas, wallets, and various shaped pendants are great choices, with many specialty shops available on the streets. Accommodation within the scenic area of West Gate offers a variety of hotels and inns managed by the authorities, with prices ranging from low to high. Staying within the scenic area is convenient for sightseeing and allows for a better experience of the West Gate night view. There are also many hotels and inns outside the scenic area, which are relatively cheaper. The opening hours are from 09:00 to 22:00 all year round. The business hours for attractions within Wuzhen are as follows: West Gate Scenic Area 09:00-22:00, West Gate Night Scene Lighting Summer Sunday to Thursday closes at 22:30, Friday and Saturday closes at 23:00; Winter Sunday to Thursday closes at 22:00, Friday and Saturday closes at 22:30. East Gate Scenic Area Summer 07:00-18:00, Winter 07:00-17:30. Mao Dun’s Former Residence Summer 08:00-17:30, Winter 08:00-17:00. Due to maintenance, Mao Dun’s Former Residence is temporarily not open to the public. Preferential policies include free admission for children under 1.2 meters or under 6 years old with valid identification, discounted tickets for children between 1.2 meters and 1.5 meters or between 6 and 18 years old with ID, discounted tickets for seniors aged 60 to 70 with ID, and free admission for seniors over 70 with valid identification. Students with student IDs for full-time undergraduate and below receive discounted tickets. Military personnel, martyrs, and disabled individuals with relevant certificates issued by the military or veterans affairs departments also receive discounted tickets.
Active duty, disabled firefighters and rescue personnel, and academic students with valid identification enjoy the same benefits as active military personnel. Foreigners with a disability card issued by the government enjoy free admission. Retired personnel: those with a retirement certificate issued by the State Council and the Central Military Commission; military retirement officers and non-commissioned officers with a retirement certificate enjoy free entry. Tour guides and travel agency managers: those with a travel agency manager qualification certificate issued by the National Tourism Administration (with business card); a national guide certificate (IC card, electronic certificate), and a team leader certificate issued by the National Tourism Administration. Drivers accompanying the group with class A or A1 driver’s license (one per group) enjoy free entry. Journalists with a press card issued by the Central News Agency enjoy free admission. Zhejiang Province unpaid blood donors: those with a Zhejiang Province unpaid blood donation honor certificate enjoy free admission. Service facilities parking lot: [1/2/3 parking lots] reference price: ¥20 per entry; address: at the entrance of the scenic area; capacity: 2000; parking for 7 seats and below for 1st and 2nd parking lots within 6 hours (inclusive) is ¥10, and an additional ¥5 is charged for every 3 hours (inclusive) after 6 hours (up to ¥20 within 24 hours), for more than 7 seats within 12 hours (inclusive) is ¥20; more than 12 hours is ¥30. For 3rd parking lot, Dongzha, and Wucun parking lots, parking for 7 seats and below is ¥10, overnight vehicles are ¥20, for more than 7 seats within 12 hours (inclusive) is ¥20, and more than 12 hours is ¥30. Social vehicles can park for free for 30 minutes, and operating vehicles can park for free for 15 minutes, and the free parking time is included in the parking fee calculation time. WIFI: account: i-zhejiang-awifi; password: mobile phone account login; coverage: public WiFi, full coverage of the scenic area. Luggage storage: reference price: as disclosed on site; address: tourist service center. Scenic area explanation: guide fee is ¥200 per one-way/trip, special language guides such as English are ¥300 per one-way/trip. Scenic area transportation: reference price: one-way: charter boat (up to 8 people) ¥480 per boat; shared boat ¥60 per person (the boat departs after 8 people are full); address: West Weir South Line Wind and Rain Corridor VIP parking lot, West Weir North Line Service Center, Ruyi Bridge Wharf, etc., the specific open wharf is subject to the site. Reference price: ¥10 per person/trip; address: West Weir South Line Wind and Rain Corridor VIP parking lot, West Weir North Line Service Center. Audio guide rental: reference price: West Weir ¥30 per unit/day, deposit for 1-5 units is ¥200, deposit is refunded after return; address: tourist service center. Stroller rental: reference price: free rental, deposit standard is ¥400 per stroller, deposit is refunded after return; address: tourist service center. Rain gear rental: reference price: free rental, need to pay a deposit of ¥30, deposit is refunded after return; address: tourist service center. Wheelchair rental: reference price: free rental, deposit standard is ¥800 per wheelchair, deposit is refunded after return; address: tourist service center. Restrooms: there are prominent signs within the scenic area.
Nursing room: Address: Tourist Service Center. Catering: There are eye-catching signs in the scenic area, and Alipay and WeChat can be used. Souvenir store: Located in the tourist service center. Vending machine: Located in the tourist service center.
