Visited Nanxun Ancient Town 4 times, finally figured it out!

📍 Address No. 51 Renrui Road, Nanxun Town, Nanxun District, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province. 🚗 Transportation - Self-driving: About 1.5-2 hours from Hangzhou/Shanghai, navigate to South Gate Parking Lot (detour needed due to roadwork at North Gate). - High-speed rail: Arrive at Huzhou Station, transfer to bus No. 101 (6:00-18:30) or No. 137, about 1.5 hours to reach. - Inside the ancient town: - Water bus 3 RMB/trip (9:00-16:00, every half hour); - Rowboat charter 160-380 RMB (daytime), night tour 50 RMB/person. 🌟 Introduction Nanxun is the only permanently free 5A-level scenic spot among the six major ancient towns in Jiangnan, blending the charm of traditional Chinese water towns with Western architectural aesthetics. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was wealthy due to silk merchants, leaving behind the legendary "Four Elephants, Eight Oxen, Seventy-two Golden Dogs" merchant guild. The morning mist over Baijian Building, the lotus pond at Xiaolian Manor, and the red brick Roman columns of the Liu Family Staircase create a unique "East-West fusion" landscape. Locals still wash clothes and cook by the river, full of everyday life atmosphere, with commercialization 70% lower than Wuzhen. 📅 Travel Guide (Classic 2-day Tour) Day 1: Merchant Guild Architecture Tour - Morning: - Xiaolian Manor⛲️: Private garden of Liu Yong, the richest man in late Qing, enjoy ten acres of lotus pond and century-old wisteria (ticket 25 RMB). - Jiaye Library📚: Touch 130,000 ancient books, beautifully carved glass windows with stunning light and shadow (included in combo ticket). - Noon: Eat double sauce noodles (fried fish + crispy pork, 25 RMB/bowl) at Zhuangyuan Building. - Afternoon: - Zhang Shiming Former Residence🏯: The largest mansion in Jiangnan, a collision of Baroque glass and Chinese wood carvings (included in combo ticket). - Liu Family Staircase🔴: Red brick Western-style building "Red House," perfect for shooting Roman column courtyard photos (included in combo ticket). - Evening: Baijian Building lantern night tour🌉, lantern reflections like a film (free). Day 2: Cultural and Natural Experience - Early morning: Arrive at Baijian Building before 6 am to enjoy the blue hour with morning mist drifting over the colonnade📸. - Morning: - Jili Lake Silk Museum🧵: Experience intangible cultural heritage silk reeling, learn the history of "one silk thread supporting half the town" (included in combo ticket). - Zhang Jingjiang Former Residence🏮: Decode the Republic of China era, AR technology restores historical scenes (included in combo ticket). - Afternoon: Take a rowboat through Ditang Old Waterway (Guanghui Bridge → Tongjin Bridge route), listen to the boatman sing "Picking Water Chestnuts"🛶. - Evening: Taste three-course tea (Fengxiao tea + smoked bean tea + clear tea) at Yingyuan Teahouse, listen to Huzhou opera and storytelling. ⚠️ Travel Tips 1. Tickets: The ancient town is free, but buying single tickets for small attractions is not cost-effective! Buy combo tickets online 2 hours in advance for 85 RMB (includes Xiaolian Manor, Library, and 5 major attractions). 2. Avoid peak times: Weekend boat peak hours are 9-11 am and 3-5 pm, recommend touring from the North Gate in reverse. 3. Photography: - Baijian Building sunrise (5:30-6:30) use telephoto lens for reflections; - Liu Family Staircase at 4 pm for slanting light penetrating red bricks. 4. Avoid pitfalls: Beware of "free guides," only trust official guided points; avoid boat rides after 5 pm (lights not fully on). 🍜 Food Recommendations - Zhuangyuan Building: Double sauce noodles with fried fish and crispy pork, add pork cracklings and chili sauce (25 RMB). - Xunti Main Store: Traditional braised pork knuckle, tastes better with Ding Sheng cake (40 RMB per person). - Changxing Restaurant: Stir-fried embroidered flower kale (Nanxun specialty green vegetable), enhanced with white liquor. - Chunlan Teahouse: Three-course tea with green rice balls, watch rowboats by the window (15 RMB/set). - Wild Water Chestnut: Thousand-layer tofu wrap dipped in rose rice vinegar, served with vermicelli soup. 🛏️ Accommodation Recommendations - Linshui Inn: "Shiyuan Jiangnan Inn" at Baijian Building, river view from the window, includes breakfast and lantern delivery (300-600 RMB). - Western-style Old Residence: Boyang Kaiyuan Mingting (Republic of China silk merchant villa converted, pool facing ancient bridge, 800-1500 RMB). - Cost-effective choice: Xunshufang Youth Hostel (Library style, 150-250 RMB). 🌳 Nearby Attractions 1. Digang Ancient Village (30 minutes by car): - Explore the global agricultural heritage "Sangji Fish Pond," experience fishing and water chestnut picking. - Eat boat feast at Digang Fisherman’s Village, stay at five-star farmhouse. 2. Shuanglin Ancient Town (25 minutes by car): - See the "Three Bridges" wonder (Huacheng Bridge, Wan Yuan Bridge, Wankui Bridge within 400 meters). - Children's Museum Island for family study tours, taste special boat feast at Zhejiang North boat restaurant. 3. Xishanyang Wetland Park (20 minutes by car): - Shoot redwood forest in autumn and winter, martial arts bamboo forest for morning light photos (filming location of "Operation Poison"). The beauty of Nanxun is the morning light through carved window lattices, the ripples from grandma pounding clothes, and the collision of silk merchant legends with metaverse night tours. Take this guide, listen to the wind by the water, and live the slow Jiangnan life to the bone for three days! 🎑