Experience the Serenity and Heritage of Xitang Water Town

Xitang Water Town is located in the Jiashan County, around 120 km from Hangzhou City. It is one of the six most famous water towns in South China. 9 rivers converge in this town, dividing it into 8 sections, but many bridges link this water town together. Inside the town, there are many well-preserved architectural groups constructed during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

By High-Speed Train:
If you travel alone, you can take the high-speed rail from Hangzhou east railway station to Jiashan south station, there are 28 high-speed trains from Hangzhou passing through Jiashan every day. The journey takes around 35 minutes. The first train departs at 07:06 and the last train departs at 20:20.Then take the bus to Xitang Water Town.

By Car:
If you want a more comfortable way to go there, you can ask a travel agency or hotel to rent a car for you, which will take about 1.4 hours for one way.

By Bus:
There are two bus terminal where you can take the bus to Xitang. 1. Hangzhou Jiubao Passenger Terminal, the last bus is 6:15pm. 2. You can take the bus from Hangzhou East Bus Station to reach Jiashan County first, then take the local bus to Xitang Water Town.

Xitang Water Town will open from 08:00-17:00 all day, the ticket is 100RMB/per person for entrance ticket. If you want to see the Night View, the ticket will be 50RMB/per person, and 20RMB/per person for boat cruise.

Taking tourist bus or private transfer is the best way to visit Nanxun from Hangzhou. It takes around 1 hour 40 minutes to get there. As for the high speed train, you can reach at Jiashan station, then take about 1 hour Jiashan public bus to Xitang water town. If you are confused about the public transportation and want to enjoy the hassle free tour, you can book a private transfer with Hangzhou local tour company.

Xitang water town is not very big, one day will enough for the water town sightseeing. It takes around 2 hours from Hangzhou downtown to Jiashan county, you will have 3-4 hours to visit the gardens, museum, ancient buildings, experience the traditional boat ride along the grand canal. You can stay longer at Xitang water town for the night scenery, to relax yourself at the local bar street.

There are some famous dishes in Xitang Water Town, including Braised Baisi Fish, Yellow Rice Wine, Bazheng Cake, “June red” crab, water bean curd, meat braised with lotus, etc. Many hotels can offer nice dining condition with comfortable atmosphere. You can try lots of snacks when you walk around the town and find a restaurant along the riverside to enjoy the delicious food as well as the scenery.

Both are the famous, authentic water towns near Hangzhou & Shanghai. If you travel from Hangzhou, Wuzhen is close to Hanghou. Xitang water town is less crowded and popular for the young people and family, it has a coloful night life. Wuzhen is bigger but crowded since it has a great repution, the World Internet Conference held here, a traditional & modern water town in China.

There are starred Hotels & Waterfront Hostels in Xitang water town. There are many starred hotels in Xitang. Compared with those in big cities, their rooms are simpler, reflecting the water town’s characteristics. The most popular is Xitang Holiday Inn (three-star), near the Water Town entrance. These hostels are built on the waterfront, so the beautiful scenery outside the windows is their distinctive feature, despite their plainness otherwise. They are cheaper than starred hotels. Normally, the cost for one night will be 200RMB-400RMB, the rate will be higher during the weekends and holidays.

Xitang does not have motorized traffic, for motor vehicles are prohibited. The only available transport is by boat or on foot when you go to visit Xitang scenic area. The water town with many water way, narrow alley & stone bridge, so it is not such convenient to use the wheelchair inside the town. You can try to do the boat ride if you have walking problem.

Xitang has different highlights in different seasons. April and May when the flowers, are the most romantic months. And July is the best month for tasting crab. Most rain falls between September and November. Besides, there are far fewer tourists in December and January, so those two months are ideal for those who like to travel in relative peace.