5 Days China Ancient Water Town Photography Tour (Zhouzhuang, Xitang, Wuzhen)

Summary

Day 1 Shanghai Arrival
Day 2 Shanghai-Zhouzhuang: Zhouzhuang Water Town
Day 3 Zhouzhuang-Xitang-Wuzhen: Xitang Water Town
Day 4 Wuzhen-Shanghai: Wuzhen Water Town
Day 5 Shanghai Departure

Day 1 Shanghai Arrival

Upon your arrival in Shanghai, our Shanghai local guide will meet you at the exit of airport with a welcome sign "China Private Tour".

Transfer to your hotel in Shanghai for check-in and the rest day is free on your own to explore the city or recover the jetlag.

Day 2 Shanghai-Zhouzhuang

After the breakfast and check out from your hotel in Shanghai, you will be taken to explore the Zhouzhuang Water Town (about 40mins). Zhouzhuang is one of the top ten water towns in China. Its ancient buildings, historical culture and life rhythm are the first choice for tourists.

Upon arrival, first visit the Zhouzhuang's Twin Bridges. "Memory of Hometown", which depicted the Twin Bridges, was one of the items on display and has gained the world's attention for Zhouzhuang. The painting was chosen to be the first-day cover of the United Nations' postage stamp in 1985. The bridges are said to resemble an ancient Chinese key, thus locals also refer to it as "Key Bridge".

Next, you will visit Zhouzhuang's Old Drama Stage. This massive stage often features performances of Kunqu opera, one of the oldest forms of Chinese Opera, as well as other traditional opera from the southern regions of the Yangtze River. Marvel at the vault-shaped roof of the stage, made up of 420 wood carvings.

After lunch, you will move on to the Zhang House and Shen House, two examples of Zhouzhuang's distinctive historical architecture.

Built in 1742 and located at the southeast side of Fuan Bridge, Shen House was the private property of the descendant of Shen Wansan, the first millionaire of Jiangnan (South of Yangtze River) in the early Ming Dynasty. The whole architectural complex is of the Qing's style and occupies an area of more than 2,000 square meters (half an acre).

Zhang house is a stunning estate comprised of 70 rooms and six courtyards. It takes up about 1,800 square meters (less than half an acre).The residence dates back to the Ming dynasty. With Ruojing River flowing through, Zhang House is a dapper and graceful residential house; has a tranquil courtyard and pond. Deep halls all represent the life of the quondam owner.

After the tour is finished, drive you to the hotel in Zhouzhuang.

Day 3 Zhouzhuang-Xitang-Wuzhen

Pick up from your hotel in Zhouzhuang, then drive you to the Xitang Water Town and start your Xitang Water Town Day Tour. Xitang Water Town is known for its bridges, lanes, and covered corridors. Below are the most famous attractions in Xitang Water Town.

Bridges makes Xitang so special. There are 104 in total, built in varying styles spanning the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Some looks like rainbows over the river and others like long flutes. Life for Xitang locals is calm and easy, full of comfort and peace, no difference from the lifestyle of their ancestors thousands of years ago. The elderly play with their grandchildren on the bridges and in the lanes, and women wash vegetables and clothes in the rivers running beside their houses. If you need a break from the stresses of Shanghai, there's really no better place to chill out and experience the quieter side of Chinese life.

The Corridors: The covered corridor is the most well-known scene in Xitang. It is also the most distinctive feature this historic town offers compared with other water towns. Consisting of many sections, the whole covered corridor is more than 1,000 meters (about 1094 yards) long, attracting visitors from all over the world with its particular charm. Mostly, it is tile-roofed and built along the riverside, providing shelter for people to avoid either the baking hot sun or the rain. One section of the corridor is the most elegant, with its carved decorative patterns that are praised by tourists as being the height of artistic perfection. High-back davenports are situated on one side of the covered corridor, along the river, where passersby can rest. Walking along the corridor, watching the boats in the river, you will feel drawn into the meditation of the past.

The lanes: The lanes here are a must-see. There are many lanes here, long and short, wide and narrow. Some are dark all the year round; some are simply the drain of two families; most of them were the main artery of the town in the old days. Among all the different lanes, the narrowest is about 80cm (about 31 inches) wide and provides space for only one person to pass through at a time. The lanes are like ropes connecting the whole town into an organic net and no matter from which point you start, you can find any other place in the town.

The Houses: In the old town of Xitang, people who live there are not rich, so no newer modern houses have been built there. That's maybe one of the reasons why the old constructions are preserved as a whole almost without damage. In those archaic houses, besides the culture and value of the houses themselves, there are also displays of cultural relics or woodcarvings or eaves tiles collected by the house owner. To this day there are exhibitions of the ancient rare books of the owners passed down from generation to generation or rubbings from a stone inscription of a famous calligrapher.

After the Xitang Photography tour, drive you to your hotel in Wuzhen.

Day 4 Wuzhen-Shanghai

Today, you will be sightseeing in Wuzhen Water Town, the first stop is The Ancient Bed Museum which is Chinese first themed museum collecting and exhibiting the ancient beds of Jiangnan regions.There are dozens of different beds of Ming and Qing Dynasties as well as the traditional beds in modern times. See the luxurious carvings and elaborate designs on these antique beds and listen as your expert guide shares stories reflecting this unique cultural account of ancient Chinese civilization.

Later on visit the The Folk Custom Museum displays scenes from local ceremonies, including weddings, birthday parties and funerals. The main exhibits in the costume hall of the museum are exquisite ceremonial dresses, which vividly reflect the colorful local culture.

Continue the visit to the Sanbai Wine Workshop, the only remaining winery in Wuzhen, built during the Song Dynasty. Brewing liquor was a huge industry in Wuzhen during the Ming Dynasty. There were over 20 distilleries in operation at the time. Witness how wine is made using traditional techniques.

Afterwards visit the Hongyuan Thai dye house to see the time-honored art of making indigo-dyed printed calico. Wuzhen is one of the principal sources of this flower-printed blue cloth. Elderly women still carry on the folk tradition of carefully weaving this textile. Watch the painstaking method of creating it and marvel at the final product of striking embossed blue cloth.

After a local Chinese style lunch, engage yourself in a unique display of Chinese performing arts - the shadow play show. This is an exceptional storytelling experience as the characters are handmade leather puppets behind a screen with a cast light upon them forming silhouettes. Accompanied by Chinese traditional instruments, such as the erhu and the flute, shadow play is a universally renowned Chinese cultural spectacle.

Finally no visit to a water town will be complete without taking a boat ride (optional) down the river. Board a rowboat and relax as you enjoy the sights of the old town and see people going about their daily lives. Float over the calm water and pass under picturesque stone bridges.

After the sightseeing, drive you back to your hotel in Shanghai.

Day 5 Shanghai Departure

Free on your own until transfer to the Shanghai Pudong International Airport (based on your requirement).

Price Per Person in US Dollars