Nanxun Ancient Town is located in Nanxun District, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province. It is one of the six ancient towns in the Jiangnan region, a national 5A-level tourist attraction, and a recipient of honors such as being a national key cultural relics protection unit, one of China's top ten charming towns, and a Chinese historical and cultural town. The total area of the scenic spot is 34.27 square kilometers, among which the ancient town area is about 1.09 square kilometers, and the core protection area is 0.88 square kilometers. Nanxun Ancient Town has a unique "Sino-Western fusion" architectural style. It not only features the small bridges, flowing water, pink walls, and black tiles typical of Jiangnan water towns but also has many mansions and manors that incorporate Western architectural elements, earning it the reputation of "the first town in Jiangnan". The ancient town retains a large number of buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, with existing historical structures such as the Former Residence of Zhang Shiming, Liu's Terrace, and Jiaye Hall Library. These buildings witness the legendary stories of Nanxun's wealthy merchants known as the "Four Elephants, Eight Bulls, and Seventy-Two Golden Dogs" and make the ancient town an important material carrier for studying Jiangnan water town culture and modern commercial history.
Historical Culture
The history of Nanxun Ancient Town can be traced back to the Neolithic Age, when ancestors lived and thrived here. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Nanxun belonged to the state of Wu, later to the state of Yue, and after the unification of China by the Qin Dynasty, it was part of Wucheng County. During the Southern Song Dynasty, due to population migration southward caused by wars, Nanxun gradually formed a market town and began to show signs of prosperity.
In the Ming and Qing dynasties, relying on convenient water transportation and the prosperity of the silk industry, Nanxun became a famous silk town in Jiangnan, with its economy developing rapidly. A group of wealthy merchants represented by the "Four Elephants" (Liu Yong, Zhang Songxian, Pang Yunzhang, Gu Fuchang) emerged. These merchants not only achieved great success in business but also attached importance to culture and education, building a large number of gardens, libraries, and schools. This made Nanxun flourish culturally while enjoying economic prosperity, forming a unique "Confucian merchant culture".
Since modern times, Nanxun merchants have actively expanded overseas trade and come into contact with Western culture, building many Sino-Western fusion buildings in the ancient town, such as the Former Residence of Zhang Shiming and Liu's Terrace. These buildings have become a distinctive feature that distinguishes Nanxun Ancient Town from other ancient towns in Jiangnan. During the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, although Nanxun Ancient Town suffered certain damages, most of its historical buildings were preserved.
Today, Nanxun Ancient Town has developed tourism while protecting its historical style, becoming an important window for displaying Jiangnan water town culture and modern commercial civilization. Its profound historical and cultural heritage and unique architectural style attract numerous tourists to visit.
Main Attractions
Former Residence of Zhang Shiming
The Former Residence of Zhang Shiming is one of the most representative Sino-Western fusion buildings in Nanxun Ancient Town. Built between 1899 and 1906, it covers an area of 6,500 square meters with a construction area of 7,000 square meters. It was the former residence of Zhang Shiming, the grandson of Zhang Songxian, one of Nanxun's "Four Elephants". The former residence faces east with a westward orientation and is divided into three parts: the Chinese-style residential area, the Western-style mansion, and the garden. The Chinese-style part has five courtyards, following the traditional layout of Jiangnan dwellings, with exquisite wood carvings, brick carvings, and stone carvings. Especially the "Hundred Longevity" brick carving in the third hall is regarded as a masterpiece. The Western-style mansion adopts the architectural style of the French Renaissance, with Western elements such as a ballroom, fireplace, and chandelier, and was one of the most luxurious residences in Nanxun at that time. The mansion also houses a large number of antique calligraphy and paintings, furniture, and porcelain, with extremely high historical and artistic value.
Liu's Terrace
Liu's Terrace, also known as "Red House", is the former residence of Liu Ansheng, the third son of Liu Yong, the head of Nanxun's "Four Elephants". Built in 1905, it covers an area of about 4,000 square meters. Named after its Sino-Western fusion red brick building, the entire structure consists of three parts: south, middle, and north. The southern part is a traditional Chinese hall, the middle part is a Western-style building, and the northern part is a garden. The Western-style building features Roman columns and arches, with red fair-faced bricks on the walls and Baroque-style decorations on the top, making it a rare large-scale Western-style building in the Jiangnan region. The garden is planted with many precious flowers and trees, which set off the buildings harmoniously, showing the owner's integration and pursuit of Chinese and Western cultures.
Jiaye Hall Library
Jiaye Hall Library was built between 1920 and 1924 by Liu Chenggan, the grandson of Liu Yong. Covering an area of over 2,000 square meters with a construction area of 1,900 square meters, it is one of the largest and most well-stocked private libraries in modern China. Facing south, the library is laid out in a "square" shape in plan and consists of two courtyards. Its main buildings include Jiaye Hall, Songsi History Study, and Poetry Collection Room. The library once housed 600,000 volumes of books, among which many are precious documents such as rare editions from the Song and Yuan dynasties, manuscripts, and handwritten copies. It is particularly rich in local chronicles, with more than 1,200 types. The naming of the library is related to the nine-dragon gold plaque "Qin Ruo Jia Ye" (meaning "Respectfully Obeying and Flourishing the Undertaking") bestowed by Puyi. The building itself integrates the style of Jiangnan gardens with the characteristics of traditional academies. The courtyard is dotted with rockeries, ponds, flowers, and trees, creating a quiet environment that has long been a cherished destination for scholars and academics. In 1981, Jiaye Hall Library was listed as a key cultural relics protection unit of Zhejiang Province, and in 2001, it became a national key cultural relics protection unit.
Xiaolianzhuang
Xiaolianzhuang is the private garden of Liu Yong, built in 1885 and completed after 40 years. Covering an area of 17,399 square meters, it is one of the famous gardens in Jiangnan. Centered on a lotus pond, the buildings in the garden are scattered in an orderly manner, including archways, stone inscriptions, pavilions, and towers. The "Dongsheng Pavilion" in the garden is a good place for appreciating the moon and viewing the scenery, and you can overlook the entire garden from the pavilion. The garden also preserves a large number of celebrity stone inscriptions, including works by famous calligraphers such as Wang Xizhi, Yan Zhenqing, and Mi Fu, which have high calligraphic artistic value. Adjacent to Jiaye Hall Library, Xiaolianzhuang and the library together form the cultural heritage of the Liu Yong family, reflecting the cultural taste of wealthy merchants in Jiangnan.
Baijianlou
Baijianlou is located in the East Gate of Nanxun Ancient Town. It was first built during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty by Dong Fen, a minister of the Ministry of Rites, as a dowry for his daughter. It got its name because 100 buildings were initially built. Most of the existing buildings were constructed in the Qing Dynasty, stretching along the north bank of Xunxi, with a length of about 400 meters and a total of 124 buildings. The architectural style of Baijianlou is uniform, all being Jiangnan dwellings with white walls and black tiles. The buildings are built along the river, with windows and doorframes mostly made of stone, and some buildings have water pavilions and river piers, forming a unique pattern of "living by the river". There are still residents living here, retaining a strong flavor of life, and it is one of the most original ecological areas in Nanxun Ancient Town.
Former Residence of Zhang Jingjiang
The Former Residence of Zhang Jingjiang is located on East Street of Nanxun Ancient Town. It is the birthplace of Zhang Jingjiang, an elder of the Kuomintang, and was built in the Qing Dynasty, covering an area of 1,700 square meters. The former residence is a typical Jiangnan dwelling style, facing south with a northward orientation, having five courtyards, and the main buildings include the gate hall, main hall, and main building. The plaque of the main hall "Zunde Hall" was inscribed by Sun Yat-sen. The hall displays Zhang Jingjiang's life story and related historical photos and cultural relics. As a famous modern industrialist and politician, Zhang Jingjiang made important contributions to the 1911 Revolution, and his former residence has become an important place for studying modern Chinese history.
Food
Shuangjiao Noodles
Shuangjiao Noodles are a characteristic noodle dish in Nanxun Ancient Town. "Shuangjiao" refers to two kinds of toppings, usually crispy pork and fried fish. The crispy pork is made of pork belly, which, after marinating and frying, has tender and juicy meat with a rich aroma. The fried fish is made of grass carp, sliced, marinated with soy sauce and other seasonings, then fried until golden, with a crispy exterior and tender interior. The noodles are local thin noodles, cooked and served with the two toppings, then drizzled with broth, tasting delicious. It is a favorite traditional breakfast of Nanxun people and can be tasted in many noodle restaurants in the ancient town, with a price usually ranging from 15 to 25 yuan per bowl.
Xun Trotter
Xun Trotter is a traditional famous dish in Nanxun. It is made of local pork front trotters through multiple processes such as blanching, marinating, and stewing. The finished Xun Trotter has a bright red color, tender and juicy meat, which is fatty but not greasy, with a moderate salty and sweet taste, and is rich in collagen. When making Xun Trotter, seasonings such as soy sauce, rock sugar, and star anise are usually added, and it is stewed for several hours to fully absorb the flavors. Xun Trotter is a common dish in restaurants in the ancient town, with a price of about 30 to 50 yuan per serving, which can be eaten in the restaurant or taken away as a specialty in vacuum packaging.
Juhong Cake
Juhong Cake is a traditional pastry in Nanxun with a long history. It is made with glutinous rice flour, white sugar, and tangerine red powder as the main raw materials. When making, glutinous rice flour is steamed, then mixed with white sugar and tangerine red powder, kneaded well, and cut into small pieces. Juhong Cake has a pink color, a soft and glutinous texture, with a light orange fragrance, and is sweet but not cloying. It can be bought in pastry shops in the ancient town, with a price usually ranging from 10 to 20 yuan per catty, and is a popular snack and souvenir among tourists.
Dingsheng Cake
Dingsheng Cake is a common traditional pastry in Nanxun and the Jiangnan region. It gets its name because of its auspicious meaning and is often used in festivals or happy occasions. It is made with glutinous rice flour, japonica rice flour, and brown sugar as raw materials, with a small amount of red yeast rice powder added to make it red. It is made into lotus-shaped or square cakes with red bean paste filling in the middle. Dingsheng Cake has a soft and fluffy texture and a sweet taste. It is sold in pastry shops in the ancient town, with a price of about 2 to 3 yuan per piece, and is both a delicious snack and a souvenir.
Nanxun Cangxin Fish Balls
Nanxun Cangxin Fish Balls are a local specialty snack. They are made by selecting fresh grass carp, removing the bones, mincing the fish into paste, adding seasonings, stirring until elastic, and then wrapping with pork filling to form fish balls. The production process requires skills, and the fish balls should be round and smooth. When cooked, they have a tender and elastic texture, and the pork filling adds flavor, with a rich taste. This snack can be tasted in some time-honored restaurants in the ancient town, with a price of about 25 to 35 yuan per serving.
Tickets
It is open for free, but some attractions charge separately, with tickets starting from 10 yuan and combined tickets starting from 65 yuan.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "南浔古镇景区官方" to get the latest updates or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours
It is open all day, but the opening hours of the paid attractions in the scenic area are 8:00-17:30 (April 1 - October 31) and 8:00-17:00 (November 1 - March 31 of the following year). It is recommended that tourists arrange their time reasonably and visit during the opening hours of the paid attractions to avoid missing the opportunity to visit. In addition, the night view of the ancient town is very beautiful, and the lights in some areas will last until around 22:00 at night. Tourists can stroll around the ancient town in the evening to enjoy the night view.
Tour Route
A one-day tour route is recommended: Arrive at Nanxun Ancient Town at 8:30 am, enter the scenic area from the South Gate, first visit Xiaolianzhuang to enjoy the beauty of Jiangnan gardens and many stone inscriptions, with a visiting time of about 1 hour; at 9:30 am, go to the adjacent Jiaye Hall Library to experience the charm of ancient book culture, with a visiting time of about 1 hour; at 10:30 am, go to the Former Residence of Zhang Shiming to appreciate the unique style of Sino-Western fusion architecture, with a visiting time of about 1.5 hours; at 12:00 pm, have lunch in a restaurant in the ancient town, tasting specialty foods such as Shuangjiao Noodles and Xun Trotter; at 1:30 pm, go to Liu's Terrace to visit the Western-style building of "Red House", with a visiting time of about 1 hour; at 2:30 pm, go to Baijianlou to stroll in the ancient streets and alleys, experiencing the original ecological Jiangnan water town life, with a visiting time of about 1.5 hours; at 4:00 pm, visit the Former Residence of Zhang Jingjiang to learn about his life story, with a visiting time of about 40 minutes; at 4:40 pm, move freely in the ancient town and buy specialties such as Juhong Cake; at 6:00 pm, enjoy the night view of the ancient town, and then end the one-day trip. If you have enough time, you can also arrange a two-day trip to slowly experience the leisurely atmosphere of the ancient town.
Transportation
- High-speed rail: Take the high-speed rail to Huzhou Station or Nanxun Station. From Huzhou Station to Nanxun Ancient Town, you can take bus No. 101, which takes about 1 hour with a fare of 6 yuan; Nanxun Station is about 5 kilometers away from the ancient town, and you can take bus No. 167, which takes about 20 minutes with a fare of 2 yuan, or take a taxi with a cost of about 15-20 yuan.
- Coach: Huzhou Coach Station has direct buses to Nanxun Ancient Town, one every 20 minutes, with a journey of about 40 minutes and a fare of 10 yuan; Hangzhou North Coach Station also has buses to Nanxun, with a journey of about 1.5 hours and a fare of 35 yuan.
- Self-driving: Starting from Shanghai, drive along Shanghai-Chongqing Expressway, get off at Nanxun Exit, then drive about 5 kilometers to reach the ancient town, with a journey of about 2 hours; starting from Hangzhou, drive along Changshu-Hangzhou Expressway and Lian-Hangzhou Expressway, get off at Nanxun Exit, with a journey of about 1.5 hours. There are multiple parking lots around the ancient town, with a parking fee of about 10 yuan per day.
- Urban transportation: Motor vehicles are prohibited in the ancient town. Tourists can walk around or take boats in the scenic area. The one-way ticket price is 40 yuan per person, and the round-trip ticket price is 60 yuan per person. The boat routes cover major attractions.
Must-visit Attractions
- Xiaolianzhuang: A model of Jiangnan gardens, covering an area of 17,399 square meters. Centered around a lotus pond, the garden features archways, stone inscriptions, pavilions and other landscapes. It is especially beautiful when lotus flowers are in full bloom in summer, making it a perfect spot for taking photos.
- Jiaye Hall Library: The largest private library in modern China, with a construction area of 1,900 square meters. It once housed 600,000 volumes of books. The building integrates the styles of Jiangnan gardens and traditional academies, boasting profound cultural connotations.
- Former Residence of Zhang Shiming: A representative of Sino-Western fusion architecture, covering an area of 6,500 square meters. It features both Chinese-style wood carvings and brick carvings, as well as Western-style ballrooms and fireplaces, showcasing the lifestyle of wealthy merchants in Nanxun.
- Baijianlou: A residential complex first built in the Ming Dynasty's Wanli period, stretching about 400 meters with 124 buildings along the river. It retains the original water town lifestyle and is ideal for a leisurely walk.
Travel Suggestions
- It is recommended to visit Nanxun Ancient Town in spring or autumn, when the climate is pleasant and the temperature is moderate. In spring, the ancient town is full of blooming flowers, and in autumn, the sky is clear and the air is crisp, both suitable for outdoor activities. Summer is relatively hot and winter is cold, which may affect the travel experience.
- When visiting the ancient town, you can rent an audio guide device (rental fee 20 yuan per unit, deposit 200 yuan) or hire a tour guide (100 yuan per trip) to gain a deeper understanding of the historical background and cultural connotations of each attraction.
- Taking a boat in the ancient town is a good way to visit, allowing you to enjoy the scenery from a water perspective. Especially in the evening, when the sun sets and the lights of the buildings on both sides are lit, the scenery is very charming. It is recommended to experience a one-way boat ride, which takes about 30 minutes.
- If you want to avoid crowds, you can choose to visit on weekdays, as there are more tourists on weekends and holidays, and some popular attractions may require queuing. The relatively quiet periods in the ancient town are from 8:00 to 10:00 in the morning and from 17:00 to 19:00 in the evening, which are suitable for taking photos.
- When dining in the ancient town, you can choose a restaurant near the river to enjoy the food while appreciating the river view. Some restaurants also offer local specialty farm dishes at reasonable prices, with an average consumption of about 50-80 yuan per person.
Matters Needing Attention
- Most of the buildings in the ancient town are wooden structures. Smoking and using open flames are strictly prohibited. Tourists must abide by the regulations of the scenic area and not smoke in fire-prohibited areas to avoid causing fires.
- When visiting residential areas such as Baijianlou, respect the lives of local residents. Do not make loud noises, do not take photos of residents' private life scenes at will, and keep quiet.
- When purchasing specialties, choose regular stores, especially for silk and pastries. Pay attention to checking the production date and shelf life to avoid buying counterfeit and shoddy products. You can bargain appropriately but must communicate politely.
- The stone roads in the ancient town are relatively slippery, especially on rainy days, which may cause slips. Be careful when walking and wear shoes with good anti-slip performance.
- Paid attractions in the scenic area require tickets for entry. Keep your tickets properly to avoid loss. The combined ticket is valid for 2 days and can be used multiple times within the validity period.
- When taking a boat, abide by the boat regulations, wear a life jacket, do not play around on the boat, and keep your personal belongings safe to prevent them from falling into the water.