Nanxun Ancient Town (incl. Xiaolianzhuang Garden · Jiayetang Library)
The 'modern-era tycoons' town among the six great ancient towns of Jiangnan: rising in the Ming and Qing dynasties on Jili lake silk, the fabulously rich silk-merchant clans of the saying 'four elephants, eight bulls, and seventy-two golden yellow dogs' left behind a cluster of Chinese-Western mansions and gardens
Visitor info
- Opening hours
- Town all day · gardens and mansions 08:00-17:00
- Ticket
- Town free · Combo ticket for minor sights approx. CNY 45 (per official pricing)
Price is indicative — final quote on inquiry.
The 'modern-era tycoons' town among the six great ancient towns of Jiangnan: rising in the Ming and Qing dynasties on Jili lake silk, the fabulously rich silk-merchant clans of the saying 'four elephants, eight bulls, and seventy-two golden yellow dogs' left behind a cluster of Chinese-Western mansions and gardens. Xiaolianzhuang Garden was the private garden of Liu Yong, the richest silk merchant of the late Qing; its lotus pond and stele-inscribed corridor are refined and elegant. The Jiayetang Library, built by Liu Chenggan in the Republican era, was a famed private library that reportedly held around 180,000 volumes at its height (according to records). Baijianlou's riverside houses stretch about 400 meters along the river, and Zhang Shiming's former residence hides a French-style red building. Since 2023, entry to the town's streets has reportedly been permanently free — the only one among the six ancient towns.
Getting there: High-speed rail, Huzhou Station, then bus, or approx. 40 min by taxi / self-drive
Photos
More in Huzhou
- Mogan Mountain (Moganshan)
One of China's four great summer resorts, famed for its 'three scenic treasures' of bamboo, clouds, and springs and for its international villas: since the late Qing, missionaries and Shanghai notables built more than 200 old villas (according to records), and Wuling Village, Songyue Cottage and other sites preserve traces of modern-era celebrity stays
- Anji Bamboo Expo Park
A bamboo-themed expo park in Anji, 'China's first bamboo county': it gathers over 300 bamboo species from across the country (according to records); the Bamboo Museum displays the full spectrum of bamboo culture and industry, and the park's bamboo-forest trails are a family highlight
- China Big Bamboo Sea
One of the filming locations for the bamboo-forest fight scenes in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (according to records): a continuous moso-bamboo base spanning about 10,000 mu (approx. 667 hectares), with Wunu Spring (Five Maidens Spring) and viewing platforms as stops and hiking trails winding through waves of bamboo
- Taihu Lake Tourist Resort
Huzhou's core lakeside recreation belt on Lake Tai: the 'Moon Hotel' (the ring-shaped Sheraton building) is the landmark night view on the lakeshore, while Yuge Pavilion, the Golden Lakeshore, and the yacht marina form the lakeside route
- Feiying Pagoda
Home of the 'pagoda-within-a-pagoda' marvel: the outer pagoda is a brick-and-wood, pavilion-style tower enclosing a Tang dynasty stone pagoda; climbing the outer pagoda lets you view the inner pagoda's carvings up close
- Yishang Street · Xiaoxi Street
Twin historic districts of Huzhou's old town: Yishang Street is named for the garment and cloth shops that once clustered there; the city canal runs through the street, and the old wharf layout at Guanyi Hetou still survives