Xizha Wuzhen, also known as West Gate Scenic Spot, is a popular tourist attraction in China. However, this scenic spot is far away from the city. How to get there? What is the attraction of this scenic spot? This article can answer all your questions.
Wuzhen is in Tongxiang, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province. It has over a thousand years of history and is known as one of the “Most beautiful ancient towns in Jiangnan”. Zha, which means fence in Chinese, has the function of preventing theft. In the era of water transportation, Wuzhen became increasingly prosperous because it was adjacent to The Grand Canal and the water system in the town extended in all directions. It was a stopover place for merchant ships.
There is a connected river between Wuzhen and Lake Taihu. Although it is conducive to merchant ship transportation, it also facilitates water thieves, which greatly troubles the residents. Wuzhen is located at the junction of two provinces and seven counties, so banditry has not been suppressed by a strong military force. The residents built several large wooden fences on all sides of the town to save themselves. They raised the water fences during the day for trade and lowered them at night to prevent water thieves from invading.
Today, Dongzha(East) and Xizha(West) have successively undergone conservation and development projects and have become well-known tourist attractions, while Beizha(North) and Nanzha(South) still retain their original appearance as water towns. The silk factory and barn in Beizha have become the main exhibition area of the Wuzhen International Contemporary Art Exhibition; many Wuzhen residents still live in Nanzha, living a leisurely life.
This article will focus on Xizha. I believe that all explorers will also fall in love with this ancient Chinese town and water town. If you want to travel to Wuzhen, how to get to the Xizha Scenic Area?
What you need to travel to Xizha Wuzhen
If you are traveling to China, you will need this article:
Transportation to Xizha Wuzhen
There are Airport buses from Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport and Shanghai Pudong Airport directly to Wuzhen, and the journey takes about two hours.
Wuzhen Scenic Area – Shanghai South Station
A total of four shifts. Departure time from Xizha: 8:10, 11:30, 12:50, and 17:05
Departure time from Shanghai South Station: 9:17, 10:17, 14:12, and 15:17
You can search the “Tongxiang Traffic Investment Group” official account, the “Tongxiang Travel” applet, and the Baba Express platform online to book tickets through WeChat. The ticket price is 55 yuan per person, and the boarding place is the No.1 parking lot of West Gate Scenic Spot.
Wuzhen Bus Station – Tongxiang High-Speed Railway Station
K281 With an interval of 15-30 minutes.
Operating hours: 6:15 – 17:20
Wuzhen Bus Station-Tongxiang Passenger Transport Center
K231 With an interval of 15-25 minutes.
Operating hours: 06:00 – 18:00
Take the China high-speed railway to Tongxiang Railway Station, transfer to bus K282, and go to Wuzhen Bus Station.
Transportation within Wuzhen
K350 bus connects Wuzhen Bus Station, Dongzha Scenic Area, and Xizha Scenic Area.
Wuzhen Bus Station→Dongzha Scenic Area: about 3 minutes
Wuzhen Bus Station→Xizha Scenic Area: about 15 minutes
Operating hours: 06:10 – 19:45
Ticket price: 2 yuan
Free shuttle bus:
A free shuttle bus between Dongzha and Xizha. The pick-up and drop-off point is at the entrance of the Tourist Service Center.
Dongzha Scenic Area⇌Xizha Scenic Area: about 8 minutes
Operating hours: 07:30 – 17:30
Ticket price: free
Night shuttle bus:
Xizha Scenic Area Tourist Service Center ⇌ Dongzha Scenic Area Parking Lot Entrance
Operating Hours: 19:45 – 22:00
Ticket price: 2 yuan
Transportation within Xizha
Sightseeing Boat:
In Xizha, there are many water sightseeing routes. Here are 2 of the routes starting from the entrance:
Andufang (Entrance) – Ruyi Bridge (Wenchangge)
Andufang (Entrance) – Wangjinli (Longxingtian)
The Sightseeing Boat follows the entire route and does not stop during the period. Tourists can disembark in advance midway upon request, but the charges remain unchanged.
Ticket Price:
Single charter boat: 8 persons or less, 480 yuan/boat/one-way.
Boat sharing: 60 yuan/person/one-way. Children under 1.5 meters, 30 yuan/person/one way.
(The boat will start after 8 people. Tourists may need to wait in line, and passengers cannot be guaranteed to be on the same boat when taking the boat. Please follow the arrangements of the staff.)
Each boat is limited to 8 people (including children and infants)
Xizha Terminal’s operating hours:
Service Center, Andufang, Wangjinli, Ruyiqiao Brigde, and Wu General Tomb: 07:30 – 21:30
Spirit Water House, Zhenshui West, Longxingtian: 08:00 – 17:00
Xizha Tour Bus
Xizha Scenic Area provides a 24-hour tour bus service, which is divided into two lines, north and south. The fee is 10 yuan per person. Guests staying in the hotel can ride the tour bus for free with their room card or accommodation registration form.
Night bus hotline: 0573-88731051 (22:00-8:00)
Recommend Hotels in Xizha Wuzhen
When traveling to Xizha Wuzhen, travelers usually stay overnight in the town. After nightfall, the most beautiful time is at night in Xizha, Wuzhen. Floodlights will be turned on in various places in the scenic area, and the lights will reflect the water, making it extraordinarily bright. Therefore, it is highly recommended to stay in Xizha for one night. You can also go for a run in the early morning before the Scenic Area opens. This is an interesting activity that cannot be experienced if you live outside the scenic area.
Wuzhen Xizha Muyunyin Residence
Address: Wuzhenzhen Hongqiao Village Nancun No.16, Tongxiang, Zhejiang, China
Eryou Homestay Wuzhen
Address: No.341 Huanhe Road, Tongxiang, Zhejiang, China
Xizha Wuzhen Tour guide
Within Wuzhen, Xizha is the largest and has the most attractions. These include the Wuzhen Grand Theater, which is called “the most beautiful theater in China”, the Muxin Art Gallery, the Wuzhen Post Office, the Dingsheng Bridge, the Cao Mu Natural Color Dye Workshop, etc., and they are all must-see attractions.
It’s like coming to the Chinese version of Venice. You need to pass through large and small stone bridges, green rivers everywhere, and ancient buildings with cultural and historical atmospheres on both sides of the river. It feels like you are staying in ancient China. In addition to the attractions, there are also various specialty shops in the scenic area, including dyeing, weaving, wooden handicrafts, etc. There will always be novel and interesting gadgets for you!
The most refreshing is the night view of Xizha. When night falls after dusk, all the buildings in the scenic area will light up. When the river is calm, you can even clearly see the reflections of the buildings, giving you the feeling of being in a fairy tale. The boats that come and go have different night lights at the bow and stern. Sitting on the shore and watching the boats coming and going makes people yearn for the simple and fresh life in the water town.
Address: No. 383, Longyuan Road, Tongxiang City, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province
Ticket prices: Xizha (¥110/person)
Dongzha (¥150/person)
Xizha and Dongzha Combined ticket (¥190/person)
Opening hours: Xizha (9:00-22:00)
Dongzha 07:00-17:30 (winter), 07:00-18:00 (summer)
Xizha Wuzhen Annual Highlights
October: Wu Zhen Theatre Festival
The Wuzhen Theatre Festival is an annual theatre event in the ancient water town of Wuzhen and is organized by Culture Wuzhen Co., Ltd. It is usually held from mid to late October every year. Ten indoor theaters of different sizes and functions and several outdoor theaters at Wuzhen Grand Theater form a unique performance space group. There are also streets, alleys, and outdoor squares, where wonderful performances can be seen everywhere.
November: World Internet Conference (WIC)
The World Internet Conference (WIC), also known as the Wuzhen Summit, is an annual event, first held in 2014, organized by the Chinese government to discuss global Internet issues and policies. Lots of Chinese people will travel to Wuzhen and take photos wearing ancient Chinese costumes during the summit.
January-February: Lunar New Year, Lantern Festival
The above festivals are all gathered. During the festivals, there are celebrations in various scenic spots in China. Domestic tourists in China will also travel to various attractions, so it is very lively.
March
After the Lantern Festival, it is a peaceful time in Wuzhen. Like Wuzhen in December, doesn’t have too many tourists. If you prefer the quieter Wuzhen, you can choose to visit during the non-weekends in March and December.
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