A canal town of wooden houses and stone bridges near Shanghai and Hangzhou, in two ticketed zones, best with a night inside.
A canal town of wooden houses and stone bridges near Shanghai and Hangzhou, in two ticketed zones, best with a night inside.
The west scenic zone, the larger of the two: restored canal streets, bridges, workshops, hotels and restaurants. Open 9:00 to 22:00; a ticket is ¥150.
Hand-rowed boats carry visitors along the main canal. A shared boat costs ¥60 a person.
A modern museum on the water at the edge of Xizha, devoted to the painter and writer Mu Xin. It needs a separate ¥20 ticket and closes on Mondays.
The canals, bridges and White Lotus Tower are lit at night, and the Xizha ticket covers the evening. Stay until after 8pm to see them fully lit.
The east scenic zone, smaller and closer to everyday town life, with craft workshops, small museums such as the Hundred Beds Museum, and the former home of the writer Mao Dun. Open from 7:00 to 17:30, until 18:00 in summer; a ticket is ¥110.
Fermented tofu fried until crisp, one of Wuzhen's best-known snacks; it smells strong but tastes mild.
Glutinous rice dumplings colored green with young greens and usually filled with sweet bean paste.
Tongxiang, the county-level city that includes Wuzhen, is known for this white chrysanthemum, whose dried buds are brewed as a floral tea.
Wuzhen is an old canal town in northern Zhejiang, roughly between Shanghai and Hangzhou, with wooden houses built over the water, arched stone bridges and narrow stone lanes. The scenic part is split in two. Dongzha, the east zone, is smaller, with craft workshops, small museums and the former home of the writer Mao Dun. Xizha, the west zone, is larger and fully restored, with hotels, guesthouses and restaurants, and its canals are lit after dark.
It is the easiest water town to fit between Shanghai and Hangzhou. If you have already walked the canals of Suzhou, Xizha in the evening is the main reason to come.
Take a late-morning train to Tongxiang, then the bus or a taxi to Wuzhen, and check in inside Xizha if you can. Walk the lanes in the afternoon, visit the Muxin Art Museum unless it is a Monday, and take a boat before dusk. Stay out for the evening lights, then eat by the water.
Next morning, cross to Dongzha soon after it opens at 7:00, and leave for a train back to Shanghai or on to Hangzhou around midday. Our high-speed trains guide covers booking, paying in China explains phone payment for tickets and snacks, and visa-free entry covers arrival rules.
Checked on 29 October 2026. Opening times and ticket rules change; confirm on the official site before you go.
A host who lives in Wuzhen can take care of as much or as little as you like. Pick what you need; it all comes back as one plan and one price.
Tell us your dates and which cities you have in mind. A host replies within 24 hours with a day-by-day plan that fits Wuzhen in, and a price.
Plan your trip