Tourist attractions


1. Traditional Residential Area

The old streets here are paved with bluestones and wooden houses run along on both sides. The simple yet elegant architecture has been retained. Points of interest in this area include the Hundred Bed Museum, Woodcarvings Exhibition Hall, Family and Folkway Museum, Fangluge Teahouse, and the Huiyuan Pawn.


2. Traditional Workshop Area

The workshops in this area show off Wuzhen's more popular folk arts and crafts like printing and dyeing, silk floss making, bamboo crafts, pastry making and cut tobacco making. Wuzhen is famous for its red sun-cured cut tobacco. Visitors can actually participate in the making process. Some of the interesting workshops housed in this area include Rice Wine Workshop, Blue Print Workshop, Cloth Shoes Workshop, Rattan Workshop, Bamboo Workshop, Hooper's Workshop, Silk Floss Workshop, Bamboo Arts and Crafts Studio, Tobacco Workshop, Wooden Arts and Crafts Studio, and the Bakery.

3. Traditional Culture Area

Visitors get an inside look into Wuzhen's culture that has stood the test of time when they walk through the Former Residence of Mao Dun – a famous Chinese writer – the Lizhi Academy of Classic Learning, Lin' Shop, Xiuzhen Temple, the Stage, Shadow Playhouse, and Yu Liuliang's Coins Museum.

The Former Residence of Mao Dun, whose real name was Shen Yanbing (1896 – 1981) is also the house of the Shen ancestors. It was built in the middle of the 19th century in the style of the Qing Dynasty and typical of folk houses south of the Yangtze River. In this residence are a study designed and renovated by Mao Dun himself, and pelargonium and palm trees that he planted.

Shadow Play, a type of puppetry, was introduced to Wuzhen during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). By the late 1930s and early 1940s, 12 Shadow Play Troupes were frequently performing in towns and villages. Today, there is a performance every day at Shadow Playhouse. The shadow puppets are made of ox or goat skin. The exquisite semi-transparent figures are made and painted by hand. Their joints are linked by thread for maximum movement. Puppeteers move their puppets to music played on traditional instruments such as the drum, gong, erhu (two-stringed Chinese fiddle), jinghu (a two-stringed bowed instrument with a high register, used mainly to accompany Beijing opera singing), suona horn and bamboo flute.

4. Traditional Dining Area

Food is another major attraction in Wuzhen. Wuzhen-ites know how to dine. Some of the town's more famous dishes include the "Three Treasure Chicken with Soy Source", "Wuzhen Lamb", "Steamed Pork in Lotus Leaves", and "Dingsheng Pastry". And it isn't just the old-style restaurants that are a draw. Wuzhen's teahouses, too, are representative of daily life in the town. The visitor would want to know that chrysanthemum tea is not only tasty and refreshing, but also great for the skin.

5. Traditional Shopping Area

The shopping area is where visitors can pick up their souvenirs and books on Wuzhen as well as local products like San Bai Wine, Hangbai Chrysanthemum Tea, Gusao Pastry, and Blue Print. 

6. Water Town Area

The Water Town Area is on the other side of the river, separated from the others. This part boasts wharfs, pavilions and riverside walkways.


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