Preface to the latest edition of Xitang Travel Guide in August 2011: This is the third time I am writing a Xitang Travel Guide. Since the previous two guides are very old, some places may have changed, so The purpose of this post is to provide help to netizens who have recently traveled to Xitang, and to give back to netizens who have helped me. I have visited Xitang three times in the past two years, this time in 2011. Went in August. Before I started preparing to travel to Xitang, I searched for some posts on the Internet (most of them were published on Ctrip, and a small part were published on Tianya), which helped me a lot and allowed me to effectively save time and enjoy the beautiful scenery. . We have visited Xitang three times. We hope that what we write can be as detailed and accurate as possible. However, since we are not locals living in Xitang, it is difficult to cover everything. Please bear with us. When I was on a business trip to Shanghai, I often took my companions to travel around on weekends in order to relax my nervousness. I have been to Hangzhou (West Lake, Lingyin Temple, Longjing Village), Shanghai (Nanjing Road, Chenghuang Temple, The Bund), Zhouzhuang, Xitang, Wuzhen, Tongli, Dongshan, Xishan, Wuxi, and Shengze. The most impressive place among all the places I have been to is Xitang. Not only is the scenery beautiful, but also because the food inside and outside the scenic area is relatively cheap. It can be said that the cheapest meal I had while on a business trip was Eating outside Xitang Scenic Area! The company's business trip was in Fengjing, a small town near Shanghai and close to Zhejiang. Fengjing is a town rich in rice wine, and Fengjing old wine is a specialty here. Fengjing is not far from Shanghai and Xitang, and my story begins in Shanghai. one. Accommodation When visiting Xitang, you must stay one night. The night view of Xitang is very beautiful, especially the night view of Xitang on a boat. I tried not to mention the name of the inn in the guide. Lest you viewers think I am a bastard. However, I would like to explain something to you here. The prices of inns or hotels in Xitang are generally not expensive. I have a rough price here. On non-statutory holidays, including weekends, the price for a residential inn not near the water is about 80-120 yuan. For an inn near the water, the price is about 150-250 yuan. For a regular hotel, the price is about 120-180 yuan. The specific price is also required It depends on the room size and equipment. However, it is normal for prices to double during weekends and holidays, especially during the May Day and National Day holidays. Therefore, friends who travel to Xitang during weekends and holidays should pay attention.

2. By bus: It is most convenient to take a long-distance bus directly to Xitang from Shanghai South Railway Station (Liuzhou Road) or Shanghai Bus Terminal (No. 1666 Zhongxing Road). You can get there right away. It is not recommended to take the EMU or train, otherwise you will have to change trains when you get off. The one-way ticket from South Station or Main Station to Xitang is 32 yuan, 114 kilometers, and the journey takes 1.5 to 2 hours. Pay attention to the following issues: ① The scenery on the way to Xitang is good, but after all, when going to the ancient town, it is recommended to bring sunglasses, a sun hat, and mosquito repellent. Xitang is a water town and there are many mosquitoes. ② Get off the bus station and walk for 10 minutes. Don’t call for a tricycle. If you are really tired, you can call for one, but don’t believe the tricycle or passers-by who say that such and such a hotel is not good or expensive. He can take you to cheap inns, etc. You must know that there is no free lunch in the world, and no one will eat enough to help you lead the way. If you listen to him, 20% of your accommodation fee will go into their pockets! Remember! ③The local dialect is quite strong. I asked several people at that time but they couldn’t understand why. You don’t understand what he says to you, and he doesn’t understand what you say to him! However, you can find some younger people, or just ask inside Xitang Station. ④ Pay attention to the first and last bus times and be sure to leave early. Although the scenic spot is not very big, we arrived at almost 11 o'clock in the morning and visited the scenic spots for dinner and tea. By 6 o'clock in the evening, there were still some scenic spots that we had not visited.

3. Eat I have always been "tireless" about eating. In addition to glutinous rice cakes and fermented glutinous rice dumplings that are common in small towns near Shanghai, there are also snacks such as fermented glutinous rice cakes, min cakes, and Zhuangyuan Hoof. Restaurants and specialty snacks There is a snack plaza at the end of the Misty Corridor near Anxiu Bridge, where the famous Lu's wontons and Qian's tofu cakes are sold. But I think it's very average and nothing delicious. However, a friend came from Xiamen, and they had never eaten salty tofu pudding (which is filled with dried shrimps and seaweed. In Shanghai, there are also fried dough sticks and pickled mustard). They had only eaten sweet ones. Well, China is really big. So since you are here in Xitang, let’s eat and see. I personally prefer the siomai in Xitang, because the siomai here is quite unique. Unlike Shanghai, it contains meat instead of glutinous rice. If you have never eaten this type of siomai, you can give it a try. There is also a snack shop in front of the ticket gate on Guotangdong Street, which sells something similar to fresh meat mooncakes around 14:00 every afternoon. Business is very good, local people buy a lot. If you can find this store, you can buy it and try it. When you go to the Misty Corridor, you will definitely see Mrs. Guan’s stinky tofu. Buy a few pieces. The tofu in Xitang is very tender and the bean flavor is very strong. I really like to eat tofu in Xitang. Of course, there are too many old ladies to worry about whether it is true or not. Just find any one, and the facts prove that it is almost the same. There is also Xitang’s steamed pork vermicelli. I don’t know if it is considered a snack. In fact, it is just breaded millet and meat in lotus leaves. I don’t like eating it very much. Some people think it's pretty good. Xitang Gorgon Rice Cake is eaten everywhere. The stalls in the forest are lined with people.

So I just bought some from the stall next to their house, something from Cao Kee. Later, after the mixture was cooked, I learned from the locals that good Gorgon Cake does not taste very sweet, which means that there is more Gorgon and less glutinous rice. I prefer to eat walnut Gorgon cake, it is very fragrant. But Gorgon cake won’t last long, so everyone has to buy according to the size of the person. I personally recommend everyone to buy gorgon seeds (must be new) and cook rice-treasure porridge at home. It comes out very glutinous, just like sago. Super delicious~~~~Remember to bargain, buying a pack for around 20 yuan is almost enough. It sells for about 28 yuan/jin in Shanghai supermarkets. Xitang is full of the best restaurants in the world. In fact, they are all low-end. Slightly more delicious noodles are found outside the ancient town. A certain Suzhou mutton noodle shop is pretty good. However, is pasta considered a specialty of Xitang? I don't think so. When a person can't think of what to eat, he can just go and eat a bowl to pass the time. I think other snacks are similar to those in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, so I don’t have much to recommend. In addition to snacks, there are very good restaurants in Xitang. To be honest, I think there is only one, and it is very small and difficult to find. If any of my friends happen to have eaten in this restaurant like me, it can be considered a fate. As for the name will be mentioned below. Here I will talk about a few restaurants that I have eaten at that are still open.

Laopinfang Laopinfang is known to almost everyone who goes to Xitang. Walk from Tangdong Street and you will find it on the right after passing Anxiu Bridge. In fact, the environment there is really not good, the place is so small, and even on weekends, you have to wait for a table for at least 30 minutes. The main reason is that the boss has a bad attitude, maybe he thinks he is too busy. But its advantages are obvious. The price is cheap - you can go to restaurants when there are few people; the taste is authentic - all the vegetables and meat are supplied by local people and cooked by them themselves, which represents the characteristics of local home-cooked dishes. Therefore, if you have a small team of less than 4 people, it is really worth trying Laopinfang. The average price per person is only 20-30 yuan. You can spend a relatively small amount of money to eat all the specialties in Xitang. If there are too many people, I advise everyone not to go. If you go there, you can just book the venue.

Remembering Jiangnan Hotel. This is what I said above and I think it is the best hotel in Xitang. The location is in the middle of what the locals in Xitang call the stone road. You can first find the Lu's Little Wonton stall. There is a wooden shed ticket gate next to it. You can see it in one minute after walking out of the ticket gate. If I really can't find it, there's nothing I can do. I don’t know how well-known this store is among tourists from other areas, but its reputation among tourists in Shanghai is very good. I only went there after hearing about it from my colleagues at work. The store is not big, but it is very clean and does a good job in sanitation. In terms of price, I compared it. It is slightly more expensive than Laopinfang and cheaper than other hotels, but its quantity is not a little bit more than Laopinfang. Per capita, it’s only about 20 yuan. Then it was time to order the food, so I ordered a few that were recommended by the store. Sautéed screws, 5 yuan, this is probably the most delicious screws I have ever eaten in Xitang. Steamed whitewater fish, 28 yuan a piece, is available in every restaurant in Xitang, but I have to say that the whitewater fish in this shop is really tender, fresh and delicious. Pork with pickles and vegetables, 20 yuan, a full plate, lots of meat, and the cooking is very delicious. I like it very much. I have never tried other dishes, so I hope friends who have tried them can share them and see what else is delicious. Another thing is that the proprietress of this hotel is very nice. You can usually ask her any questions you have. You can also chat with her when you are not busy, which is very pleasant. All in all, it is an ancient town hotel that I highly recommend everyone to visit.

There are two families in Qiantang. The one near the beginning of the Misty Corridor is smaller and has a lot of people. The one near Anxiu Bridge is a little bigger and has relatively few people. The environment in Xitang is okay (relatively speaking), but the price is also on the high side in Xitang. I've eaten at their house twice. One time it was a table dish, which cost 300 yuan. The food came out super fast, and the plates were stacked twice at once. It felt like it was already cooked, so I gave up the idea of ??eating. The second time was to order. Because I went there late, it was almost 7 o'clock in the evening, so the waiter kept urging me to order, saying that I would not accept orders after 7 o'clock. I felt very bad, so I just ordered some dishes. The most popular ones are chicken/wonton/fish steamed eggs, but not much else. Therefore, if there are not many people, this restaurant will have a nice environment. You can order a few dishes at the seat facing the river on the second floor and eat with a view of the river. Suitable for those friends who feel that food is not the key and price is not the key.

Datang Family is located at the end of Anxiu Bridge near Tangdong Street. The environment is okay (relatively speaking) in Xitang, and the price is average in Xitang and fairly reasonable. I've had fried pancakes at their house before and it was delicious. However, when I went to Xitang, I found that they didn’t make pan-fried rice. I guess they thought they were making less money, so they made soup-filled siomai instead. Friends who accompanied their parents came here for two meals. Because the boss is from Shanghai, we got close to each other and asked him to recommend a few dishes and then directly arrange a table meal. Including drinks, the price is less than 250 yuan per *** for 7 people, and you can eat chicken, duck and fish. I prefer their steamed stinky tofu, cicada buns, and braised eel tubes. You can also eat other dishes at Laopinfangli.

Tickets If you come by car, exit the bus station, walk north along Pingchuan Road, and you will arrive at Tangjialong in 10 minutes. Entering Tangjia Lane, you are already inside the Xitang Scenic Area.

Never ask others where the main entrance of Xitang is. You have to buy a ticket to go to the main entrance. The main entrance of Xitang is right next to the first parking lot. If you come by car or must go through the main entrance, then sorry, you have to buy a ticket of 50-100 yuan. Pay attention to the following issues: Xitang does not charge tickets from Monday to Friday (do not believe the tricycles or "scalpers" who say you need to buy tickets) ① If you enter the scenic spot on Saturdays and Sundays, you need a 50 yuan ticket, and the scenic spot combined ticket is 100 yuan, 17 You don’t need to buy tickets after clicking here (don’t waste money on tricycles or scalpers) ② If you really need to enter the scenic spot between 8:00-17:00 on Saturday or Sunday and don’t want to buy tickets, please get off the car yourself Find a local "scalper" to trade. (Of course, we also encourage you to buy a 50 or 100 yuan coupon. After all, it is not easy to visit Xitang. Spend money to buy peace of mind, and also see the famous Jiangnan attractions.) The attraction guide is like the British Pavilion at the World Expo. What it wants to express is just a quick tour. You won’t understand the idea it expresses the first time. Only when you listen to the tour guide’s explanation will you understand why the British Pavilion is a zero-carbon pavilion. Many cultural scenic spots do not have a tour guide and can only be visited once to see the excitement. ① "Tour group": After buying the ticket, you can follow the "tour group" and listen to what the tour guide says, and understand more or less what these static things want to show us ~ If you have enough time, you can take a few more group! ② Don’t ignore the relatively remote landscapes. After all, it’s not easy to come all the way! Go straight ahead from Tangdong Street, and you can reach the church on the right after passing the ticket gate. There is Ni House nearby. Next to it is the Ming and Qing Dynasties. You can also see several unique bars on the way, leading to Lion Bridge. (It is said that Xiaotang ran around there). Just past Lion Bridge is Wolong Bridge, as well as the Wine Culture Museum. The back door of the winery is also there. Then walk along Beizha Street to the promenade on the other side of the river. Now that you have arrived in Xitang, you must take a walk along the Misty Rain Corridor. It feels different in the morning and at night. When you walk to Sendizilaifeng Bridge, you can take a boat ride. West Street is also in that area. There are also Shipi Nong and Root Carving Hall, you can take a look at them all. Remember to take your tickets with you at this time and be sure not to lose them. Because sometimes when you are walking, you will actually walk out of the ancient town from a small alley. When you try to walk back again, you might be unlucky and run into a ticket checker, and you won't be able to enter without a ticket. I have seen many times that tourists and ticket checkers quarreled because of this problem. ③ Xitang Scenic Area is one of the best scenic spots I have ever been to. There are also shops selling things in the scenic area, but unlike Wuzhen, Zhouzhuang and Nanxun, it is not a small town but a shop selling special goods, one after another. ! Of course, the Xitang Scenic Area has not maintained its original appearance. Many places have been renovated and are obviously newer, but they look more comfortable and have the feel of a small town in the south of the Yangtze River!

6. Bars Young people always want to go to lively places. The bars in Xitang are busier than those in Shanghai, and they are well-deserved, especially on weekends. Let’s talk about the consumption in Xitang bars first. The consumption in Xitang bars will not be inflated because of the price in the scenic spot. On the contrary, it may be lower than that in Shanghai and Hangzhou. It is precisely because of this that Xitang’s bars are loved by travel enthusiasts. Beer costs RMB 20-30, small fruit plates such as dried fruits cost RMB 10-20, red wine ranges from RMB 200 to RMB, and foreign wines vary by brand. There are many bars in Xitang, on both sides of Tangdong Street. Almost all of them are full of guests and friends, and the names are very feeling. There are many messages from tourists inside and outside the bar, and colorful sticky notes are posted on the walls. They are full and very high-quality. If you want, of course you can bring your lover here to leave your declaration of love on Valentine's Day. The difference between bars in Xitang and other places is that in bars in big cities, there are too many helpless men and women getting drunk every night and secretly feeling sad; but here, there is not a lot of noise and glitz, and you don’t have to worry about whether the wine will be spiked. After taking ecstasy, you don’t need to be nervous whether someone has bad intentions. Here, it’s more like a party of a group of young friends. Drink some beer, sing, get rid of the distractions of life, and stay relaxed and relaxed. comfortable. Whenever the lanterns come on, Xitang Bar Street becomes lively. The night is still young, people are slightly drunk, walking on the thousand-year-old bluestone path, reflecting the lanterns in the river, walking through the long rain alley, and sinking into the dream of water town. It's still late at night, people are already drunk, in the ancient town of Xitang.