There are many ancient towns in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. However, the development ideas of ancient towns in the early years were too commercial, which caused many aborigines to move out and the original lifestyle of the ancient towns was lost.

In contrast, some still maintain the original ecology and aboriginal life, such as Anchang Ancient Town in Shaoxing, Haotan Ancient Town in Xianju, Tongli Ancient Town in Wujiang, Suzhou, etc. They are like living ancient towns and are very exciting.

Among these three ancient towns, Tongli Ancient Town in Wujiang, Suzhou was the earliest ancient town to be developed. It was as famous as Zhouzhuang and Luzhi at the time. What is more valuable is that although Tongli Ancient Town is not as big as Zhouzhuang,

However, its degree of commercialization is just right, and the lifestyle of the aborigines in the ancient town is more completely preserved. Therefore, after the test of time, the charm of Tongli Ancient Town is many times richer than that of Zhouzhuang.

There are many places in Tongli Ancient Town that are not to be missed, including: The number one not to be missed in Tongli Ancient Town: the planning and establishment system of the Song Dynasty and the former residences of celebrities.

Tongli Ancient Town was founded in the Song Dynasty, and the overall planning and organization system is still in the shape of the Song Dynasty. Among them, famous gardens such as Tuisi Garden, Songshiwu Garden, and Jiale Hall are the cultural essence of Tongli Ancient Town.

It is especially recommended to go to Tuisi Garden when you have time. This is a classic garden that does not belong to Suzhou gardens.

The second most important thing not to miss in Tongli Ancient Town is the custom of "walking on three bridges".

There are many ancient bridges in Tongli Ancient Town, among which Taiping Bridge, Geely Bridge and Changqing Bridge are the most primitive old bridges. Local people have the custom of walking on the bridge to pray for blessings. Walking on the bridge is also the most important way to enjoy the scenery in Tongli Water Town. Tourists walk on the bridge

The method of walking on the bridge is different from the traditional bridge. You can walk on the bridge by boat by waterway, or you can walk on the bridge by land.

The third most popular place in Tongli Ancient Town is Biluochun and farm cuisine.

Under the shade of the riverside trees in Tongli Ancient Town, brew a pot of Suzhou's local Biluochun tea and listen to the chirping of cicadas and the sound of oars.

When night falls, take a few bamboo chairs to the river, set up a small table, stir-fry snails with sauce, a portion of dried malan, a pot of pickled fresh food, and after the meal, fish a cooled one from the well water.

Watermelon?, one bite, refreshing... This is the traditional way of life of Tongli people.

Tips for checking in at Tongli Ancient Town Opening hours: Tongli Ancient Town is open all day long, especially in the afternoon and evening.

Transportation: Tongli is located in Wujiang City in the south of Suzhou. It can be reached by driving via the Sujiahang Expressway and enter from the north entrance of Tongli Ancient Town.

The subway can be directly accessed from Suzhou by Metro Line 4, just get off at Tongli Station (operating hours 6:00-22:25).

Tickets: Tongli Ancient Town is a paid scenic spot. Online tickets are 20 yuan cheaper than on-site tickets. Try to buy tickets online in advance.

Anchang Ancient Town in Shaoxing can be preserved so authentically, which is really surprising. From black felt hats to awning boats, from old teahouses to Shaoxing local dishes, almost everything about Shaoxing that I have read in Lu Xun's novels

The elements are all alive here, and they are not acted by actors. They are all the real lifestyles of the aborigines.

One of the things not to be missed in Anchang Ancient Town: the teahouse.

Enamel tea jars, thermos bottles, black felt hats... the teahouses in Anchang Ancient Town seem to have remained dusty over the years without any change. The clothes of the tea guests, the topics of conversation, and the rough taste of the tea can all make you feel...

You touch the distant years.

Part 2 not to be missed in Anchang Ancient Town: Old Workshops The craftsmanship of the old workshops in Anchang Ancient Town still exists, and it is not a performance, but an extension of a way of life, such as barber shops with hand scissors, bamboo strip craftsmen, barrel makers... everything

They are still the needs of the residents of the ancient town.

The third item not to be missed in Anchang Ancient Town: Shaoxing flavor dishes. The taste of Anchang Ancient Town is the typical taste of old Shaoxing. Salty and fresh are the characteristics of Shaoxing cuisine... By the way, the word "stinky" is also added. The main varieties of Shaoxing dishes are

Including: stinky tofu, pickled prunes, pickled duck, pickled herring... Although the taste is a bit salty, the taste is indeed the old Shaoxing taste that has almost disappeared in my memory.

Anchang Ancient Town Check-in Tips Location and Transportation: Anchang Ancient Town is located in the north of Shaoxing City, close to Keqiao, 20 kilometers away from the main urban area. It takes about half an hour to drive, and is directly accessible by the Hangzhou Bay Ring Expressway and Sutai Expressway.

Ticket information: Anchang Ancient Town does not require tickets as a whole, only a few of the special museums such as the Shaoxing Master Museum require tickets.

Food and specialties: The food and specialties in Anchang Ancient Town are very characteristic of Shaoxing and are worth tasting and buying. They mainly include prunes, homemade sausages, soy sauce duck, Renchang soy sauce, etc.

There are so few people in the ancient town of Xianju that you can hardly imagine, but because of this, this ancient town has more ancient meaning.

Compared with Tongli Ancient Town and Anchang Ancient Town, this ancient town is so quiet that you have to step lightly when walking.

It is hard to imagine that this ancient town was much more prosperous than Tongli and Anchang ancient towns. In the era when waterways were the main mode of transportation and trade, the Yong'an River in front of Botan Ancient Town was the trade channel between Anhui and Zhejiang.

As a result, the ancient town of Botan has become a major trade town on the transportation hub.

But now it is lonely and deserted, also because the railway in Xianju is not accessible.