Wuzhen Water Town: Best Time, Top Things to Do & How to Visit

Wuzhen Water Town is a stunning place to explore traditional Chinese architecture and culture. This ancient place is very much worth a visit if you love a slow-paced adventure down historic streets and is especially beautiful when Wuzhen is illuminated at night.

Night view of Wuzhen

Wuzhen Water Town Overview

Wuzhen Water Town has over 1,300 years of history spanning several dynasties and is one of the best-preserved examples of a traditional Qing Dynasty water town.

• Location: Wuzhen Water Town sits in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, and it's very convenient to reach from Shanghai, Suzhou, or Hangzhou.
• Best Suited For: families, couples, people who like Chinese culture, photographers.
• Suggested Duration: Spend one night in the town.
• Tickets:
  Wuzhen Dongzha East Scenic Zone: 100 RMB
  Wuzhen Xizha West Scenic Done: 150 RMB
  Combined Ticket: 190 RMB
• Opening Hours:

Zone	Summer Hours	Winter Hours
Dongzha (East)	7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.	7:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Xizha (West)	9:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.	9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Best Time to Visit

The ancient canals of Wuzhen Water Town

Spring and autumn are the best travel seasons, with pleasant weather and beautiful foliage. Spring (March - May) is when the plum and cherry blossoms bloom, and it's a great time to visit the ancient buildings in the town. Since the weather is mild, you can also enjoy a meditative wander along the canals. Springtime showers, with their light, misty drizzle, evoke a poetic atmosphere typical of Jiangnan, and you can take some truly stunning pictures of the canals and architecture.

In autumn (September - November), you'll enjoy the changing leaves, and it's a great time to be outdoors, which makes exploring places like Zhaoming Academy particularly pleasant. Plus, autumn is when Wuzhen shifts to later hours, so you can enjoy more time before dusk.

In summer (Jun - August), you can see lotus flowers in their full glory and smell fragrant verbena in the air. It's a great time to cool off with a water cruise through the town's canals, which also affords you a unique perspective of the architecture. It also tends to be quite hot and humid with larger crowds during summer holidays and on the weekends, so you might prefer to schedule your trip on the weekdays when it's quieter. Bring lightweight clothes, sunblock, and plenty of water, especially if you're planning to be outdoors a lot.

Winter (December - February) is an excellent time to enjoy some of Wuzhen's famous cuisine at the Long Street Feast and spend time in some of the town's famous museums, but it tends to be quite cold, with temperatures hovering right around freezing.

Top Things To Do in Wuzhen

We can help put together a personalized itinerary of things to do in Wuzhen. Below are some top highlights.

Xizha Water Market

Make the Xizha Water Market your first stop of the day if you want to get the freshest produce and fruits. It opens at 8:00 a.m. and is composed of many wooden boats docked along the canal, selling local products. Not only will you get some tasty, seasonal foods and artisan wares, but you'll also get to experience an important piece of Jiangnan water town culture.

Dongzha Shadow Puppet Show

Delight your inner child with the Dongzha Shadow Puppet Show, which brings Chinese lore to life through whimsical and colorful leather puppets. Skilled puppeteers put on epic performances, like the story of the Monkey King, accompanied by traditional music.

White Lotus Tower

Bailian pagoda in Wuzhen

Also known as the Bailian Pagoda, the White Lotus Tower is one of the most magnificent structures in the Xizha district, and you'll enjoy stunning views of the canals and a bird's-eye glimpse of Wuzhen's architecture. It's also a historical relic, having been built during the Song Dynasty.

Evening Gondola Ride

Wuzhen is spectacular at night, when it's aglow with light on the Xizha side, and there's no better way to experience it than with a gondola ride. Costs vary depending on whether you're on a private or shared boat and generally last between 30 and 45 minutes.

How To Visit Wuzhen Water Town

Beautiful scenery of Wuzhen

Wuzhen is divided into two areas, the East Scenic Zone and the West Scenic Zone, and each area requires its own ticket. We recommend that you spend one night in Wuzhen Water Town, but if you only have time to visit one zone, Xizha is an excellent choice for its overall charm and night views.

Ideally, you'd buy a combined ticket and visit Dongzha in the morning, spending between 3 and 4 hours there. Then, right around late morning or noon, you'd head to Xizha for the remainder of the day, ending your evening with a gondola ride and taking in the illuminated town.

Xizha is more developed and has plenty of accommodation, and you'll find great dining options there, so it's the perfect place to spend the night. You can get between the two zones by shuttle bus or gondola.

We've compared the main features of Dongzha and Xizha below.

How To Get to Wuzhen Water Town

Scenery of Wuzhen Water Town

Wuzhen is easily accessible from Shanghai, Suzhou, Nanjing, and Hangzhou. We can help you plan the details of your trip for a smooth journey, but have provided a brief overview below.

Shanghai to Wuzhen

The direct bus goes from Shanghai South Bus Station to Wuzhen Bus Station and takes 2 hours.

The high-speed train runs from Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station to Tongxiang Railway Station (45 minutes). Then, take a bus to Wuzhen Scenic Area (45 minutes). The total journey takes about 1.5 hours.

Hangzhou to Wuzhen

The direct bus runs from Hangzhou North Bus Station to Wuzhen Bus station and takes 1.5 hours.

The train runs from Hangzhou East Railway Station to Tongxiang Railway Station (30 minutes), and then you take a bus to Wuzhen Scenic Area (45 minutes) for a total journey of 1.25 hours.

Suzhou to Wuzhen

Take the direct bus from Suzhou North Bus Station to Wuzhen Bus Station for a 1.5-hour journey.

Nanjing to Wuzhen

Take the bus from Nanjing South Bus Station to Wuzhen Bus Station for a 3.5-hour journey.

FAQs and Travel Tips

1. What's the difference between Wuzhen and Nanxun Water Town?

Wuzhen is much more developed than Nanxun Water Town, especially on the Xizha side, and its style has fewer European influences.

2. Where should I stay in Wuzhen?

If you want various accommodation options, stay in the Xizha Scenic Area. We can help you select the perfect place to stay.

3. What are the travel tips for visiting Wuzhen?

• It's a good idea to buy a combined ticket, especially if you have a full day or more to explore Wuzhen.
• There's a free shuttle bus that passes between the two scenic areas.
• Dongzha is best in the morning, and Xizha is best in the evening.
• While most places take cards, it's good to have some cash on hand.
• Comfortable shoes and layers are a must.

See one of China's Most Impressive Water Towns at Wuzhen

Wuzhen Water Town is truly a spectacular place, with stunning, unique architecture, two distinct zones, and plenty of cultural activities. Let us help you plan this must-do adventure. Visit our contact page, or email us at trip@odynovotours.com to get started.