Xitang - Early Spring

Hangzhou is really a sparkling place among the destinations I have visited around this area and the most impressive is the memory of Xitang, a small but tranquil water town. Before going, I hadn't made up my decision which water town is worth of seeing, Wuzhen, Zhouzhuang, Tongli etc. Finally I chose Xitang, which was a wise option I convinced.

It is on my way from Shaoxing to Shanghai. Waters towns around Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou area look the same. Some one believed that it is enough to pick up one and ignore the others. I guess those people must have seen more than one or two of those towns. For visitors never being to any of them, it is a hard decision. I admit that they do look the same, such as the old town in Shaoxing and the Xitang, but they are differences. For most visitors I believe, time allows them to stay only one of those towns.

How to choose one? The first priority should be location. Xitang is convenient to be reached on my way to Shanghai. I got to Hangzhou East bus Station after one hour's bus drive from Shaoxing. Unlike the residences in North China countryside, houses along the highway are beautiful. I was told that local people in Shaoxing have affluent life. Many of them have their own factories or business, no matter big or small. It was a mess when I arrive in the bus station, for Hangzhou was undergoing subway construction. I went to the ticket hall and buy ticket to Jiashan (Now, it is available to buy direct bus from Hangzhou to Xitang). It took nearly two hours to Jiasha, longer than I expected. Get out of Jiashan Bus Station, there are buses 215 and 216 to Xitang, ticket fare 3 yuan. 20 minutes later, I arrive in the town. Many pedicabs and tricycles would wait nearby the Xitang Bus Station, because it is still 20 minutes walk to the water town area. Some owner of the inns will come to pick up package tourists who book their inns and pay for the pedicabs. I met one when I waiting for my inn owner. She was a smart mid-aged women and invited me to her Inn if I hadn't has an accommodation. I denied politely and a few minutes later, I saw a tall handsome young guy walking toward me. There he is but he came with a bicycle, more astonishing, not back seat on the bicycle. That determined the result that I followed him with my suitcase, walking to Inn. In the stone pavement, I should lift my case above the ground.

I was nearly on the verge of rage until I saw the Inn. I feel much better when I got into the inn. It is an old residence of a hundred years old with all wooden old-style furniture and decorations, including windows, bed with carving woodwork and curtained on all sides with red tulle. like a wedding bed in the old times. Layout of the inn is a small two-storey front hall, a yard in the middle and main two-storey main building in the back. There are only six rooms and I stayed in the only river view single room above the front hall. A small square wooden table is placed on Tatami (a bit higher than wooden floor). The hostess, who has two Samoyed dogs and a cat, gave me a bottle of hot milk tea. Believe or not, the gate of my room is on the floor connected by a wooden stairs to the first floor. After having a bath, my exploration started.

It was early March and it was cold. It was a Wednesday and it was in low season. That means fewer travelers, free of charge for admission, freedom thoroughly around every corner. Notes here: a great advantage of Xitang compared with other water town is that you can enter the town area through lanes freely without buying ticket. In weekends or holidays, these lanes will be block and you are asked to check your ticket. Well, the ticket is 50 Yuan (100 Yuan for through ticket). I missed some museums and old residences which need to pay for extra fee, which are all included in through ticket. According to my research on web in advance, I tried wonton in a snack stall at the entrance to the west street nearby a bridge, steamed pork slices with glutinous rice flour and wrapped with lotus leaves at a shop not far away from the wonton stall, and Xiedama Zong Zi in another remote lane. Ba Zhen Gao, a kind of rice cake with eight ingredients is very famous local product of Xitang and Zhong Fu Tang brand is the best honored. I bought many to share with friends.

The town is not big. Not a problem to wander without a map. You can walk freely and my find the main branches of the town. Do not be afraid to the same path you have just pass, perhaps, you may found something new you miss last time. The essence of the town is in Yan Yu Chang Long (烟雨长廊), literally long shattered corridor of mist and rain. Beside to experience the corridor by walk through it, the best place to see it is at the junction of the T shaped waterway. Another photogenic scene is a narrow lane called Shi Pi Nong. It slows one person to go through and you should sidle through the lane. Black roof, mottled white wall and grey stones, that's very local and featured flavor of the region.

Stay one night there is a must. In late afternoon, the red lanterns are lit and hanging over outside the building. That is the most beautiful time of Xitang when it is going to fall into dark. Boat is available after 6pm and it is amazing to see the town on river. The ferry terminal is beside Song Zi Lai Feng Bridge. Apart from a map, there is another board showing that was once the scene in Mission: Impossible Ⅲ, where Tom Cruise runs through.

A light rain began to fall when I left the town next day morning. The long corridor was the last scene composed in the viewfinder of my camera.