Xitang Travel Guide 2026 - Yanyu Corridor, Shipi Lane, Night Lanterns & Water Town Stays

What's inside this guide Bucket List · Highlights · Q&A · Itineraries · Attractions · Activities · Where to Stay · Food · Getting Around · Shopping · Practical Info · Day Trips · Tips · Background · Plan Your Trip

Xitang Bucket Listthe corridor, the lane and the night water

Walk the Yanyu Corridor

The 1,300-metre covered corridor of the town - the wooden roof, the benches and the river windows that make Xitang's signature walk.

Squeeze through Shipi Lane

The narrowest lane of Jiangnan - the stone-paved alley where the shoulders touch the walls; the camera shot of every visit.

Collect the eleven sights

The RMB 100 combined ticket opens the 11 sights - the Ni house, the Sheng hall, the woodcarving and tile museums, the button museum, the yellow-wine museum, the Xi garden, the Wang house, the Zui garden and the Huguo Suiliang Temple.

Set the lanterns on the water

The night boats run the rivers at RMB 20-40 per person - the paper lanterns, the corridors and the opera of the evening town.

Drink on Tangdong Street

The bar street of the old town - the live music and the river terraces of the night; the gay bars and the folk stages of the east bank.

Eat the stinky tofu

The Guan Laotai stinky tofu at 92 Shiban Road - RMB 5 for eight pieces, the most famous snack of the town.

Top Highlightsthe corridor, the dusk and the bridges

No.1
The Yanyu CorridorThe covered walk of the riverside town.
No.2
Xitang at duskThe lanterns and the corridors at evening.
No.3
The garden lanesThe water and the halls of the old town.

Questions & Answerswhat travellers always ask about Xitang

How many days do I need in Xitang?

One day covers the corridor and the eleven sights; the classic stay is a night and a day - the lanterns and the bars of the evening town, the quiet corridors of the morning.

How much are the tickets?

The combined ticket is RMB 100 (11 sights), the gate ticket RMB 50, and the night ticket RMB 50 (17:00-20:30 on the holidays and Friday-Sunday, with the root-carving museum, the button museum and the Xi garden).

How do I get to Xitang?

From Shanghai, the South coach station runs direct coaches (7:10-17:54) at RMB 32; the Jiashan station is served by buses K215/K216 (about 40 minutes); the Jiaxing North station runs the direct K152 at RMB 7.

Where do I stay?

The guesthouses of the town - the Wuguniang at 4 Jijia Lane from RMB 130, the Lijingyuan from RMB 160, the Xifeng Shouma from RMB 110, the Fenghe Qiyuan from RMB 105 and the Yishui Lanting hostel from RMB 45 a bed.

What about the night boats?

The boats run in the day at RMB 150 (ticket-holders) or RMB 380 (without tickets) for ten people; at night RMB 20-40 per person on the weekends and holidays; a private charter costs RMB 150-280; hiring a boatman is RMB 80 an hour.

Which is better - Wuzhen or Xitang?

Wuzhen is grander and more managed, Xitang smaller and freer - the corridor town is the favourite of the backpackers and the photographers.

Can ToursChinaTravel arrange my Xitang trip?

Yes - email [email protected] or message us on WhatsApp. Our team books the tickets, the night boats, the guesthouses and the Shanghai transfers, free of charge and without obligation.

Sample Itinerariesthe classic day and the lantern night

Xitang Classic - One Day

The corridor, the lane and the eleven sights in a single day. View the plan →

Day 1

09:00 the Yanyu Corridor and Shipi Lane; 10:30 the eleven sights of the combined ticket; 13:00 the river fish lunch at Laopingfang; 15:00 the Wu Niangzi lanterns and the garden museums; 18:00 the night boats; 20:00 the bars of Tangdong Street.

Xitang Two-Day High

A night in the guesthouses and a full day on the water. View the plan →

Day 1

Afternoon arrival and the corridor walk; evening the night boats, the lanterns and the bars; night in the old-town guesthouse.

Day 2

Morning the quiet corridors and the morning market; midday the eleven sights; afternoon the boat ride and the tea by the river before the return coach.

All plans are bookable end-to-end by our team — see the full day-by-day Xitang itineraries hub, or the day-trip pages for single-day options.

Top Attractionstickets, hours, transport & insider tips

Yanyu Corridor

The 1,300-metre covered corridor of the riverside - the wooden roof, the benches and the river windows that give the town its signature; free to walk.

Free · All day · Corridor · Old Town

View details →

Shipi Lane

The narrowest lane of Jiangnan - the stone alley where the walls almost touch; free, at the heart of the old town.

Free · All day · Lane · Photo Spot

View details →

The Eleven Sights

The combined-ticket sights - the Ni house, the Sheng hall, the woodcarving museum, the tile museum, the Zhang Zheng root-carving museum, the button museum, the yellow-wine museum, the Xi garden, the Wang house, the Zui garden and the Huguo Suiliang Temple; RMB 100 in total.

RMB 100 · 08:00-17:00 · Museums · Old Town

View details →

The Bridges

Anjing, Huanxiu, Yongning, Wolong and the Songzi-Laifeng bridges - the five great bridges of the nine rivers, each with its own lanterns and legends.

Free · All day · Bridge · Old Town

View details →

The Wuguniang Park

The park of the 'five girls' legend by the river - the gardens and the pavilions of the town's folk tale.

Free · All day · Park · Garden

View details →

Tangdong Street at Night

The bar street of the old town - the live music, the river terraces and the lanterns of the east bank after dark.

Free · Night · Nightlife · Bars

View details →

More in the region on the Zhejiang attractions page.

Activities & Festivalsthe lanterns, the opera and the night town

The Night Boats

The boats run the rivers at RMB 20-40 per person on the weekends and holidays - the lanterns and the corridors from the water.

The Lanterns on the water

The paper lanterns float the canals at RMB 1-8 each - the little lights of the evening town.

The local opera

The Yue opera and the field songs of the town - the 'Five Daughters' wedding ceremony and the folk stages of the squares.

The Spring Temple Fair

The fourth day of the fourth lunar month - the procession of the Huguo Suiliang Temple through the old town.

The gay bars of Tangdong

The bar street of the town - the music, the cocktails and the river terraces of the night.

Where to Staythe guesthouses and the hostels of the lanes

Every hotel below is bookable by our team; browse the full Zhejiang hotels directory.

Wuguniang Guesthouse

The guesthouse at 4 Jijia Lane - from RMB 130; +86 573 8456 2396.

Phone: +86 573 8456 2396 · Book: Zhejiang hotels · or email [email protected]

Lijingyuan Guesthouse

The guesthouse at 3 Sujia Lane - from RMB 160; +86 573 8456 5077.

Phone: +86 573 8456 5077 · Book: Zhejiang hotels · or email [email protected]

Xifeng Shouma

The riverside guesthouse at 72 Tangdong Street - from RMB 110; +86 573 8456 3432.

Phone: +86 573 8456 3432 · Book: Zhejiang hotels · or email [email protected]

Fenghe Qiyuan

The homely guesthouse at 1 Chibang, Hechi village - from RMB 105; +86 158 2573 4553.

Phone: +86 158 2573 4553 · Book: Zhejiang hotels · or email [email protected]

Yishui Lanting Youth Hostel

The hostel at 102 Shangxi Street - from RMB 45 a bed in the six-bed room; +86 573 8456 2060.

Phone: +86 573 8456 2060 · Book: Zhejiang hotels · or email [email protected]

Food & Restaurantsthe stinky tofu and the river fish

Guan Laotai Stinky Tofu

The official stinky-tofu shop at 92 Shiban Road - RMB 5 for eight pieces; the most famous snack of the town.

Laopingfang Restaurant

The homestyle kitchen at 39 Beizha Street - the duck soup with wontons and the pepper pumpkin at RMB 20-40 per head.

Songzi De Yue Lou

The upstairs restaurant at 15 Tangdong Street - the river fish and the local dishes at RMB 30-50 per head; +86 136 6677 5488.

Phone: +86 136 6677 5488

The lotus-leaf pork & the cakes

The lotus-leaf steamed pork at RMB 5, the water shield soup, the Qianshi cakes and the steamed white fish of the town.

Shopping & Souvenirswine, cakes and the indigo cloth

Jiashan Yellow Wine

The local yellow wine of Jiashan - the 'Shanniang' brew is the most praised; the museum of the town explains the craft.

The Bazhen cakes

The eight-ingredient cakes of the town - the sweet squares wrapped for the road.

Blue calico

The indigo-printed cloth of the Jiangnan towns - the scarves and the hangings of the old shops.

Full local-product guides live on the Zhejiang specialties page.

Getting There & Aroundby coach, rail and the K-buses

From Shanghai The Shanghai South coach station runs the direct coaches 7:10-17:54 at RMB 32; the Shanghai tourist distribution centre runs a day coach at 9:15 with the 16:30 return at RMB 140.

The Shanghai South coach station runs the direct coaches 7:10-17:54 at RMB 32; the Shanghai tourist distribution centre runs a day coach at 9:15 with the 16:30 return at RMB 140.

https://media.doubao.com/space/api/box/stream/download/all_by_mount_point/G3lnbKl2fogBuUx4wAEcjM8bnab

By rail

The Jiashan station is served by buses K215/K216 (about 40 minutes to the town); the Jiashan South (high-speed) station by bus K702; the Jiaxing North station by the direct K152 at RMB 7 (6:00-17:20).

https://media.doubao.com/space/api/box/stream/download/all_by_mount_point/GK46bT82doid74xwzu3cLiQtnFf

From Hangzhou & Suzhou The Hangzhou Jiubao coaches cost RMB 37; the Suzhou South station coaches RMB 37.

The Hangzhou Jiubao coaches cost RMB 37; the Suzhou South station coaches RMB 37.

https://media.doubao.com/space/api/box/stream/download/all_by_mount_point/G3lnbKl2fogBuUx4wAEcjM8bnab

By car

The town is about 90 minutes from Shanghai and 40 minutes from Jiaxing by the expressways - the Xitang exit on the Shen-Jia-Hu road.

https://media.doubao.com/space/api/box/stream/download/all_by_mount_point/GoWNbhC4ro5gBAxZQWvcROtNnxg

Local taxis & boats Taxis start at RMB 8 in the town; the taxi from the high-speed rail station runs RMB 70-80; the night boats run the rivers at RMB 20-40.

Taxis start at RMB 8 in the town; the taxi from the high-speed rail station runs RMB 70-80; the night boats run the rivers at RMB 20-40.

https://media.doubao.com/space/api/box/stream/download/all_by_mount_point/Rw10bEPvOoICXRxIdJSc1PpAn5b

Day Trips From Xitangthe lake town and the canal country

Nanhu Lake Day Trip

The Jiaxing lake of the 1921 congress boat.

Wuzhen Day Trip

The bigger water town half an hour away.

Jiashan Country Day Trip

The wine villages and the canal country of the county.

Travel Tipsthings to remember

Buy the combined ticket early

The RMB 100 combined ticket saves over the separate gates - buy at the main ticket hall before 16:00.

The corridor runs both banks

The Yanyu Corridor stretches 1,300 metres - walk the north bank out and the south bank back to see the bridges twice.

The night ticket is a deal

The RMB 50 night ticket (17:00-20:30 on the holidays and Friday-Sunday) opens the root-carving museum, the button museum and the Xi garden under the lanterns.

The boat is shared

The night boats run at RMB 20-40 per person - join a full boat rather than chartering; a private charter costs RMB 150-280.

The town wakes late

The corridors are empty before 9:00 - the morning light on the bridges is the photographer's hour.

Practical Informationbanks, hospitals, emergencies and local help

Xitang ticket office

The combined-ticket information line of the town.

Phone: +86 573 8456 7890

Xitang tourism bureau

The tourism information of the town.

Phone: +86 573 8405 1922

Xitang complaints

The official complaints line of the town.

Phone: +86 573 8456 1502

Jiashan No.2 Hospital

The hospital at 128 Youdian Road.

Phone: +86 573 8433 3999

Xitang police station

The police station of the town.

Phone: +86 573 8456 3110

Background & Historythe town of Wu Zixu and the nine rivers

The Wu Zixu canal

The town was founded where Wu Zixu of the Spring and Autumn cut the canal - the 'Xutang' of the old chronicles became Xitang.

The dragon holding nine pearls

The nine rivers meet in the town like a dragon holding nine pearls - the bridges and the islands of the water join at the centre.

One of the six great towns

Xitang is counted among the six great water towns of Jiangnan - smaller and freer than Wuzhen, it keeps the working-town character.

The temple fair

The fourth day of the fourth lunar month brings the procession of the Huguo Suiliang Temple - the god of the grain who saved the town from the locusts.

Plan Your Xitang Tripattractions, hotels, flights and specialties — all in one place

Everything on ToursChinaTravel is bookable through our team by email or WhatsApp. Here's where each part of your Xitang trip lives on the site.

Xitang Travel Guide — the Yanyu Corridor, Shipi Lane, the nine rivers and the lantern nights

Xitang Bucket Listthe corridor, the lane and the night water

Walk the Yanyu Corridor

Squeeze through Shipi Lane

Collect the eleven sights

Set the lanterns on the water

Drink on Tangdong Street

Eat the stinky tofu

Top Highlightsthe corridor, the dusk and the bridges

The Yanyu Corridor

Xitang at dusk

The garden lanes

Questions & Answerswhat travellers always ask about Xitang

How many days do I need in Xitang?

How much are the tickets?

How do I get to Xitang?

Where do I stay?

What about the night boats?

Which is better - Wuzhen or Xitang?

Can ToursChinaTravel arrange my Xitang trip?

Sample Itinerariesthe classic day and the lantern night

Top Attractionstickets, hours, transport & insider tips

Activities & Festivalsthe lanterns, the opera and the night town

The Night Boats

The Lanterns on the water

The local opera

The Spring Temple Fair

The gay bars of Tangdong

Where to Staythe guesthouses and the hostels of the lanes

Wuguniang Guesthouse

Lijingyuan Guesthouse

Xifeng Shouma

Fenghe Qiyuan

Yishui Lanting Youth Hostel

Food & Restaurantsthe stinky tofu and the river fish

Guan Laotai Stinky Tofu

Laopingfang Restaurant

Songzi De Yue Lou

The lotus-leaf pork & the cakes

Shopping & Souvenirswine, cakes and the indigo cloth

Jiashan Yellow Wine

The Bazhen cakes

Blue calico

Getting There & Aroundby coach, rail and the K-buses

The Shanghai South coach station runs the direct coaches 7:10-17:54 at RMB 32; the Shanghai tourist distribution centre runs a day coach at 9:15 with the 16:30 return at RMB 140.

The Jiashan station is served by buses K215/K216 (about 40 minutes to the town); the Jiashan South (high-speed) station by bus K702; the Jiaxing North station by the direct K152 at RMB 7 (6:00-17:20).

The Hangzhou Jiubao coaches cost RMB 37; the Suzhou South station coaches RMB 37.

The town is about 90 minutes from Shanghai and 40 minutes from Jiaxing by the expressways - the Xitang exit on the Shen-Jia-Hu road.

Taxis start at RMB 8 in the town; the taxi from the high-speed rail station runs RMB 70-80; the night boats run the rivers at RMB 20-40.

Day Trips From Xitangthe lake town and the canal country

Travel Tipsthings to remember

Buy the combined ticket early

The corridor runs both banks

The night ticket is a deal

The boat is shared

The town wakes late

Practical Informationbanks, hospitals, emergencies and local help

Xitang ticket office

Xitang tourism bureau

Xitang complaints

Jiashan No.2 Hospital

Xitang police station

Background & Historythe town of Wu Zixu and the nine rivers

The Wu Zixu canal

The dragon holding nine pearls

One of the six great towns

The temple fair

Plan Your Xitang Tripattractions, hotels, flights and specialties — all in one place