One Day to Nanxun Ancient Town, No Shopping

Welcome to choose the one day Nanxun Water Town tour from Shanghai! Your private guide and the driver will wait for you in the lobby of your downtown hotel, at Shanghai airport, or train station, as needed. Then, let's embark on a 2-hour private car drive to the beautiful water town of Nanxun, one of the six most famous water towns in Southern China and the only one designated a UNESCO World Heritage site as part of the ‘Grand Canal’.

Tucked away in the Yangtze River delta, the old-fashioned town, reminiscent of Venice with water canals, may astound you with its once immense wealth. During its heyday, the town's total wealth reached approximately 80 million taels of silver, over a billion USD in today's terms. Its rapid rise was mainly thanks to the developed silk industry. The 900-year-old small town was said to produce China’s finest silk, "Jili Silk," in the 19th century, which even won a gold award in the first World Expo in London in 1851. The flourishing silk trade led to many silk tycoons, who built grand mansions, gardens and villas throughout the town, and those four most wealthy merchants with assets exceeding ten million taels of silver were known as the "Four Elephants of Nanxun." Besides a lot of traditional-style residences, due to its close ties with Shanghai, the town also has some buildings blended with Western elements, like a three-dimensional history book vividly recounting the openness of the modern port.

Your private guide will accompany you to appreciate some of the most unmissable architecture about the "Four Elephants" and explore their legendary life stories. First, we'll explore Little Lotus Garden with Jiaye Library, which is the private garden of the head of the "Four Elephants", Liu Yong (1826 - 1899 AD). Centered around a large lotus pool, the garden features rockeries, corridors and pavilions. Liu’s family temple was also built in the garden. The Jiaye Library in the garden was one of the largest private libraries at that time, which collected about 500,000 books at its peak. Then, head to Zhang Shiming’s Former Residence, dubbed the most luxurious house in South China. Zhang Shiming (1872 - 1927 AD) is also one of the "Four Elephants", who built the masterpiece of East-West fusion, with its brick carvings, wood carvings, and glass as its "four wonders." Look up the vaulted ceilings and glass windows with patterns of flowers and fruits, which were tailored from France, and look down at the floor tiles of the main hall, also transported from Europe.

After that, we’ll move to admire Liu Tiqing’s House, aka the Red House, belonging to the third son of Liu Yong. Its northern and southern sections boast a typical Romanesque style, with the northern red-brick facade featuring exquisite carvings the biggest highlight. Next, let's head to Zhang Jingjiang’s Former Residence, built by another "Elephant" of Nanxun, who donated a large amount of money to support Sun Yat-sen’s revolutionary activities, ending the rule of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911 AD), the last feudal dynasty of China. The house preserved some letters to display their friendship. Then, chill out at the adjacent Yi Garden, once the private garden of the Pang’s family, the last "Elephant" in Nanxun. Passing through the winding corridors, view the emerald lake reflecting the pavilions, rock formations, and the pink peach blossoms and green willows on its banks. As a breeze ripples across the water, you'll feel being immersed in a dynamic landscape painting.

Don’t miss the informative Jili Silk Museum to witness the town’s thousand-year-old glory hidden in silk, where you’ll be amazed at the dragon robe made of the special silk for emperors, learn about the entire process from silkworm rearing to silk reeling, and even touch the natural golden silkworm cocoons. If you are interested, capture a glimpse of the yellowed grain coupons, rusty grain purchase certificates, and propaganda posters in the China Grain Coupon Museum, whose exhibits have witnessed the country’s unique planned economy era from the 1950s to the 1980s.

After the visit, strolling along the narrow stone paths, you’ll find local residents still maintain a simple, natural lifestyle, washing vegetables and rice by the river. Take a moment to appreciate the stone bridges arching over the waterways, and gaze up at the magnificent black-tiled and gray-walled One-hundred Residential Houses built along the canals, with a history of 400 years. Whether it is the triple-layered firewalls, the arched gates over the street, the wooden columns, or the busy locals setting up tea stoves and snack tables on the riverbank - all leave beautiful reflections on the quiet water. Slow your pace to feel a vibe of authentic, everyday life.

★ Special Experience: Witness a Traditional Water Town Wedding!

You may also witness a traditional Chinese wedding here, where a fleet of boats adorned with auspicious couplets makes its way to the bride's house to pick up the bride and her dowry. The newlyweds, dressed in their finest attire and holding oil-paper umbrellas, stand on elaborately decorated bright red flower boats. As they glide gently across the clear water, they create a romantic scene in every frame, waving to the audience on the shore from the deck. When the ceremony takes place in the square, the couple will throw wedding candies to the crowd. This lively and engaging procession lasts about 40 minutes and is performed several times a day, depending on the season.

► Local Snack Recommendations: (at your own expense)
Nanxun Water Town shares a similar taste to Shanghai cuisine, but it does offer some special local snacks. Popular dishes include Xun pig's trotters, double-topping noodles served with toppings of crispy pork and smoked fish, and a unique vegetable only produced here, called Xiuhuajin, as well as the Dingsheng Cake made of glutinous rice and japonica rice. If you are brave enough, consider trying the stinky tofu, a deep-fried fermented tofu dish served with flavorful chili sauce.

► Travel Tips:
1. If you desire to enjoy this beautiful water town from a different perspective, consider taking the public ferry. It costs only CNY 3 (43 cents) per person and runs from 9:00 to 16:00 with an interval of 30 minutes. As it is undoubtedly the most popular choice, please be prepared to queue. Alternatively, hand-rowed boats are available for a quieter experience at CNY 50 (USD 7.2) per person. You can decide which one to try at your own expense once you arrive.
2. Wear a pair of comfortable sneakers, as you may need to walk a lot on the cobblestone paths.

As your 1 day Shanghai to Nanxun Water Town tour draws to an end, your guide and the driver will escort you back to your self-booked hotel in Shanghai. Wish you a nice journey! If you want to explore other famous water towns like Wuzhen or Zhouzhuang, we would be happy to tailor a day trip for you.