Local Attractions for Short-Term Exchange Programs （Huzhou）
(1) Xiaoxi Street（小西街）
Zhejiang Provincial Historical and Cultural Protection District.
Xiaoxi Street is built along Caodu, a tributary of Qingyuan Gate, where the Xitiao River flows into the west gate of the ancient city of Huzhou. The north side of the Caodu River features the Qinlao Street area, while the south side is home to the Xiaoxi Street area. The two areas are connected by Yongan Bridge. Its boundaries extend from Hongqi Road to the north, Beiqi Lane and Taiping Lane to the south, Huancheng West Road to the west, and South Street to the east, giving it an irregular shape. The texture of the streets and lanes is well preserved, with ten lanes in the block, including Huayuan Lane, Muqiao North Lane, Tonggu Bridge Lane, Zhakou Lane, Muqiao South Lane, Gaoxiang, Youche Lane, Shiluan Lane, Beiqi Lane, and Chaoyang Lane.
In the area, you can find a Shikumen in front of the mansion and a river port at the back, along with foyers, courtyards, halls, and lanes, which all contribute to the strong atmosphere of urban life in the Jiangnan water town. Within the block, there are five provincial and municipal cultural protection units, including Niu's Zhuangyuan Hall (Benren Hall, Li De Hall), Yang Zhai, Xu Zhai, Wen Zhai, the Second Military Division Guesthouse, Shen Zhai, Mo Zhai, and Shen's Xiaoyin Villa. Additionally, there are five cultural heritage sites and ten historical buildings, such as Xu Zhai and Qiu Zhai.
(2) Yishang Street（衣裳街）
Tourist-style Introduction of Yishang Street, Huzhou.
Yishang Street, located in the historic center of Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, is one of the city’s most famous cultural landmarks. With origins tracing back to the Tang and Song dynasties, the street has witnessed centuries of prosperity as a hub for textile and garment trade, which gave Huzhou its celebrated title as the “City of Silk.” For generations, merchants and craftsmen gathered here, making it not only a marketplace but also a stage for the city’s rich cultural exchange.
Walking through Yishang Street today, visitors are greeted by rows of well-preserved traditional buildings, stone-paved alleys, and time-honored shops. The architecture reflects the elegance of Jiangnan’s water-town style, creating a unique atmosphere that feels like stepping back in time. Alongside its historic charm, the street has embraced modern vitality—boutiques, tea houses, cafés, and cultural exhibition spaces now line the street, offering a fusion of old and new.
By day, Yishang Street is alive with local flavors and artisanal products: delicate silk, fine embroidery, handmade crafts, and traditional snacks fill the lanes with vibrant energy. By night, the street takes on a different character, illuminated by lanterns, music, and occasional folk performances, creating a lively yet nostalgic ambiance.
(3)Taihu Ancient Town（太湖古镇）
Taihu Ancient Town is located within the Taihu Dragon Dream Paradise in Yangxiaoxian County, Changxing County, Huzhou. It is a newly constructed complex designed in the style of an ancient town.
As night falls, Huzhou's Taihu Ancient Town—this newly emerging ‘city that never sleeps’ along the shores of Tai Lake—illuminates the night with dazzling lights. Unlike the tranquil atmosphere of traditional water towns, this place uses a grand complex of Tang and Song-style architecture as its backdrop, presenting a dazzling visual feast. The eaves and brackets are outlined against the neon lights, while the corridors and water streets reflect the vibrant lights, exuding the vitality and bustling atmosphere of modern cultural tourism. Strolling through the town, one can witness a stunning water dance show soaring into the sky, admire a vibrant fireworks display illuminating the night sky, or wander through the bustling food streets to savor authentic lake delicacies.
At night, Taihu Ancient Town is a symphony of light and joy, immersing visitors in the bustling scenery by the lake and offering the ultimate urban nightlife experience.
(4)Lake Tai（太湖）
Night time views of Lake Tai, with the Milky Way reflecting on the waves .
As dusk falls, Lake Tai —this 36,000-hectare jewel spanning Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, shrouded in misty waves—unfolds a vast, breathtaking panorama of sky and water. Unlike the ornate architecture of ancient towns, here the boundless lake surface serves as a stage for an age-old natural epic. Distant mountains fade into the night, while flickering fishing lights echo the stars above. The evening breeze brings the scent of moisture and the faint melody of fishing songs. Standing by the lake shore, feel the lake breeze caress your face as gentle waves lap against the shore, or find a secluded spot by the water to watch the moon rise in the east, its silver glow illuminating the vast expanse of water.
Night time‘s Lake Tai is a serene symphony of heaven and earth, immersing one in the vastness and ethereal beauty of the great lake, cleansing the soul of worldly concerns, and returning to the boundless expanse of the cosmos.
(5)Datang Tribute Tea House（大唐贡茶院）
The Datang Tribute Tea Garden, located in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, is a cultural landmark that celebrates China’s thousand-year-old tea heritage. During the Tang Dynasty, Huzhou was renowned as the place where tribute tea—high-quality tea leaves offered to the imperial court—was produced. This historical role earned Huzhou an important place in China’s tea culture, and the Datang Tribute Tea Garden was established to preserve and showcase this legacy.
Covering a vast scenic area, the garden combines tea plantation landscapes with cultural exhibitions. Visitors can stroll through lush tea fields, experience traditional tea-picking, and watch demonstrations of ancient tea-making techniques. The site also features Tang-style architecture, pavilions, and cultural halls that recreate the elegance of imperial tea ceremonies, offering guests a sense of traveling back to the flourishing age of the Tang Dynasty.
Beyond tea culture, the garden provides a tranquil environment for relaxation and exploration. Visitors can enjoy tea-tasting sessions, appreciate performances inspired by Tang customs, and learn about the influence of Huzhou’s tea on Chinese and world tea history. Today, the Datang Tribute Tea Garden is not only a tourist destination but also a living museum of tea, where history, culture, and nature are perfectly blended.
(6)Nanxun Ancient Town（南浔古镇）
Night mooring at Nanxun, drifting off to sleep by the water .
As night falls, Nanxun—this ancient town renowned as one of the ‘Six Great Water Towns of Jiangnan’ and a ‘Cultural Hub’—sheds the bustle of daytime and reveals a different charm. Under the glow of lanterns, the small bridges and flowing water shimmer, while Ming and Qing-dynasty mansions and Western-style courtyard houses stand quietly along the riverbank, narrating the prosperous legends of the ‘Four Symbols and Eight Oxen.’ Amidst the sounds of oars and lanterns, strolling along the river or choosing a waterfront teahouse to rest, watching the lanterns reflect in the water and listening to the rhythmic sounds of oars, it feels as though time itself has slowed down.
Night in Nanxun is a poetic masterpiece of light and shadow in a ink-wash painting, immersing one in the tranquility and timelessness of the water town, stealing a half-day of leisure from the hustle and bustle of life.
(7)China Bamboo Expo Park（中国竹子博览园）
The China Bamboo Expo Park, located in Anji County of Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, is the world’s largest bamboo-themed ecological park and a national 4A-level scenic area. Covering thousands of acres of lush bamboo forests, the park showcases more than 300 species of bamboo, offering visitors a spectacular view of the “Sea of Bamboo” for which Anji is famous.
The park is not only a natural treasure but also a cultural and scientific hub. It features themed pavilions, ecological trails, and exhibition halls where visitors can learn about bamboo’s ecological value, its role in traditional Chinese culture, and its modern applications in architecture, crafts, and sustainable development. The Bamboo Expo Garden also serves as an important platform for international exchange in bamboo research and industry.
Walking through the park, visitors can enjoy fresh air, explore scenic landscapes, experience bamboo art and folk performances, and even participate in hands-on activities such as bamboo weaving. With its perfect combination of natural beauty, cultural heritage, and educational value, the China Bamboo Expo Park has become a must-visit destination for both nature lovers and cultural explorers.
(8)Tiao Xi Cao Tang（苕溪草堂）
Visit Tiao Xi and let the aroma of tea soothe your soul.
As the stars begin to rise, Tiao Xi Cao Tang—this tranquil courtyard nestled beside a clear stream and steeped in a thousand years of tea culture—is enveloped in the fragrant blend of plants and books. Unlike the hustle and bustle of the city, this place embodies the spirit of Lu Yu, whispering the legend of the ‘Tea Sage’ who authored The Classic of Tea. Along the bamboo-shaded paths and by the stone-paved tea pavilions, under the warm glow of lanterns, one can almost hear the gentle sound of spring water boiling for tea.
Sit down, watch the moonlight spill over the tea fields, let the misty tea smoke carry the fresh scent of plants to your nose, and savor a cup of Huzhou Zisun green tea. The sweetness on your tongue is the echo of a thousand years of tea culture. Night Tiao Xi is a Zen-like retreat immersed in the fragrance of tea and the elegance of ink, where one can be captivated by the clarity and peace of this corner, with all the chaos of the world left outside the cup.
(9)Ren Huang YU Tea（仁皇与茶）
At the summit, amidst the clouds, a tea ceremony unfolds.
Ren Huang YU Tea is nestled atop the lake city, beside the Ren Huang Pavilion, where a new realm unfolds. This is not merely a tea house but a cloud-like lounge transcending the city. Looking out, the vast expanse of Tai Lake stretches endlessly, and the hues of Bian Mountain are all within view; looking down, the bustling cityscape intertwines with the clear mist of Xisai, forming a flowing painting. The modern, minimalist space features large floor-to-ceiling windows that bring the vast scenery into the room, while the mountain breeze carries the fresh scent of plants through the hall.
Take a scoop of fresh water from the Tiao Xi River, brew a cup of Huzhou Zisun green tea or Anji White Tea, sit with the mountain mist and listen to the gentle whisper of the pine trees. Renhuang remains silent, yet the great beauty of heaven and earth whispers within the roof. Here on this mountain peak, temporarily detached from the mundane world, savoring tea, watching the clouds, and taking in the scenery, one is among the plants and trees, with a heart as vast as the heavens and earth.