24 Aug 2026 - WUZ Day 4: Wuzhen Ancient Town (乌镇古镇)

After a short break in our hotel room, we began our exploration of Wuzhen, one of China’s most famous and beautifully preserved Jiangnan water towns. This historic destination is structurally split into two primary sightseeing zones: the smaller, more rustic Dongzha (East Gate) and the sprawling, meticulously restored Xizha (West Gate) Scenic Area. While Dongzha retains a more local, everyday neighborhood feel, Xizha is the crown jewel for travelers. For this trip, we only covered the Xizha area.

Just a short walk from our hotel, we arrived at the Water Market (水上集市). There was a Chinese Opera performance at a pavilion across the water. This was our first time watching Chinese Opera in such an environment. We felt like we had been transported back to Ancient China.

The defining residential style of Wuzhen is the Shui Ge (水阁), or water pavilions. These are traditional wooden merchant and residential houses built directly over the edges of the streams. To maximize space along the narrow canals, the rear halves of these houses project outward over the water. They are supported by sturdy vertical stone pillars or thick wooden stilts driven directly into the riverbed. The buildings feature classic Jiangnan (江南) style elements: jet-black tiled roofs, whitewashed brick walls, and dark weathered timber frames.

Xizha also boasted dozens of historic stone bridges, each with its own distinct height, curvature, and carving style. They served as both functional pedestrian crossings and protective neighborhood landmarks.

One of the most unique and historically significant cultural sites we encountered in Wuzhen Xizha was the "No. 1 Pot in the World" (天下第一锅), a single-piece iron wok that measures 3 meters in diameter and weighs over 3 tons. This colossal artifact was housed inside the courtyard of the historic Yichang Foundry Workshop (亦昌冶坊). Rather than representing the archaeological invention of the very first cooking pot, this site celebrated the premier masterwork of iron-smelting and casting craftsmanship from the late Qing Dynasty. As soon as we stepped through the open gateway of the workshop, the massive black iron pot dominated the front courtyard.

At around 6pm, some of the shops began to shutter and close for business.

As the late afternoon sun hung low, the blinding daylight softened into a warm, syrupy gold. The whitewashed walls (horse-head walls or 马头墙) absorbed the amber glow, and the green ripples of the canals briefly turned into ribbons of shimmering bronze.

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