Revisiting China's Past

The joy of Wu Zhen is in walking the town and taking in the atmosphere. You see the ancient docks and waterside pavilions and can walk the miles of corridors and winding streets. There is also a chance to be part of the local culture through shadow plays and the local open-air opera. Modern restaurants serve excellent food and there are some hotel accommodations for those who want to stay longer.

Quick Tips:

There is plenty of time to walk around by yourself after lunch and just enjoy the atmosphere and local colour. You can visit the local shops and pick up some herbal medicine, local food, or a souvenir at very little cost.

Best Way To Get Around:

Fresh watermelon juice and cold beer were offered and gratefully accepted. As we were in a group, we were served banquet-style. The food just kept coming. The waitress explained what each dish was and we ate with relish. My favourite was the duck soup and I had three servings. It was probably the best soup I had in China. We also enjoyed the sweet and sour pork, the steamed fish, and the pork stew. The day was hot and it was nice to have a break in modern surroundings. We all appreciated the opportunity to wash our hands and the clean toilets.

The meal was included in the tour cost so I do not know if it was good value but it certainly was a big hit with our group and renewed our energy for the afternoon’s activities. In fact I noted that some of the group were very reluctant to leave.

We entered the workshop and saw craftsmen at work, and the process was explained by the English-speaking guide. There was a very small museum with some explanation of the history of the dying process but the most interesting area was undoubtedly the outdoor drying yard where the finished cloth was hung on high bamboo rails. This was a photographer’s delight.

Material was on sale but this was a very low-key exercise and did not intrude on the experience.

As a visitor in the crowd, we found that we were just as popular with the crowd as were the performers but after getting used to the stares and giggles we settled in and enjoyed the show. We had absolutely no idea what was happening but the colour and noise on stage, and the movement and faces in the crowd made this a memorable experience.

It was great to be able to explore the old building. While the furniture was amazing, I found it equally fascinating to see the small private courtyards with their single tree and paved area, accessed through ancient timbered-louvered folding doors. Certainly these Chinese architects knew much about space and form that most modern Western houses have lost.

In one room we were shown the traditional wedding bed of a wealthy merchant. In another there was a great example of a bed which combined the functions of the modern bathroom, walk-in wardrobe, and bedroom. The standard of carving and inlay work surprised us all.

The performance only lasted about 5-10 minutes and afterwards we peeped behind the screen. All the action came from a single puppetmaster, but the noise was provided by a group of four people playing drums, gongs and other instruments. It was fun.