Live Your Best Lives
Although Wuzhen is a traditional town with small bridges, flowing water and people living there, it is still rich and colorful. In Dongzha, you can get close to the traditional culture of the water town and enjoy performances such as shadow puppetry, high-pole boats, and fist boats. In Xizha, you can have a drink, taste tea, and watch an open-air movie at night, which is more suitable for people who are on vacation.
Xizha has developed a number of elegant and high-end entertainment venues that combine Chinese and Western styles, including Shengting Club, Luoshen SPA (No. 288 Xizha Street, opening hours: 13:30-23:30), Jingxingku Coffee Shop (No. 129-30 Xizha Street), etc., but the liveliest place is still Wuzhen's Bar Street (along Xizha Street, walk across Tongji Bridge and along Bailian Street for 3 or 4 minutes). There are actually only four bars in Xizha: Bubu Lianhua (No. 8 Xiushuilang, opposite B&B No. 57), Shishui Nianhua (No. 28 Xiushuilang, opening hours: 10:00-00:30), Wubaihui (No. 28-31 Bailian Street, Xizha), and Laomutou (next to Wubaihui). The four bars have their own characteristics. The most famous one is Shishui Nianhua Winery, which is said to be funded by Huang Lei.
The Wuzhen Grand Theater, nestled on the shores of Yuanbao Lake in Wuzhen, is another must-see. Hailed as China's most beautiful theater, it frequently hosts concerts and plays. During the Wuzhen Theater Festival, a variety of plays are performed, offering a chance to experience the works of both established and emerging talent up close.
Xizha also boasts a wealth of traditional charm. Tea Market Street and Xizha Shuchang are popular destinations for tea, where you can enjoy local operas such as Pingtan (Chinese Pingtan) while ordering a cup of tea. The most nostalgic experience is to catch a vintage film at the open-air cinema. Every evening from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM, they screen classic films, mostly black-and-white, based on the "Three Wars" (Tunnel Warfare, Mine Warfare, and the Battle of South and North).
At the south end of the street is the famous Qiaoli Bridge. This small street, about a hundred meters long, was once home to a concentration of old teahouses. Today, it is home to numerous teahouses, teahouses, teahouses, and tea and teaware shops of varying styles, making it Xizha's famous tea art street.
Address: Across the river from Bailian Pagoda in Xizha, accessible via Ruyi Bridge
Dongzha has preserved many traditional folk arts, such as Tongxiang Huagu Opera (on the stage opposite Xiuzhen Temple), Chuanquan (Caishen Bay), Gaoganchuan (Caishen Bay), and Shadow Play (inside Hanlin House, directly accessible from Xiuzhen Temple), which are performed in different time periods within the scenic area.
Amid the clamor of gongs and drums, martial artists dressed in training uniforms, armed with swords, spears, and halberds, engage in a fierce, bloody battle. Wuzhen's boxing boats have been handed down for five generations, practicing techniques rooted in the northern Shaolin style.
A large bamboo pole is inserted into a massive stone mortar placed in the center of a large boat anchored on the river. As performers climb onto the pole, the bamboo bends into a 90-degree hook. Performers on high-pole boats typically wear white clothing, symbolizing the image of a silkworm. The performances include a golden monkey gazing at the moon, a pigeon flipping over, an inverted dragonfly, and a single-arm hanging pose.