Wuzhen is China's answer to Disneyland: a bit artificial (eg: cormorant fisherman in a boat going up and down the waterway without ever stopping to catch fish), but well-renovated and caters well to mass-tourism. The town is definitely worth a visit, as are the numerous small museums (silk workshop, wedding museum, Chinese foot-binding museum, soy paste factory etc) It's lovely to just stroll along the waterfront and enjoy reflections of the night lights in the water. For a less commercial experience, we went to Xitang (similar water town) after our trip to Wuzhen. At Wuzhen, we chose to stay in the Wuzhen Guesthouse, which is actually a collection of dozens and dozens of houses along the waterfront or adjacent alleyways, each with 5 or 6 rooms and a landlord to cook your meals. The room facilities were good without being 5-star (you can go to the Wuzhen Clubhouse or to Tong'An Hotel if you need 5-star). The landlord didn't speak English, but we got by with a smattering of basic Chinese and once, he called the reception desk to make sure we understood what he was trying to tell us. He and his wife were very friendly and made us feel very welcome. We'd be happy to recommend this experience to others. |