# Xitang water town, a day trip from Shanghai > Xitang is a canal town in Zhejiang, 1.5–2 hours from Shanghai by high-speed train to Jiashan South plus a bus or taxi. Daytime entry is about ¥95 and covers the old houses; unofficially, the lanes are free from around 5 pm. The streets never close. Allow 3–4 hours in town and a full day overall. Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/xitang - City: [Shanghai](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai), China - YesGo score: 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 4 h - Entry: ≈ ¥95 by day, free in the evening - With kids: Fine with kids - Day ticket: About ¥95 (some sources say ¥100); covers around ten old houses, gardens and small museums - Evening entry: Free to walk in from about 5 pm until 8 am; holiday rules differ - Hours: Streets 24 hours; houses and museums about 8:00–17:00, 17:30 in summer - Train: Shanghai Hongqiao → Jiashan South, 20–35 min, second class about ¥30 - Last leg: Bus K222 (about 40 min, ¥2, every 40–60 min) or a taxi, about 30 min - Direct bus: From Shanghai South Bus Station (Metro 1 and 3), 1.5–2 hours, daytime departures only - Distance: About 66 km in a straight line from the Bund, roughly 90 km by road - Closed: Never - Payment: Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to a foreign card, or cash yuan - Coordinates: 30.94123, 120.88725 - Facts checked: 04.11.2026 ## Key facts - **≈ 1 km** — of covered corridors (langpeng) along the canals, Xitang’s signature (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia: Xitang) - **≈ ¥95** — daytime ticket including the old houses; some guides list ¥100 (source: Ctrip, ChinaTripedia, IntoTravelChina; China Highlights gives ¥100 (unofficial)) - **1.5–2 hrs** — from central Shanghai by train to Jiashan South plus a bus or taxi (source: China Highlights, Asia Odyssey Travel, Serena’s Lenses (unofficial)) - **9 rivers** — cross the town; its eight sections are linked by stone bridges (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia; IntoTravelChina) - **2003** — listed in the first batch of China’s Historic Towns (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia) - **5A** — China’s top tourist-site grade, awarded in 2017 (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia) - **Mission: Impossible III** — the film’s closing scenes were shot here (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia) - **≈ 66 km** — straight-line distance from the Bund (source: YesGo calculation from English Wikipedia and Wikidata coordinates) - **20–35 min** — high-speed train from Shanghai Hongqiao to Jiashan South (source: China Highlights, Asia Odyssey Travel (unofficial)) ## Is Xitang worth a day trip from Shanghai? Yes — if you want a lived-in canal town and are happy to give it a whole day. Xitang (西塘) sits in Jiashan County, Zhejiang, about 66 km from the Bund as the crow flies. Nine rivers cut through it, stone bridges stitch its eight sections together, and nearly a kilometre of **covered corridors** (langpeng) runs along the water, so you can stroll the canals even in the rain. There is no single headline sight. The draw is the whole streetscape: Ming- and Qing-era houses built right over the water, lanes barely wider than your shoulders, wooden boats under awnings, washing hung above the canal. Xitang was named one of China’s Historic Towns in 2003 and got the top 5A grade in 2017. Film fans know it from the final chase in Mission: Impossible III. Its real strength is the evening. Once the day-trip groups leave, rows of red lanterns light up over the canals and the corridors turn into one long glowing waterfront. Skip it if you only have two or three days in Shanghai: [Zhujiajiao](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/zhujiajiao) is on the metro and gives you canals and bridges in half a day. Be ready for crowds at weekends and on Chinese holidays, and for a lot of identical souvenir stalls. > **Free after dark — but the houses are shut** In daytime the gates check for the ~¥95 ticket. From around 5 pm, by most accounts, you can walk in free — but that is exactly when the ticketed houses and gardens close. Pick one: the interiors by day, or canals and lanterns by night. And plan your ride back: the K222 bus to the station reportedly stops around 8:30 pm. ## How to get to Xitang from Shanghai 1. From the Bund walk to **East Nanjing Road** station and take Metro line 2 straight to **Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station**. Lines 10 and 17 also stop there. 2. Book a G or D high-speed train to **Jiashan South** (嘉善南) on 12306 (English version) or Trip.com using your passport. The ride is 20–35 minutes; second class is about ¥30. Don’t confuse it with Jiashan (嘉善) or Jiaxing South stations. 3. Arrive 45–60 minutes early: there are passport and bag checks, and your e-ticket is your passport. 4. Outside Jiashan South, catch **bus K222** to Xitang — about 40 minutes, ¥2, every 40–60 minutes from roughly 7:30 am to 8:30 pm (unofficial). A taxi or DiDi (inside Alipay) takes about 30 minutes. 5. No-change option: direct buses leave **Shanghai South Bus Station** (Metro 1 or 3 to Shanghai South Railway Station) and take 1.5–2 hours. They run in daytime only, so for an evening return use the train. 6. Coming back: K222 or a taxi to Jiashan South, then a train to Hongqiao. Staying for the lanterns? Book the late train in advance. ## Xitang ticket price and free evening entry The daytime through ticket is about ¥95 according to Ctrip and most guides; China Highlights lists ¥100. We could not open Xitang’s official website, so treat the price as unofficial. The ticket covers roughly ten small sights inside — old merchant houses, gardens and little museums. Guides also mention that a ticket bought in the afternoon still works the next day and that re-entry may require registering a fingerprint at the gate; both are unofficial. Evening entry is free according to most travel guides, usually from about 5 pm (some say 4:30 or 5:30) and again before 8 am. Holiday periods can bring a paid night ticket or a later cut-off. Free entry means the streets and corridors only — the houses are closed by then. Paying: the ticket office and most stalls take Alipay and WeChat Pay, both of which accept foreign Visa and Mastercard; carry some cash yuan as a backup. Order taxis with DiDi inside Alipay — it has an English interface. ## What to see in Xitang - **The langpeng corridors** — almost a kilometre of roofed walkway on the waterfront; best seen from a bridge or a boat. - **Stone bridges** — they link the town’s eight sections; Wolong (卧龙桥) and Wufu (五福桥) bridges date from the Qing dynasty. - **Shipi Lane** (石皮弄) — a slot between tall walls, less than a metre wide at its narrowest, from the late Ming or early Qing. - **Zui Garden** (醉园) — a five-courtyard house on Tawan Street built in the Qianlong era. - **West Garden** (西园) — a Qing-dynasty house and garden on Xiaxi Street. - **A canal boat ride** — wooden boats with awnings, loveliest at dusk; agree the price at the pier. ## Xitang at night: lanterns and canals Most people come for the night. As it gets dark, strings of red lanterns light up along the canals, their reflections double in the water, and the covered corridors become one long lit promenade. On weekdays it is far calmer than the afternoon. The best day shape: arrive around 2–3 pm, see the ticketed houses before they close, eat dinner by the water and stay until dark. If interiors don’t interest you, simply turn up around 5 pm and walk in free. The catch is getting back. Direct buses to Shanghai stop in the afternoon and the K222 to the station reportedly ends around 8:30 pm. After that it’s a taxi or DiDi to Jiashan South and a train — book that train ahead. For misty early-morning canals, stay overnight in a guesthouse inside the old town. ## Xitang or Zhujiajiao? | | Xitang | Zhujiajiao | | --- | --- | --- | | Where | Jiashan County, Zhejiang province | Qingpu District, inside Shanghai | | Getting there | Train to Jiashan South + bus or taxi, 1.5–2 hrs | Metro line 17 to Zhujiajiao station | | Entry to the streets | About ¥95 by day, free in the evening (unofficial) | Free; tickets only for individual sights | | Best for | Covered corridors and evening lanterns | Canals and stone bridges | | Time needed | A full day or into the evening | Half a day | Based on English Wikipedia and guides by Wanderin China and China Highlights. Short on time — Zhujiajiao. Want lanterns over the water — Xitang. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Train tickets Hongqiao — Jiashan South, both ways - [ ] Your original passport — it is your train ticket - [ ] Alipay or WeChat Pay with a working card, plus some cash yuan - [ ] DiDi set up inside Alipay for the evening taxi - [ ] Decide: houses by day or lanterns by night - [ ] Comfortable shoes and an umbrella - [ ] A weekday rather than a weekend or holiday ## Canals and waterfronts around Shanghai Shanghai sights and day trips where the water is the point. - [The Bund](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/the-bund) — YesGo score 59/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free - [Lujiazui](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/lujiazui) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free - [Bund Sightseeing Tunnel](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/bund-sightseeing-tunnel) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · ≈ ¥50 one way, ¥70 return - [Huangpu River cruise](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/huangpu-river-cruise) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ ¥120–150; ferry ¥2 - [Suzhou](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/suzhou) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · Train ≈ ¥30–45, garden ¥70–80 - [Zhujiajiao](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/zhujiajiao) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free entry; three sights ¥60 - [Xitang](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/xitang) — YesGo score 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · ≈ ¥95 by day, free in the evening ## Old Shanghai in the morning, Xitang by lantern light Yu Garden and the City God Temple bazaar in the morning, an early-afternoon train from Hongqiao, then lanterns over Xitang’s canals. 1. [Yu Garden](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/yu-garden) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ¥30–40 by season 2. [City God Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-city-god-temple) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · ≈ ¥10 (one guide says free) 3. [Xitang](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/xitang) — YesGo score 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · ≈ ¥95 by day, free in the evening ## Good to know There is another Xitang (西塘) township in Yueyang, Hunan — check the characters and Jiashan County (嘉善) when booking or showing a taxi driver. Jiashan South (嘉善南), Jiashan (嘉善) and Jiaxing South (嘉兴南) are different stations; Jiashan South is the handiest for Xitang. ## Tips - Staying for the lanterns? Book a late train back and allow for a taxi to Jiashan South. - Want the houses and gardens too? Arrive by 3 pm — they close around 5 pm. - Weekends and Chinese holidays pack the corridors; weekday evenings are the sweet spot. - Have dinner under the corridors by the water — dry in the rain and the best canal view. - Save 西塘 and 嘉善南站 on your phone: few taxi drivers speak English. - Short on time? Swap Xitang for Zhujiajiao on the metro, and give your full day to [Suzhou](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/suzhou) instead. ## Questions ### How do I get from Shanghai to Xitang? Take a high-speed train from Shanghai Hongqiao to Jiashan South (20–35 minutes), then bus K222 or a taxi for the last 30–40 minutes. Direct buses also run from Shanghai South Bus Station in 1.5–2 hours. ### How long does it take to get to Xitang from Shanghai? Allow 1.5–2 hours door to door each way: the metro to Hongqiao, a short train ride and a bus or taxi from Jiashan South. ### How much is the Xitang ticket? About ¥95 by day (some sources say ¥100), covering around ten houses, gardens and small museums. These are unofficial figures — we could not verify the official site. ### Is Xitang free at night? By most accounts, yes: from around 5 pm, and before 8 am, you can walk the streets without a ticket. The houses are closed then, and holiday rules can differ. ### Is Xitang worth visiting? Yes, if you have a full day and want lanterns over the water. With only a couple of days in Shanghai, metro-accessible Zhujiajiao is the easier choice. ### How much time do I need in Xitang? 3–4 hours in town, a full day with the journey. To see both the houses and the lanterns, plan from early afternoon to late evening. ### Xitang or Zhujiajiao — which is better? Zhujiajiao is closer, on the metro and free to walk — half a day. Xitang is further but has the covered corridors and the best evening lanterns — give it a day. ### Where was Mission: Impossible III filmed in China? The closing scenes were shot in Xitang’s canal-side streets, according to English and Chinese Wikipedia. ### How do I get back to Shanghai in the evening? Bus K222 to Jiashan South reportedly runs until about 8:30 pm; after that take a taxi or DiDi to the station and a train to Hongqiao. Book the train ahead. ### Can I do a guided tour to Xitang from Shanghai? Yes — guided day trips with hotel pick-up skip the train-and-bus changes. Check whether the entrance ticket is included; often it isn’t. ## How we checked English queries come from search results and People also ask. Xitang’s official website returns an invalid certificate and Ctrip/Trip.com block automated access, so ticket price, free evening hours and bus details come from several independent guides and are marked as being checked. Sources disagree on the price (¥95 at Ctrip and most guides, ¥100 at China Highlights) and on the free-entry time (4:30–5:30 pm). Bridge counts conflict (27 vs 104) and UNESCO status is described differently, so we leave both out. The straight-line distance is YesGo’s own calculation from coordinates. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Xitang; Chinese Wikipedia: 西塘镇 (嘉善县); Wikidata Q781255 - Ctrip, IntoTravelChina, ChinaTripedia: ticket price and main-entrance address - China Highlights: Hongqiao — Jiashan South trains, buses from Shanghai, ¥100 price - Asia Odyssey Travel: train to Jiashan South and taxi to Xitang - Serena’s Lenses and Qunar: bus K222, free evening entry - Wanderin China: Zhujiajiao by Metro line 17, free to walk - Travelto.ru and Lifehacker (Russian edition): paying in China as a foreign visitor --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.