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Voykit pocket guide · China
Tongxiang
桐乡
Spend 1 day in Tongxiang to see Wuzhen water town and central park; add a half‑day if you want the museum and night market.
Tongxiang is a county‑level city in northern Zhejiang, within an hour of Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou. Its main draw is the Wuzhen water‑town quarters, plus a small museum, park and night market, all reachable on foot or by short bus rides. One full day covers the water‑town and central sights; a second half‑day adds museums and local food.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 桐乡
- Best months
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, rainy)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CNY
- Money
- Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex cards; single payments over ¥200 carry a fee of about 3% on a foreign card (smaller ones are free), and per-payment and yearly caps apply — check the app. Keep a second way to pay.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥80–120 · Mid ¥120–200 · High ¥200+ (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- A roaming eSIM from outside China routes traffic through its home network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN — the simplest setup.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, C, I · 220 V · 50 Hz · Many sockets take flat two-pin (A), round two-pin (C) and angled three-pin (I) plugs; UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; upmarket hotels add 10–15% service.; Taxis and DiDi: No tip.; Tour guides and drivers: Expected on organised tours: about ¥100–200 a day for a guide, ¥50–100 for a driver.; Hotel porters: Not expected; ¥10–20 in luxury hotels.
- Water
- Not for drinking from the tap; bottled water ¥2–5, and kettles and free bottles in hotel rooms. Restaurants serve hot water or tea.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are frequent and free; squat toilets outside hotels and malls. Carry tissues — many have no paper.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | ¥15–30 |
| Noodle bowl | ¥20–35 |
| Stinky tofu (street) | ¥10–20 |
| Taxi (5 km (3.1 mi))Taxi (3.1 mi (5 km)) | ¥30–45 |
| Wuzhen entry ticket | ¥100–120 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HGH · Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport
- About 1 h by train to Tongxiang; check schedules
Typical fares
- City bus (single ride)
- ≈¥2
- Taxi 5 km
- ≈¥35
- Wuzhen combined ticket
- ¥150 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
City bus routes connect downtown, Wuzhen and the museum; taxis are cheap; most sights are walkable from the bus stop.
See and do
Known for
- Wuzhen water‑town
- Mao Dun literary heritage
- Textile industry
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Wuzhen – Eastern Quarter | City bus from Tongxiang centre, ~20 min | ≈45 min total |
| Wuzhen – Western Quarter | City bus, ~20 min, then boat‑bus inside town | ≈1 h |
| Mao Dun Memorial | Bus or taxi, ~15 min | ≈30 min |
Sleep
- Wuzhen guesthouses
- Traditional inns in the Western Quarter, walk to attractions.
- Tongxiang city centre hotels
- Convenient for bus station and night market.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | 对不起duì bu qǐ |
| Thank you | 谢谢xiè xie |
| How much is it? | 多少钱？duō shǎo qián |
| Where is the bathroom? | 洗手间在哪里？xǐ shǒu jiān zài nǎ li |
| Can I pay by card? | 可以刷卡吗？kě yǐ shuā kǎ ma |
| I would like a water‑bus ticket | 我要水上巴士票wǒ yào shuǐ shàng bā shì piào |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
- Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
- Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
- Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
- Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
- Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
- Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
- Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4
Scams and watch-outs
- Wuzhen tickets are timed; buy at entry or online in advance (check).
- Summer heat can be intense; carry water.
Generally safe; watch for crowded tourist areas and keep belongings secure.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Tongxiang yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Wuzhen water‑town
- Mao Dun literary heritage
- Textile industry
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Tongxiang, revision 5311162 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5311162
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/tongxiang). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.