The main street of the Dōngzhà scenic zone, Dongda Jie (东大街), is a narrow path paved with stone slabs and flanked by wooden buildings. There are workshops here turning out indigo-dyed cloth, bamboo weavings and the like. Most sights are open from 8am to 5pm. As the road is narrow it can feel a bit claustrophobic when busy, but Dōngzhà generally sees fewer guests than Xīzhà.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
10.57 MILES
Oddly overlooked by most visitors, this 400m stretch of 100 (or so) wooden row houses, flanking a narrow canal, is Nanxun's most charming spot. The…
10.11 MILES
This lived-in Southern Song dynasty water town has unique architecture that fuses Chinese and European styles. With fewer visitors than other canal-filled…
0.95 MILES
Opened in 2015, the imposing white slabs of this gallery couldn't be more in contrast to the black timber houses of the surrounding Xizha scenic area of…
Zhangshiming's Former Residence
9.94 MILES
The grandest of Nanxun's wealthy merchant homes looks like a classic Chinese manor, with ornate carvings in wood, stone and brick – until you reach deep…
Chinese Footbinding Culture Museum
1.13 MILES
With plenty of English, this fascinating museum covers the thousand-year history of female foot-binding in China with examples of the shoes that…
0.27 MILES
Near the entrance to the Dōngzhà scenic zone, Mao Dun’s Former Residence was the home of the revolutionary writer and author of Spring Silkworms and…
10.01 MILES
Nicknamed the red house, this intriguing two-faced structure has a traditional Chinese front house and a back one of red brick. It contains baroque-style…
1.13 MILES
The Xīzhà scenic zone is more spread out so feels less packed, even though visitors spend more time here. It is the more photogenic of the two scenic…
Nearby attractions
0.03 MILES
Though very few beds here qualify as even remotely ancient, there are some beautiful examples of elaborately carved traditional beds, along with some…
2. Jiangnan Wood Carving Museum
0.22 MILES
A fine collection of wood carvings from around the region, though unfortunately no explanations as to when they were created or what symbolism is evoked.
0.27 MILES
Near the entrance to the Dōngzhà scenic zone, Mao Dun’s Former Residence was the home of the revolutionary writer and author of Spring Silkworms and…
0.34 MILES
Once a famous pawnshop that eventually expanded to branches in Shanghai, this old shop is bare now, though the high counter – where the owner lorded over…
0.95 MILES
Opened in 2015, the imposing white slabs of this gallery couldn't be more in contrast to the black timber houses of the surrounding Xizha scenic area of…
1.13 MILES
The Xīzhà scenic zone is more spread out so feels less packed, even though visitors spend more time here. It is the more photogenic of the two scenic…
7. Chinese Footbinding Culture Museum
1.13 MILES
With plenty of English, this fascinating museum covers the thousand-year history of female foot-binding in China with examples of the shoes that…
1.25 MILES
Singles and couples alike come here to win the favour of the god of love (who, interestingly, appears here as an old man) by lighting incense and tying…