Apart from West Lake, this free ancient town in Hangzhou is also worth visiting

I've been to Hangzhou dozens of times, but this is my first time visiting Linping. There are many ancient towns in the south of the Yangtze River, compared to the well-known Xitang, Wuzhen... This Tangqi ancient town around Hangzhou is known to few people. I only knew about it because I went to visit a friend. - Tangqi Ancient Town, located at the southern end of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. In history, it was once known as the first of the top ten ancient towns in the south of the Yangtze River. Emperor Qianlong landed here three times when he visited the south of the Yangtze River. On both sides of the river are old buildings left over from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The town is small, but it is full of the marks of the times. - 📍Navigation: Tangqi Ancient Town 🎫Tickets: None 🚗Transportation: There is a parking lot at the entrance of the ancient town for self-driving. 🚇Subway: Take Line 9 to Long'an Station, then transfer to a bus or Didi. - 🟡 Travel guide: ✅Fangji Ancient Bridge, which has a history of more than 500 years, is the only seven-hole stone bridge on the Grand Canal and the landmark building of the ancient town. Standing on the bridge, you can have a panoramic view of the ancient town. In the evening, you can also encounter a beautiful sunset on the bridge. ✅Qianlong Imperial Stele, erected when Qianlong visited the south in 1751. ✅Linping Fangzhi Museum, to understand the development and changes of Tangqi and Linping. ✅Shuibei Street, a special snack street, only a few hundred meters. ✅Shadow puppetry, a national intangible cultural heritage project, children can experience it. ✅If you have time, you can also see the ancient canal town under the bright lights. - Apart from Tangqi Ancient Town, there are some other places around Linping that you can check in. →Linping Jiangnan Water Town Museum, divided into east and west halls, displaying Liangzhu culture and the modern development history of Linping. →East Lake Park, check in the iconic Linping Grand Theater, a very design-conscious building. →The first pavilion of Linping Park, with a unique exterior design, can take big shots. - Tangqi Ancient Town is actually quite small, and it takes more than half an hour to walk around. The elements of the ancient town are similar, but it is relatively quiet and niche. If you come specifically, it is not highly recommended. If you happen to be in Hangzhou, you can pick a time to visit.