The Forgotten Jiangnan Secret! A Healing Journey to a Niche Ancient Town!

**Yaohu Town Travel Guide: An Encounter with the Poetic and Slow-Paced Life of a Jiangnan Water Town** **Foreword** Beyond the fast-paced city life lies a Jiangnan town that has been gently treated by time – **Yaohu Town**. With its blue bricks, black tiles, small bridges, and flowing water, the town has inherited a pottery culture that spans thousands of years. The intertwining of everyday life and artistic flair makes it an ideal place to escape the hustle and bustle and find tranquility. This guide will lead you to unlock the must-do experiences in Yaohu and collect this poetic charm. --- ### **📌 Recommended Highlights** 1️⃣ **Stroll Through the Ancient Kiln Site and Touch a Thousand Years of Pottery** - **Long Kiln Relics Park**: Visit the well-preserved Song Dynasty Long Kiln to learn about the origin of the name "Yaohu." Every snapshot here is a historical masterpiece. - **Pottery Workshop Experience** (Recommended: "Niyu Workshop"): Try your hand at pottery making and painting to create your own unique pottery. It's especially suitable for family trips. 2️⃣ **Water Town Style Check-In** - **Zhenhe Street**: The old street built along the river is full of vine-covered lanterns. When the lights are lit in the evening, it's like a painting. We recommend taking a gondola (CNY 30/person) for a night tour. - **Baijiang Alley**: A gathering place for intangible cultural heritage artisans such as tie-dye and bamboo weaving. You can customize a handmade fan or blue cloth package as a souvenir. 3️⃣ **Yaohu on the Tip of Your Tongue** - **Must-Eat Foods**: - Yaohu Crispy Cake (with preserved vegetable filling, "Xu Ji" on the old street is the most authentic) - Three River Delicacies (white fish, stuffed snails, and silver fish soup) - Osmanthus Sweet Fermented Rice Balls (the iced version from "Shen Jia Sweet Shop" is a summer must-have) - **Hidden Menu**: Ask the locals about "boatman's dishes" and come across a private banquet on a rowboat. 4️⃣ **Niche Secret Spots** - **Tea Mountain Sunrise**: Yunyin Tea Garden, 2 km outside the town, where you can pick tea and taste Mingqian Longjing tea in the morning mist. - **Firefly Wetland** (Summer Limited): Visit with a lantern at night, as if falling into the starry sky. --- ### **🚗 Transportation Guide** - **Self-Driving**: Navigate to "Yaohu Ancient Town Visitor Center." The parking lot is CNY 10/day. - **Public Transportation**: Take the high-speed train to "Yixing Station" and transfer to the tourist bus (about 40 minutes). ### **🏡 Accommodation Recommendations** - **Budget-Friendly**: Choose a guesthouse in the ancient town (such as "Qing He Ju"), averaging CNY 150 per person, with a river view from the window. - **Quality Control**: Stay at the "Yaohu Academy Hotel," which has a private hot spring courtyard where you can listen to Pingtan at night. ### **💡 Travel Tips** - Best Season: Spring and Autumn (rape flowers bloom from March to May, and the folk custom of sun-drying crops is from September to November). - Avoid Pitfalls: Be careful when buying "antique porcelain" and look for shops with intangible cultural heritage signs. - Hidden Benefits: There is a free pottery performance in the ancient town every Saturday morning, located in the ruins square. --- **Conclusion** The beauty of Yaohu lies in the clay in the hands of the old craftsmen, in the shimmering light stirred by the rowboats, and in the warm aroma of a crispy cake on the street. Slow down and you will find that the story here is longer than you think. **✨ Your next healing journey can start from Yaohu.** (This guide is constantly updated, please give it a like before saving!) ---