Huzhou Attractions

Huzhou (湖州市) is a historic city on the southern shore of Taihu Lake in northern Zhejiang Province. It administers Wuxing District, Nanxun District, Deqing County, Changxing County and Anji County, giving the destination an unusually varied tourism landscape of water towns, silk heritage, lakeside resorts, bamboo forests, mountain retreats, wetlands, ancient tea culture and modern family parks. Huzhou has more than 2,300 years of urban history and occupies a convenient position between Hangzhou, Shanghai and Nanjing.

The city’s tourism identity can be divided into five principal themes: Nanxun water-town culture, Mogan Mountain resort life, Anji bamboo and rural tourism, southern Taihu Lake leisure, and Changxing’s geological and tea heritage. Huzhou also contains the Zhejiang Huzhou Mulberry-dyke and Fish-pond System, which was designated a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2017.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s national database lists Nanxun Ancient Town Scenic Area (南浔古镇景区) as Huzhou’s national 5A-rated tourist attraction. Huzhou also has four national-level tourist resorts: Huzhou Taihu National Tourist Resort, Mogan Mountain National Tourist Resort, Anji Lingfeng National Tourist Resort and Wuxing Xisai Mountain National Tourist Resort.

Recommended Ranking of Huzhou Tourist Attractions

The following ranking is intended for practical travel planning rather than representing an official government ranking. It considers landscape quality, cultural significance, reputation, visitor experience, accessibility and suitability for first-time travelers.

Main Tourism Experiences in Huzhou

Water Towns, Silk Merchants and Canal Culture

Nanxun Ancient Town is Huzhou’s foremost cultural attraction. Unlike water towns dominated only by traditional white-walled houses, Nanxun contains grand residences and gardens built by wealthy silk merchants who incorporated European architectural details into Chinese compounds. The town’s core sights include Little Lotus Garden, Jiaye Library, Zhang Shiming’s Former Residence, Liu’s Family Compound and Baijianlou Houses.

The surrounding Nanxun countryside extends the water-town experience into Digang, Shuanglin, Lianshi and Shanlian. These places introduce mulberry cultivation, fishpond agriculture, silk production, traditional bridges and the manufacture of the celebrated Huzhou writing brush.

Mountains, Bamboo Forests and Rural Resorts

Mogan Mountain is the classic mountain retreat of Huzhou. Its combination of bamboo forests, waterfalls and historic villas distinguishes it from conventional mountain parks. More than 200 villas in different architectural styles were constructed on or around the mountain, creating a distinctive resort landscape.

Anji provides a more activity-oriented mountain experience. Visitors can walk through the Great Bamboo Sea, explore waterfalls, visit ecological villages, experience mountaintop amusement parks or stay at forest and bamboo-themed resorts. The Great Bamboo Sea is a national 4A attraction and was used as a filming location for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Taihu Lake Resorts and Family Entertainment

The southern shore of Taihu Lake contains two major tourism zones. Huzhou Taihu National Tourist Resort focuses on lake views, waterfront recreation, hot springs, resort hotels and the landmark Moon Hotel, while Taihu Longemont Paradise in Changxing is a large integrated entertainment complex.

Longemont includes hotel groups, Taihu Ancient Town, Animal World, Circus City, Ocean World, Joy Land, Water Park, Happy Farmland, a bonsai garden and wetland areas. Its size and variety make it a multi-day family destination rather than a single conventional theme park.

Ancient Tea, Ginkgo Trees and Geological Heritage

Changxing has a tourism identity based on Guzhu tea culture, ancient ginkgo trees, geological history and Taihu Lake ecology. Guzhu Mountain was an important imperial tea-producing area during the Tang dynasty, and Datang Tribute Tea Academy interprets the history of tribute tea and the relationship between tea, poetry and court culture.

The county’s Golden Nail site preserves geological evidence connected with the boundary between the Permian and Triassic periods. The Ten-Mile Ancient Ginkgo Corridor becomes one of Huzhou’s most popular seasonal landscapes when its village roads and courtyards turn golden in late autumn.

Ecological Villages and Agricultural Heritage

Huzhou is closely connected with China’s ecological-development movement. Yu Village in Anji was recognized among the Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism in 2021 and is known for transforming from resource extraction toward ecological agriculture, rural tourism and sustainable community development.

The Huzhou Mulberry-dyke and Fish-pond System represents another form of sustainability. Mulberry trees planted on pond embankments support silkworm raising, while pond nutrients support agriculture and fish production, creating a traditional circular farming system that has existed for more than 2,500 years.

Wuxing District and South Taihu Tourist Attractions

Wuxing contains Huzhou’s historic urban center, the southern Taihu Lake waterfront and the Xisai Mountain countryside. The official Huzhou tourism portal highlights Feiying Pagoda, the Huzhou writing-brush museum, historic streets, Taihu Lake Resort, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Moon Hotel, Xisai Mountain and several archaeological and rural attractions in this area.

The South Taihu New Area has approximately 13 kilometers of prime Taihu Lake shoreline and includes wetlands, natural hot-spring resources and major resort developments.

Nanxun District Tourist Attractions

Nanxun District is centered on its national 5A ancient town but also contains historic villages, bridge towns, silk-producing communities and writing-brush heritage. The official Huzhou tourism collection identifies Baijianlou, Little Lotus Garden, Jiaye Library, Zhang Shiming’s residence, Liu’s Family Compound, Digang, Shuanglin bridges, Shanlian writing-brush culture and Hanshan among the area’s principal attractions.

Deqing County Tourist Attractions

Deqing combines Mogan Mountain’s villas and bamboo forests with Xiazhu Lake’s wetlands, Xinshi’s canals and the rapidly developing Mogan Mountain foothill resort belt. The Huzhou tourism authority consistently features Mogan Mountain, Xiazhu Lake, Xinshi Ancient Town, Mogan Lake and the Fangfeng cultural area among Deqing’s major visitor resources.

Changxing County Tourist Attractions

Changxing’s main tourism belt stretches from Taihu Lake and Longemont to Guzhu Mountain, Shuikou tea country, the ancient ginkgo villages and geological sites in the western part of the county. The city tourism portal lists Longemont, Datang Tribute Tea Academy, Xianshan Lake, the ancient ginkgo corridor, Golden Nail Ancient World, Chinese Alligator Village and the New Fourth Army memorial among Changxing’s principal attractions.

Anji County Tourist Attractions

Anji is promoted as the “Bamboo County of China” and is Huzhou’s strongest area for ecological tourism, mountain activities and family resorts. The official Huzhou tourism portal highlights the Great Bamboo Sea, Bamboo Expo Park, Zhongnan Baicao Garden, Huangpu River headwaters, North Zhejiang Grand Canyon, waterfalls and Yu Village among Anji’s core attractions.

Anji Bamboo Expo Park contains a major bamboo museum and one of China’s most extensive collections of bamboo varieties. The official Huzhou introduction describes it as a large bamboo-themed garden combining botanical displays, bamboo legends and cultural exhibitions.

Best Attractions for Different Travelers

First-Time Visitors

A balanced first journey should prioritize Nanxun Ancient Town, Mogan Mountain, Anji’s bamboo landscapes and the southern Taihu Lake waterfront. These destinations represent Huzhou’s strongest combination of history, architecture, forests and lakes.

Families with Children

The leading family choices are Taihu Longemont Paradise, Zhongnan Baicao Garden, Hello Kitty Park, Anji Bamboo Expo Park, Sky Land, Shangzhu Mountain Fantasy Valley and Giraffe Manor. Longemont and Anji each contain enough attractions for several days.

History and Cultural Heritage Travelers

Choose Nanxun Ancient Town, Feiying Pagoda, Lotus Manor, Huzhou Writing Brush Museum, Xinshi Ancient Town, Shuanglin Ancient Town and Datang Tribute Tea Academy. Nanxun is best for silk-merchant architecture, while central Huzhou introduces writing-brush, scholarly and urban history.

Nature and Hiking Travelers

The strongest destinations are Mogan Mountain, North Zhejiang Grand Canyon, Canglong Hundred Waterfalls, Longwang Mountain, Great Bamboo Sea, Jiangnan Tianchi and Bawang Pond. Mogan Mountain offers the most comfortable resort-style walking, while Longwang Mountain and the canyon areas provide more demanding routes.

Rural Tourism and Sustainable Development

Visit Yu Village, Digang Ancient Village, the Mulberry-dyke and Fish-pond Heritage Area, Miaoxi, Houwu, Xiantan and the Guzhu–Shuikou tea villages. These places combine traditional agriculture, ecological restoration, village accommodation and local crafts.

Autumn Photography

The Ten-Mile Ancient Ginkgo Corridor is Huzhou’s classic late-autumn destination. Mogan Mountain, Tianmu-range forests and Anji’s mountain villages also offer autumn colors, although the timing varies with elevation and annual weather.