We continued our town-hopping journey among the ancient waterfront towns of Eastern China, moving slowly from Hangzhou towards the direction of Suzhou over 4 nights. After visiting Wuzhen East and Wuzhen West, a shared-taxi took the two of us, one Chinese traveler and a local worker to our next destination, the beautiful, timeless town of Xitang.
By then we’re traveling deeper and deeper into the old marshland country, where boats served for thousands of years as the only connection to the outside world until the advent of reliable roads in the 1990’s. Even today local towns remain connected, through the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, to cities a thousand kilometers to the north. If our previous stop at Wuzhen was a first introduction into this cultural landscape of narrow waterways and little black-top boats, we’ve now fully surrounded by the territory of traditional watertowns, collectively known as the Venice of the Orient.
All towns here were once built upon and interconnected by a crisscrossing network of ancient canals and riverways, and Xitang was smack dab in the middle of it all. A short boat ride to the northeast would take you to the remote corner where the modern provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Shanghai collide, carving up this ancient land into three. We’re now almost equidistant from the neighboring metropolises of Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou, each requiring a 2-hour bus trip even in this age of mega highways.
This inconvenience of transport became a blessing in disguise at the turn of the new millennium, when mass tourism rediscovered Xitang’s Qing Dynasty charm in the midst of the ugly industrial sprawl of the developing Yangtze Delta. And after the filming of Mission Impossible 3 in town, international visitors have started to arrive in busloads to find the face of Tom Cruise plastered inside the town’s numerous souvenir shops.
Unsuspecting travelers may be welcomed by completely contradictory images of Xitang, depending on the time of arrival. Some see thousands of (mostly domestic) tourists trampling through on their 2-hour kamikaze rounds of the town, funneled into the Qilaoye Temple for incense dedications with kick-backs filling the tour guides’ fat pockets. Others find a serene, unpolished gem of a genuine close-knit neighborhood of local Wu-dialect speakers, still carrying on their morning exercise and clothes-washing routines in groups.
Yes it’s Jekyll-and-Hyde, and which face of Xitang you experience will depend on how your plan your day. IMHO the absolute worst way to see the town is to join the locally organized one-day tours departing from Shanghai/Hangzhou/Suzhou for amazingly cheap prices (RMB 120-ish), wasting the morning with mandatory shopping at a silk factory, arriving around lunchtime and rushing around town for 2.5 hours, then wasting even more time at a tea factory with even more kick-backs going to the travel agency. No wonder why the town gets so much negative rap about its crowdedness, when everyone tends to arrive between the hours of 11:00 and 15:00.
You’ll experience a much quieter, much more authentic Xitang if you stay for a night and enjoy the quiet few hours of the morning, stumbling upon the neighborhood gossip in the town’s narrow courtyards and watching the street-side snack vendors setting up with the help of the rest of the family. I can’t say whether I like Xitang better than Wuzhen, but it definitely feels more authentic especially before the arrival of the armada of tour buses.
While the town offers a number of little museums and cute example of traditional architecture, the real attraction of the town is the town itself -- its precariously crooked rooflines, its unembellished contrast of air-conditioners obtruding out of whitewashed Qing Dynasty walls, and the classical image of red lanterns suspended along the shores of its several canals. A couple of the official sights (Misty Rain Long Corridor and the West Garden) were also nice, while others were surely deliberate and entirely unnecessary efforts by the tourism developer to justify the price of the entrance ticket.
A touristy but fun thing to do was to cruise the canals in an indigenous black-top boat, enjoying a different perspective of the town while rocking side-to-side by the stroke of hand-propelled sculling-oar. It’s no less authentic than a gondola ride in Venice, at a small fraction of the price. A 20 minute cruise on a shared boat, usually with another couple if you pick a non-peak time, cost a measly RMB 20 with a valid entrance ticket, or roughly 2.5 Euros per person. What could you buy in Venice for 2.5 Euros? We should have taken 4 cruises.
Sundown is when the multiple faces of Xitang go full schizophrenic. With all day-trippers gone, the southern stretches of the canal grow completely still and romantic; the middle section remains tolerably crowded and touristy with all the souvenir shops and teahouses vying for business; and by the time you get to the so-called Pub Street where the two main canals meet, every screeching speakers would be on full-blast on Taiwanese and Hong Kong pops and the occasional Korean dance hit. It was time to return to the authenticity and tranquility offered by our local host at our excellent guesthouse.
Our favorite memory of Xitang wasn’t the night scenery or the canal cruise, but of the fantastic time we spent in a very special guesthouse, or Kezhan as it’s locally known. It’s so special that I’d be willing to visit Xitang just for the privilege of spending a night inside this house ...
Hotel Review: SHENDETANG(Xitang)
Address: Xiaxi Jie 79, Xitang Town
Price: RMB 150
Website: Offical Blog by Owner (in Chinese)
How To Book: Walk in, or call them at 13705832818 in Chinese.
Directions: Start from the West Garden (Xiyuan). Facing outward from the Garden, turn left and walk down the block towards the next narrow alleyway (known as Ligengtang Nong). The entrance to Shendetang looks like a long, dark, semi-covered corridor. Be brave and walk to the very end!
This is not just any guesthouse. This is a time machine back to the Ming Dynasty, 500 years in the past.
Over the years we’ve enjoyed staying with local families in their indigenous medieval houses around the world. Northern China’s Pingyao, Japan’s Shirakawago and Telc in the Czech Republic come to mind. But this house in Xitang is special -- it is not only the oldest of any inn we’ve ever stayed in, but also the longest continuously owned by the original family. Walk inside and you’ll be welcomed by the two Mr. Wangs, the 22nd and 23rd generation masters of this illustrious mansion.
Shendetang, literally the Hall of Conscientious Integrity, is an officially protected heritage building of 16th Century folk architecture, not to mention a favorite filming locale of Chinese TV dramas. What remains visible as the grand hall today was only the centerpiece of a much larger villa, once containing seven layers of courtyards each with their own housing quarters. Through the past decades of turmoil and socialist policies, ownership of the outer six layers have all been conceded and assigned to the poorer neighbors. It’s almost a miracle that the innermost hall had remained unmolested during the Cultural Revolution years, and that ownership was allowed to continue to this date.
The grand hall itself is a priceless museum of folk architecture with its intricately carved overhead beams, giant wooden plaques of centuries-old calligraphy and scroll paintings of the clan’s forefathers clad in Imperial scholar-bureaucrat regalia. The simple task of walking around demands extreme caution, as any random piece of furniture would easily exceed a couple hundred years of age, not including the collection of exotic vases and figurines on the display shelves.
One elegantly simple blue-on-white ceramic urn with a flower motif caught my eyes. "Zhe Shi Qing Fang Ming De," explained Mrs. Wang, that it's a Qing Dynasty replica of Ming Dynasty luxury. When your collection of Chinese knock-offs are 300-year-old counterfeits of 500-year-old artworks, it’s difficult to convince visitors that you’re actually living in the 21st Century.
Even as an immaculate display of scholarly life in Imperial China, Shendetang would put many museums to shame ... except it's not a museum, but a living fossil housing the heirs of a bygone lifestyle. Occupying a corner of the hall was Mr. Wang's office desk of antique black rosewood with his well-used abacus, instead of the calculator, sitting next to his guesthouse ledgers.
Located on the second floor of the grand hall was our guestroom with its own antique furniture pieces, including this beautiful Qing Dynasty rosewood bed frame meticulously carved in a traditional theme of auspicious peonies. While the room may seem simple on first glance, it did come with a western style toilet and shower, air conditioning, Chinese Cable TV and even a computer for the convenience of sending emails back home. The amenities were actually better compared to a lot of more expensive rooms we've stayed in, and for an unbelievably cheap price of RMB 150 (CAD$24).
Beyond our room's carved window panes was a view of the town's grey curving rooflines. IMHO this place is really Xitang's best hidden gem for anyone with any interest in a glimpse of the traditional culture of Eastern China. How many other Ming Dynasty hotels can you name, anywhere in China?
FOOD REVIEWS
Besides its medieval architecture and photogenic canals, Xitang is also quite famous among domestic Chinese tourists for its great street snacks. We purposely skipped lunch to save our stomach room for several of these street side stalls, selected as usual based on the number of local Chinese patrons in the queue.
Food Review: GUANLAOTAI (Xitang)
Directions: This is one of the smallest food vending stalls, located in the middle of the Misty Rain Long Corridor. Look for the hung picture of Guanlaotai as shown in the picture.
Here is Xitang's best street snack, served out of this bleak 2-feet-by-2-feet stall operated by a locally famous elderly lady. If you aren't convinced, see the hung plaques officially declaring its status as Intangible Cultural Heritage. This is the renowned Stinky Tofu stall of Guanlaotai, or Old Lady Guan.
The problem is ... virtually every Stinky Tofu stall in town calls itself Guanlaotai, in the typical Chinese fashion of knock-offs. We originally went to another vendor and the taste was nowhere close. Recognize the above picture and don't get duped by an imitator.
Stinky Tofu is an ubiquitous street snack found anywhere from Hong Kong to Taipei to Shanghai, emitting a distinct aroma during the deep-frying process that can be smelled from the next block. Before it gets to your plate though that stinkiness dissipates and the tofu transforms into a flavorful morsel that has attracted millions of faithfuls. Every region has its local twist when it comes to Stinky Tofu, and the secret recipe of Xitang is served right here, inside this old frying wok.
Anything that I looked for in a dish of good stinky tofu, Guanlaotai had it all. That deep complex flavor achieved by the perfect fermentation of soy protein? Check. A golden crunchy shell without a lot of excess oil? Check. A silken soft texture in the tofu? Check. A good slavering of sweet sauce and chili sauce? Check. If you have enough room for just one plate of street snack in Xitang, this is my recommendation. But make sure you visit the real Guanlaotai!
Bill for Two Persons
| Stinky Tofu | RMB 5 |
| Marinated Duck Stomachs (from a neighboring stall) | RMB 5 |
| TOTAL | RMB 10 (CAD$1.6) |
Food Review: LUSHI HUNTUN (Xitang)
Directions: Go to the intersection of the two major canals. Lushi Huntun is in the square just south of that intersection, usually with a small crowd of faithfuls sitting on the wooden benches with their wonton.
If the quality of a street side vendor can be judged by its popularity among local Chinese patrons, this place must be among the best of Xitang. Just look at these crowds while we shared a table with the locals, and you know this place is for real.
This is the Eastern Chinese version of the all-day breakfast joint, pumping out bowls after bowls of steaming hot wonton, or more properly, huntun. RMB 6 wasn't cheap for a small bowl of huntun, but we just had to trust this large following of fans.
Each bowl came with about 12 of these Eastern Chinese style huntuns, each one being roughly the size of a One Yuan coin. This may look like a rip-off on first glance, especially if you're more used to the Cantonese style of wonton -- the broth was a bit light on flavor, and the miniscule dab of meat inside the layered wrapping was nothing compared to the huge balls of shrimps you typically see in the Cantonese version right? But this was an entirely different style of wonton, with an entirely different strategy of winning the patron's business ...
The magic here was in the wrapping, and not in the filling or the soup as you'd expect in Guangzhou or Hong Kong. This rice flour wrapping was the softest and smoothest I've ever tasted, practically sliding down the throat on its own without any extra effort. Coupled with the Youtiao donut (order one if you see them, as they sell out fast) it actually made a more filling snack than I expected. I think I still prefer the Cantonese style for a more substantial meal, but this version in Xitang would be great for breakfast, exactly the way it's intended.
Bill for Two Persons
| Huntun in Soup x 2 | RMB 12 |
| Youtiao Donut | RMB 2 |
| TOTAL | RMB 14 (CAD$2.2) |
Food Review: QIANSHI DOUFUHUA (Xitang)
Directions: See the directions for Lushi Huntun above. This Tofu Pudding stall is just north of the Huntun stall.
This stall is well-known as a third generation family business, an institution in Xitang for decades selling one and only one item -- the Doufuhua, or Silken Tofu Pudding.
As usual there's a sweet version as well as a savory version, depending on whether you want it as a snack or a dessert. It doesn't matter anyway as nobody comes here for the taste -- it's the texture that determines the quality.
And the smoothness here was above average, though I have to say I expected an even smoother texture from a generations-old vendor of such high repute. While I wouldn't put this in the must-try category, it was still enjoyable as a warm, homey dessert on a cold November day.
Bill for Two Persons
| Silken Tofu Pudding | RMB 5 |
After stuffing ourselves on the variety of street snacks we had room for only one proper meal in Xitang. Consulting the Chinese side of the Internet we narrowed down to three choices -- Laopinfang, Songzideyuelou and Yijiangnan, each with their own fans and critics. We ended up going to Songzideyuelou as it was the first we came across.
Food Review: SONGZIDEYUELOU (Xitang)
Address: Tangdong Jie 15, Xitang
Hours: 11:00 – 21:00 (unofficial; based on observation)
Website/Map: From Dianping.com (in Chinese)
Directions: Start from the intersection of the two main canals. Tangdong Jie is the north-south street on the east side of the canals. This restaurant is on the stretch of Tangdong Jie visible from the stone arch of the Anjing Bridge.
Make no mistake about it: Xitang is a tourist town, and virtually every restaurant presents itself as a two-storey, faux-Qing Dynasty style wooden building serving the same repertoire of peasant dishes representative of the region. The good news is that culinary influences from Suzhou and Hangzhou run deep in this region, and the general quality of local dishes is quite decent and perhaps even familiar if you've even had Shanghainese cuisine.
We started with an unbelievably cheap (RMB 5!) but excellent dish of Periwinkles in Soy Sauce (Jiangbao Luosi). This had everything I generally look for in stir-fried Periwinkles: a boldly flavored dark soy sauce, a hint of chili, and most importantly, every single shell had the pointy tip sheared off, allowing the snail to be sucked out ... well ... most of the time. What more could I ask for in a dish costing less than $1 in CAD/USD/Euro? Just the shearing alone probably takes ten minutes of work!
My wife the soup-lover ordered this Simmered Duck Soup with Huntun (Laoya Huntun Bao), another local favorite making its presence on every table in the house. Not much duck meat inside that claypot, but all the good essence of the duck bones had been extracted into the milky soup through hours of slow simmering. This was good, but things would get even better.
The best dish of the night was this unassuming dish called Shenxian Doufu, or Fairy Tofu. I had no idea what to expect as "Fairy Tofu" can mean entirely different things depending on which region of China you're in ... one time we even had a version of Fairy Tofu in Jiangxi Province with absolutely no tofu in it. Go figure.
To this date I'm still not entire sure what was in this Xitang version of Fairy Tofu, except that it was miraculously good. I thought it almost tasted like Fish Tofu, which is not tofu at all but a solidified puree of fluffed fish meat. This Fairy Tofu here was a little firmer and chewier, and much more flavorful than any Fish Tofu I've had in the past. We finished this dish in no time.
Arriving at the end was the one dish that everyone comes to Xitang for, the local version of the ubiquitous Eastern Chinese style Braised Pork Knuckle, known in this town as Songzi Longti. Frankly I didn't taste much of a difference between this dish versus any other traditional braised pork knuckle I've had anywhere else in China ... for instance the cheap take-out version from Beijing's Tianfuhao. Isn't it a compliment to be comparable to a 200-year-old Beijing institution? Perhaps, but I'd rather spend my stomach room on the more distinguishable local dishes.
Bill for Two Persons
| Periwinkles | RMB 5 |
| Fairy Tofu | RMB 25 |
| Simmered Duck Soup with Huntun | RMB 28 |
| Braised Pork Knuckle (Half) | RMB 42 |
| Large Beer | RMB 10 |
| Rice and Plate Sets | RMB 2 |
| TOTAL | RMB 112 (CAD$17.8) |
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