Celebrate the Spring Festival in vibrant Wuzhen

The Spring Festival spirit has already spread throughout Wuzhen, an ancient canal town in Zhejiang Province.

From February 3 to 25, a series of activities and events themed "Dragon Flying Over the Chinese New Year in Wuzhen" will highlight traditional Chinese culture.

With over 6,000 years of history, Wuzhen has maintained its original layout, appearance, and lifestyle as a water town. The rivers are surrounded by well-preserved Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) structures and crisscrossed by stone bridges.

The "Floating Market of Spring Festival" is a Wuzhen tradition that depicts the bustling scene of a market on the water where people can make purchases from small boats.

In addition to shopping, guests can try traditional delicacies sold at the floating market.

New Year's festival lanterns are the highlight of Wuzhen's Spring Festival, and dragon-themed lanterns are indispensable. One of the highlights is a 40-meter-long golden dragon lantern coiling high over the field, echoing the scattered bead lamps beneath.

This year, there will be four major lantern venues with over 40 different types of lanterns, highlighting the richness and complexity of Chinese traditional lantern workmanship.

"Long Street Banquet" is also a traditional core in Wuzhen.

Since ancient times, the long street feast has been a unique link to maintaining the deep emotions of Wuzhen residents. In the past, every New Year's Day, the big families would host a feast, inviting friends and relatives and passersby to share the blessings of the New Year.

They would set up tables and chairs along the street. This custom continues to this day.

As part of a long-standing tradition, people from all over the country, known or unknown to one another, gather at this feast to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

If you go

By train: Take a high-speed train from Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station or Shanghai South Railway Station to Jiaxing City, then take a bus or taxi to Wuzhen. You can also take a direct shuttle bus from Jiaxing Bus Center to Wuzhen.

By bus: Take a long-distance bus from Shanghai East Bus Station to Wuzhen.

By car: Wuzhen is roughly 120 kilometers from Shanghai and takes approximately two hours to reach.

For further information, see www.ewuzhen.com.