City Tour 79 - Huzhou

Time: 20250804-20250807 Last year's trip to Moganshan introduced me to the city of Huzhou. So, this year I visited again, walking on the bluestone roads. 1 Besides Moganshan, another city highlight is of course Nanxun. Personally, I think it’s much better than nearby Wuzhen. 2 "Four Elephants, Eight Oxen, Seventy-two Golden Dogs" was a nickname for wealthy merchants in Nanxun during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. 3 Clearly, this was once a place where the rich gathered, but what I like more is the cluster of Bai Jian Lou residences. 4 Just like in the mansion Xiaolian Zhuang of Liu Yong, the leader of the Four Elephants, my favorite is the inconspicuous Xiaolian Pavilion, which isn’t even officially called Xiaolian Pavilion. 5 Feiying Pagoda is the only "pagoda within a pagoda" structure in the country. The inner pagoda was first built in the fourth year of Tang Zhonghe, rebuilt during the Shaoxing period of the Southern Song Dynasty, currently standing eight-sided with five stories, a remaining height of 14.55 meters, made of white stone, carved with 1,031 Buddha statues and Buddhist stories. 6 Climbing the outer pagoda, you can not only overlook the top of this thousand-year-old pagoda but also enjoy a panoramic view of the entire city. 7 At the end of the Qin Dynasty, Xiang Yu started his uprising in Wuzhong. Today, Xiang Wang Park is built in the center of Huzhou city, right below the hotel. 8 In the second year of the Renshou era of the Sui Dynasty, Huzhou was established and named after its location by Taihu Lake. The name "Huzhou" has been used since then. 9 Arriving at Moon Bay in the evening feels very beautiful. Beijing has the "Big Underpants," Suzhou has "Thermal Underwear," but calling this the "Toilet Seat" is a bit shallow, right? What’s the name of the prettier bridge in front? "Sanitary Pad"? 10 In 334 BC, Chunshen Jun, one of the Four Lords of the Warring States, built Gucheng, which has a history of over 2,300 years and is officially recognized as the founding of the city. 11 Heading west from Yichang Street, you’ll pass a parking lot and then reach Xiaoxi Street. 12 Not far to the north is the thousand-year-old Iron Buddha Temple, where the Iron Guanyin statue was cast during the Northern Song Dynasty’s Qianxing period (1025 AD), standing 2.15 meters tall and weighing 1,500 kilograms. 13 Going to Anji is a more important reason for this trip to Huzhou. After Qin unified China, it implemented the commandery-county system and established Zhang Commandery here, the first commandery seat set up in Zhejiang. 14 The eight-mu mound tombs in the Longshan Yue Kingdom noble cemetery date back about 2,500 years. The main tomb stands at the center hilltop of the cemetery, with a rectangular mound oriented east-west shaped like an inverted bowl. Two circles of 31 small accompanying tombs surround the main tomb, divided into inner and outer layers, paired correspondingly. The outermost moat encloses the main tomb and the accompanying tombs, with square corners and a perimeter of about 630 meters. It is said the tomb owner was the grandfather of King Goujian of Yue. 15 A county with only 600,000 permanent residents has Banyan Tree, Club Med, was the filming location of the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and is also the source of Shanghai’s Huangpu River. 16 Today, the most frequently seen phrase in countless beautiful new villages across China was born twenty years ago in Yucun of this county. "Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets." 17 I know not everyone is interested in history. Then go visit Changdao, keep walking north, and at the end is the South Taihu Bridge. 18