Some people say that if Jiangnan is a book, Wuzhen must be its cover. During the May Day holiday, the reporter came to Wuzhen to "visit the market", the breeze was blowing, the eyes were full of greenery, and the harvest was full of surprises along the way.
(Wuzhen Cruise)
In Wuzhen, every morning is a lively event. At 7 o'clock in the morning, the reporter rushed to the Xizha Water Market, wanting to be a "morning tea guest". The bazaar is already full of people, and the breakfast shop near the river is steaming, with crispy fried dumplings on the outside and tender on the inside, dried green onions, ginger and tofu with sweet sauce, square cakes sprinkled with layers of osmanthus flowers, and steaming bamboo shoots with fresh meat and roasted wheat...... The rich and diverse morning tea makes it "difficult to choose" for a while. While tasting a delicious breakfast, the reporter noticed that in addition to tourists, there were many locals in the bazaar. The owner of the breakfast shop told reporters that these residents of the towns and villages in the four towns and eight neighboring towns and villages are accustomed to coming out early in the morning with their boats to drink morning tea and catch a morning market by the way. Leisurely "morning tea drinkers" chatter while listening to the play, old people are picking fresh vegetables and fruits, and children are playing by the river...... The daily life full of fireworks constitutes the most beautiful scenery in Wuzhen.
(Morning Tea Market on the Water)
In the communication with the locals, the reporter learned that Wuzhen has been established for more than 1,300 years, and the residents live by the water. In the distant past, this thousand-year-old town did not have developed land transportation, people traveled, and business transactions were through waterways, and fixed open waters such as wharves formed trading markets. Historically, the water market in Xizha was one of the largest water trading markets in the ancient town. As long as the residents near the river shout, the boat will rock to the water pavilion, and you can buy fresh vegetables without leaving the house. This convenient lifestyle is loved by the residents. So, even with the passage of time, Wuzhen's water market is still thriving.
The satisfaction of morning tea and the novel experience set a pleasant tone for a day trip to Wuzhen. In addition to the water market, during the May Day period, the various styles of the market in Wuzhen brought many unexpected surprises, and the "Early Spring Market of the Republic of China" next to the water market is impressive: accompanied by the endless performances of old street performers, stepping on the stone road to visit the literary and artistic stalls, customizing a set of cheongsam in the tailor shop, encountering a street acrobatic at the corner, and tasting the local seasonal snacks of "pork rib rice cake" and "malt cake...... The retro market integrates the elements of the Republic of China into the beautiful scenery of the south of the Yangtze River, giving people a wonderful experience of "being in a different world".
(Early Spring City, Republic of China)
In the evening, the lanterns came on, and the Huazhao Spring Night Fair of Zhaoming Academy drew a successful end to the "shopping market" experience. Song-style elegant stalls gather near the water, make a lacquer fan, light a lotus lamp, DIY silk fan, and feel the vitality of traditional intangible cultural heritage skills. In addition, there are also juggling games, flower sticks, wooden brick handstands, top flower beds, high platform shaking pipes and other wonderful performances.
(Hanasho Shunyashu)
The diverse theme market is part of the second season of the "Wuzhen Good Life Festival", which opened on April 1. It is understood that this year's activity has been upgraded in the first quarter of last year's "Wuzhen Good Life Festival", and has launched four major activity units: "Through a Hundred Years, Tracing the Era of the Republic of China", "Exploring Wuqing Town, Song Yun Xichun Idle Story", "Wuzhen in the Intangible Cultural Heritage, Jiangnan Water Town Carnival" and "Wuchun Market, a Better Life is in Wucun". Theme bazaars, theatrical performances, folk juggling, and flavor spring banquets have appeared in the Wuzhen Scenic Area, and intangible cultural heritage performances such as silkworm flower meetings and white boats can also be encountered...... The event will run until May 31.
(Mizukami Night Collection)
It is worth mentioning that in this Good Life Festival, Wuzhen and NetEase's classic national style "Journey to the West" series of games are dreamily linked, creating Wuzhen's characteristic scenes and gameplay in the game for a limited time, integrating traditional intangible cultural heritage culture with national style concept game culture. Let players feel the unique Jiangnan charm and love between the taps of the palm.
Wuzhen, like the gate of time and space, runs through the past and the present, full of surprises, and has become an excellent example of effective protection and reasonable development of ancient towns......
Jiangnan Times reporter Mao Yan/text, photo