One-Day Tour: A Journey of Beauty at Xishi’s Hometown

Depart Shanghai in the morning via the Shanghai-Hangzhou and Hangzhou-Jinhua-Quzhou Expressways and head for Wuxie Scenic Area in Zhuji (4.5 hours’ drive). Spend around 40 minutes for lunch, featuring a local Zhuji farmhouse specialty – dog meat. After lunch, visit Wuxie, a national scenic spot, national forest park and national AAAA-level tourist attraction for roughly 3.5 hours. Take a painted pleasure boat cruising the rippling Wuxie Lake; ride an electric shuttle or stroll through the Taoyuan Scenic Zone dotted with peach blossoms; pay homage to Wuxie Temple, an ancient monastery of the Caodong Sect; climb the mountain to admire China’s one-of-a-kind five-tier cascading waterfalls: the elegant and delicate First Fall, curtain-like Second Fall, gracefully varied Third Fall, galloping steed-like Fourth Fall, and flood dragon surging out of the sea-like Fifth Fall, as well as other scenic highlights. Set off on the return trip at around 16:30.

Depart Shanghai in the morning via the Shanghai-Hangzhou and Hangzhou-Jinhua-Quzhou Expressways to Diantangfan, one of China’s Top Ten Leisure Farms (4 hours’ drive). Spend about 1.5 hours enjoying leisure activities: escape the hustle and bustle of urban life, unwind amid farmlands and woods, return to a simple natural lifestyle and savour laid-back rural charm. Visitors can experience angling and taste genuine fresh farmhouse cuisine. After lunch, drive for 15 minutes to Xishi’s Hometown, a national AAAA-level scenic area built with an investment of 1.5 billion RMB. It showcases lifelike statues of the Four Great Beauties headed by Xishi, plus numerous outstanding distinguished women from all dynasties of China. The 3–3.5-hour sightseeing covers Xishi Palace, the landmark shrine of Xishi culture; Fan Li Shrine dedicated to the God of Literary Wealth, where guests pray for academic success; ancient Yue-style folk performances held at the Zheng Clan Ancestral Hall; and the Folk Custom Museum that traces the origins of traditional beauty culture. Return at approximately 16:30.

Leave Shanghai early morning via the Shanghai-Hangzhou and Hangzhou-Jinhua-Quzhou Expressways en route to Douyan Scenic Area in Zhuji (4 hours’ drive). Have lunch for about 40 minutes. Post-lunch, tour Douyan, a sacred Buddhist resort for 1.5 hours. Highlights include an 81.6-metre giant Buddha, vivid magical Thousand-Buddha Mountain, rock climbing, giant drum beating and the Dragon King Hall. Drive 20 minutes to Tangjiangyan, the largest fully-equipped outdoor outward bound training base in East China. Experience thrilling outward bound challenges and large-scale aquatic entertainment activities for roughly 2.5 hours. Head back at around 16:30.