Water Town Idyll
It's not easy to find a good water town anymore, so we were excited to hear about Anchang. Situated in the heel just under Hangzhou Bay, it's just out of the way enough to keep the thronging hordes at bay.

Anchang was once a thriving trading spot, but now it's a one-canal town encircled by industrial sprawl. Thirty minutes and you've walked one end to the other, an hour if you stop at the quaint stone carving museum with its small selection of exquisite stone carvings. Nice, as long as you have no expectations. Anchang's main attraction is the walkway which edges the canal. It's composed of large slabs of the local granite and covered, for the most part, by a wooden gallery stained by the years. Walk along the ancient flagstones in the early morning, before the touts set out their wares, and listen to the echo of your footsteps. That's time you're hearing. Later in the morning, grab a bench at a rickety table and sip your morning tea. In the evening, find a wine shop and pull at a cup of the local huangjiu brew, one of south China's most time honored traditions. When finished, take a wupeng boat from one end to the other and watch the locals row with their feet.

Before you leave, buy some labai tang, a locally made candy. There are three kinds and the yellow kind (peppermint flavored) is the best. It's not the find of the century, but it'll make the loved ones back home happy indeed.

Details

Express train to Hangzhou, then cab it out to Anchang (￥70). We recommend you stay in Hangzhou or Shaoxing.