ancient towns and villages of eastern Zhejiang|china travel

Thin drizzle shrouds Jingxing Rock in a mist, creating a dream-like scene, in Xianju county, Zhejiang province.[China Daily]

The ancient towns and villages of eastern Zhejiang and its picturesque scenery have been the location of many films.

Eastern Zhejiang province is one of the most romantic regions of China. The idyllic corridor between the ocean and mountains has inspired legions of moviemakers, drawn to its natural beauty and picture postcard towns.

Shipu Fishing Port

The classic black-and-white movie Song of the Fisherman, shot in Shipu, 1933, made the port famous.

It's a colorful place, as exemplified by the traditional fishing boats that are lacquered in black and white and gaudy bars of green and red. The green on the bow is said to look like an eyebrow, hence the colloquial name of the distinctive boats from the town: "green eyebrows".

Hu Gencai, from a long line of boatmakers and who owns a boat modeling shop in the town, says the boats have three masts, which enable them to move in any direction, whatever way the wind blows.

Even though he has retired, Hu still makes model boats and a 1-meter long model takes about 20 days for him to complete.

Tradition is a strong facet of Shipu life and married women still wash fishing lights at Mid-River Temple, while grandmothers gather at City God Temple to fold shoe-shaped paper ingots; and plants grow in trumpet shells outside houses.

Shipu has a quiet pace of life and typical activities include drinking a glass of grass jelly while listening to stories told by the elderly, watching opera at the Temple of Lord Guan, and eating seafood on street corners.

If you go

Shipu county is 149 km from Ningbo

and there are regular buses between the towns. There are many hotels and guesthouses in Shipu, while Peninsula Hotel, with seaview rooms, has some of the best facilities.

"Seafood Street" in the center of the town is a popular destination for a marine life meal, while the fishermen's canteens in Dongmen fishing village are a lot cheaper. Dongmen is where the movie Song of the Fisherman was shot.

Entrance tickets to Shipu Ancient Town are 60 yuan ($9.15), while the view from Dajin Hill is well worth the trek. Fishing at Yushan and viewing what is called the "stone forest on the sea" at Hua'ao Island are other tourist options.

Shipu has many local festivals, such as Stepping on Sand Beach in spring, the International Fishing Festival in summer, Fishing Season Festival in fall, and the Lantern Festival and Seafood Festival in winter.

Qiantong Ancient Town

In a house in one of Qiantong's quiet lanes is an old-fashioned barber's chair that was used in the movie, The Barber.

The film's release was delayed for one year, after the director Chen Yifei (1946-2005) died, but Qiantong county, called Heshun in the movie, has plenty to recommend itself after 700 years of history.

There's a saying that, "Rich land fosters more talent" and this perfectly describes Qiantong, which has hundreds of first class craftsmen, such as stone and wood engravers, painters, coopers, shoemakers and tailors.

According to Tong's Genealogy, there used to be more than 300 tailors in the village in 1936 and many of them later set up workshops in Shanghai, Ningbo, Taizhou and Wuhan.

As one of the larger towns on the southern reaches of the Yangtze River, Qiantong has thousands of Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties-style houses, ancestral halls, memorial archways and pavilions that are well preserved.

Water is still drawn by families from Bai Rivulet and walking the cobbled roads is like having a foot massage. You will often see students painting besides brooks or in front of an old house.

If time allows, visit Ninghai, 10 km from Qiantong. At the entrance of Longdengqiang Alley, a barbershop that looks similar to the one in the movie is still functioning and has the same old-fashioned type of facilities.

Ninghai Forest Spa and the Grand Canyon of East Zhejiang are also worth visiting.

If you go

Ninghai county is 85 km from Ningbo and 94 km from Shipu. Regular buses ply the route between Ninghai, Ningbo, Shipu and Qiantong.

Highly recommended dishes include tofu, dried bamboo shoots and smelly peanuts at Qiantong Restaurant, in front of Qiantong bus station. Wheat cake, sold on the street by vendors, is also a must-try.

Entrance to Qiantong Ancient Town is 40 yuan, Ninghai Forest Spa is 198 yuan, the Grand Canyon of East Zhejiang is 85 yuan.

Linhai Old Street

Walking along the city walls of Linhai is a great experience, especially in the rain, as swallows fly low and the mist turns the scene into a kind of fairyland.

A walk along the wall can be divided into two sections, the old section, and the new, which passes apartments built in the 1980s.

At the end of the walk you will find Ziyang Old Street in the old town of Linhai. This 1 km long street was the location for the small-budget movie The Sweet Life on Toilet.

You will no longer see the scene from the movie in which people queue up to sit on red-lacquered toilets in front of every household, but the stone memorial archways, old restaurants, barbershops and fortune-telling shops are still here.

There are three old shops that are definitely worth a visit. Established in 1861, Cai Yongli's Beam Scale Shop is the oldest store on the street; Dai's Shoe Shop was the first in Linhai to produce hand-made shoes, and Anletian Restaurant, established in the late Qing Dynasty, is a leisurely place to hang out.

If you go

Linhai is 75 km from Ninghai and is served by regular buses.

Longxing Temple and Tiantai Hill are two other sites worth visiting in Linhai and buses depart every 20 minutes from Linhai to Tiantai, a journey that takes about one hour.

The ticket for Taizhou city walls is 50 yuan, Longxing Temple is 10 yuan, Tiantai Hill is 20 yuan.

Taozhu Ancient Town

Though Taozhu Ancient Town charges entry for tourists it is so laid back here that the guy selling tickets is hard to find as he spends most of his time playing cards and watching TV at a nearby club that used to be an old temple.

The town nestles beside a mountain and is embraced by the city walls and a river. Taking a walk along the city walls is the best way to enjoy the town's sights.

When night falls, a stay at Lang's Old House is a neat experience. It is also the only place providing accommodation in the town.

The owner, Lang Xunlu, often talks about the crew of Gate of the Sea, a TV show that was shot here.

You should definitely go to the market, crowded with vendors, stretching from the west gate to the east gate. Fruit and vegetables, and traditional attire in vivid colors, are on sale.

Listen to the locals bargaining and you will discover that the local dialect is as strange as a foreign language, even to Mandarin speakers.

If you go

Taozhu is 40 km from Linhai and is a stop along the Linhai-Sicha township route.

Lang's Old House is just 40 yuan per person a night, with shared bathroom. (0576-8578-0654).

Jingxing Rock of Xianju

The Forbidden Kingdom features mind-blowing kungfu from Jackie Chan and Jet Li and the dazzling scenery of Xianju county.

There is a lift to Jingxing Rock that is accessed through a cave, after walking along a short mountain road. The rock is perched on top of a 700-meter-high hill.

From this vantage point watching the marshmallow-like clouds floating over the terraced fields and green valleys, it is easy to appreciate why the place is called Xianju, which means "wonderland".

If you go

Xianju is 52 km from Linhai, served by buses every 25 minutes.

Xianju has many attractions, such as the Rapeseed Flower Festival in March and April, Waxberry Festival in June, and Sunflower Festival in August.

Tickets to Jingxing Rock are 48 yuan.

Zhang Zixuan contributed to the story.