Escape to Old Towns Enjoy Something Unique

Yangshuo is an ancient town in Guangxi Province. Surrounded by limestone mountain peaks and bordered on one side by the Li River, it is easily accessible by bus or by boat from nearby Guilin. Over the years, it has become particularly popular with foreign backpackers. Many tourists also rent bicycles to get around.

Yangshuo Tangrenjie Hotel - Guilin		from ¥230
Yangshuo Regency Holiday Hotel - Yangshuo		from ¥218
Dong Ling Zhuang Yuan - Yangshuo		from ¥260

Xitang, in Zhejiang Province, is mostly level and densely populated but situated in a very quiet, natural environment, so it is especially appropriate for walking tours. No less than nine rivers converge in this town, dividing it into eight sections, so the ancients called it either "nine dragon old pearl" or "wind from eight sides". As you might expect, it also has some lovely bridges.

Xitang Holiday Hotel - Xitang		from ¥300
Liu Yun Ge Hotel - Xitang		from ¥280

Lijiang old town is one of the best preserved ancient sites in China, and has been listed as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 1997. It is in the Mt. Yulong, Lugu region of Yunnan province, close to Sichuan and Tibet, and is populated by the Naxi and Mosuo peoples. It has a moderate year-round climate, and presents an opportunity to acquire many ethnic cultural souvenirs.

Zen Garden Hotel Wuyi Yard - Lijiang		from ¥500
Chateau L'Act Hotel - Lijiang		from ¥500
Palaee House - Lijiang		from ¥380

Pingyao is an old town in central Shanxi province and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is about 715km from Beijing and 80km from the provincial capital of Taiyuan. During the Qing Dynasty, it was the financial center of China, and is now renowned for its well-preserved ancient city wall.

Shanxi Grand Hotel Pingyao Hongshanyi - Pingyao		from ¥480
Pingyao Cheng Homes Fork Hotel - Pingyao		from ¥128
The Kylin Grand Hotel - Pingyao		from ¥688

Wuzhen Town, in Tongxiang City, Zhejiang Province, has a history of more than 1,000 years. Of the ancient residential houses, workshops, and stores still standing on the banks of the rivers, 169,600 square meters, accounting for 81.54 percent of the town's total floor area, have remained unchanged, lending an atmosphere of antiquity.

Lin Clan Hostel - Tongxiang		from ¥250
Qin Shui Yuan Hotel - Wuzhen		from ¥230

Dali is located on a fertile plateau between the silver Cangshan Mountains to the west and the green Erhai Lake to the east. It has traditionally been settled by the Bai and Yi minorities, and features many sites of historical architecture, cultural handicrafts and artifacts.

Lan Lin Ge Hotel - Dali		from ¥268
Regent Hotel - Dali		from ¥440
Dali Shanshui Hotel - Dali		from ¥160

Fenghuang, named for the mythical phoenix, is an ancient town of historical and cultural significance in Hunan province. Most of its wooden buildings were built by Miao and Han people during the Qing Dynasty. The ancient architecture has been kept intact, including the tranquil flagstone paved streets and houses built on stilts along the river banks.

Phoenix Jiangtian Holiday Village - Fenghuang		from ¥298
Zai Bie Chu Inn - Fenghuang		from ¥160
Biancheng International Youth Inn - Fenghuang		from ¥198