National Geographic was right! The best New Year atmosphere in Jiangnan

Take your parents to Wuzhen this Lantern Festival to experience the unique New Year atmosphere of a Jiangnan water town! This year, Wuzhen is celebrating the Year of the Snake with a series of themed events, including a water festival, intangible cultural heritage festival, and technology festival. Check out my Wuzhen Lantern Festival guide 🏮 ❶ Water Festival 🏮 Water Market The water market is a boat decorated by locals and filled with Wuzhen specialties. It docks along the riverbank and attracts tourists to come and shop. The New Year atmosphere is strong, and it's a great place to take photos. Location: Lingshui Wharf Time: 11:30–20:30 🏮 New Year Banquet In the past, during the New Year, wealthy families in Wuzhen would hold banquets on the street, and everyone would connect their tables and chairs to form a long street banquet. The main dish at the banquet is Wuzhen hot pot, which includes fish balls, meatballs, abalone, shrimp, mushrooms, and seasonal vegetables, among other Jiangnan delicacies! Location: Tea Art Street Time: 11:00–13:30/17:00–20:30 ❷ Intangible Cultural Heritage Festival 🏮 Watch a Show in Dongzha Jiangnan flower drum opera is performed on the ancient stage in Dongzha. The tunes are lively and smooth, the plot is simple and fast-paced, and the themes are often drawn from rural life, exuding a strong local flavor. Location: Dongzha Ancient Stage Time: 10:00–16:00 ❸ Technology Festival 🏮 "New Quality Connection" Digital Art Exhibition With "artificial intelligence" as the core, 13 internet scene application exhibits have been carefully created, allowing everyone to imagine the infinite possibilities of the future world through interactive experiences. Even my parents found it novel and interesting! Location: Wuzhen World Internet Technology Museum Time: 9:00–17:00 🏮 Cyber Market The cyber market cleverly combines ancient courtyards with cyber lanterns, adding a strong sense of technology to the festival, as if traveling to a future world! Location: Zhaoming Academy Time: 14:00–21:00 [Accommodation] This time, I took my parents to stay at the Dike Resort Hotel, which is located in the scenic area. The environment is elegant, and the facilities are complete. The hotel design is unique, with a strong sense of fashion, and it is very comfortable to stay in. It also allows people to deeply feel the charm of the Jiangnan water town, making it especially suitable for families and couples. After the Spring Festival holiday, there are relatively fewer tourists in Wuzhen, making it a good time to travel off-peak! In Wuzhen, you can not only experience rich traditional customs but also enjoy unique night views and delicious food, making it very suitable for off-peak travel.