Shuitingmen Historic Block
水亭门
A historic old-street district by the west gate of Quzhou’s ancient city, with city gate towers, flagstone lanes and snack shops. It’s a great place to try the local “three heads and one palm” snacks.
Shuitingmen was originally called Chaojing Gate. It is the west gate of the Quzhou prefectural city, facing the Qu River, and in the old days it was a busy river wharf and commercial hub. The restored district is built around Shuiting Street, Shangxiaying Street and Chaijia Lane, and it preserves historic buildings such as Tianfei Palace, Zhou King Temple and City God Temple. Along the streets you’ll find shops selling Quzhou duck heads, rabbit heads, baked flatbread, mochi, Shao Yongfeng sesame cakes, and creative gifts. Climb the city gate tower for views over the Qu River and Fushi Pool. For a great evening walk, start at the Shuitingmen gate tower, follow the ancient city wall to Da Nanmen, then continue to the Bell Tower and the Kong Clan Southern Branch Temple. This roughly 3-km loop is a classic old-city stroll. Admission to the district is free. Getting there: about 15 minutes by taxi from Quzhou Railway Station. On weekend nights in peak season it gets very crowded, and if you’re eating the spicy snacks, go easy on the chili.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Tianwang Pagoda
- Tianning Temple
- Xin'an Lake
- Quzhou Bell Tower
- Quzhou City Wall
- Southern Kong Family Temple
- Quzhou Museum
- Luming Park