Yaowan Ancient Town
窑湾古镇
A thousand-year-old water town where the Grand Canal meets Luoma Lake. Ming and Qing merchant houses, guild halls and a Catholic church stand side by side, and it is known as the “Little Shanghai of northern Jiangsu.”
Yaowan Ancient Town lies in the southwest of Xinyi City, where the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal meets Luoma Lake. Historically an important trading port on the canal, it was lined with merchant shops from the Ming and Qing dynasties through the Republican era. It is known as the “Venice of the East” and the “Little Shanghai of northern Jiangsu.” The town retains grey-brick alleys, the Shanxi Guild Hall, the Zhao Xinlong Sauce Shop, the Wu Family Compound, an old opera stage and a late-Qing Catholic church. Local specialties include mung bean liquor and sweet soy sauce. Entry fees follow the scenic area's official notice, and the town is lit up at night. It is about 90 kilometres from Xuzhou city centre, roughly 1.5 hours by car, and it is best visited for a full day.
Opening hours
08:00–17:30 (extended hours for night views)
Nearby sights
- Maling Mountain Scenic Area
- Dugong Lake
- Pan'an Lake National Wetland Park
- Jinlong Lake & Quarry Park
- Dalong Lake
- Shizishan Chu King Tomb & Han Terracotta Warriors Museum
- Huaihai Campaign Martyrs Memorial Tower
- Kuaizai Pavilion Park