Central-Western Zhejiang

The Jinqu Basin in Zhejiang's interior, a region of culture and landscapes combining Hengdian Studios, Yiwu's small-commodities market, Zhuge Bagua Village and Mount Jianglang's Danxia.

The Central-Western Zhejiang region covers the entire jurisdictions of the two prefecture-level cities of Jinhua and Quzhou in Zhejiang Province, in the Jinqu Basin of central-western Zhejiang. Under this plan, Qiandao Lake and Tonglu, often called "western Zhejiang," belong administratively to Hangzhou and are placed in Northern Zhejiang, not in this region. Jinhua's side has dense highlights: Hengdian Studios in Dongyang is one of China's largest film and TV shooting bases, where you can watch live-action shows and perhaps run into a film crew; the Yiwu International Trade City is good for shopping and for seeing the global hub of small commodities; ancient villages and residences such as Zhuge Bagua Village in Lanxi, Lu Mansion in Dongyang and Yuyuan in Wuyi show the refinement of Wu-school architecture; and the Shuanglong Caves in Jinhua are famous for entering the cave by lying in a boat. Quzhou is the sacred land of the Southern Confucian lineage, where the Confucian Southern Family Temple and the old city wall are worth a stroll; Mount Jianglang in Jiangshan is part of the "China Danxia" World Natural Heritage site, where three giant rocks rise straight from the ground, and Nianbadu Ancient Town retains the unusual character of a place where many dialects and surnames mix; the Longyou Grottoes and Qianjiangyuan in Kaihua are also distinctive. A classic itinerary is 3–5 days in and out of Jinhua: 1–2 days at Hengdian, half a day shopping in Yiwu, one day for Lanxi's ancient village and Shuanglong Caves, then two days heading west to Quzhou and Jiangshan. Getting around: the Shanghai–Kunming high-speed line runs across the whole region, with stations at Yiwu, Jinhua, Longyou, Quzhou, Jiangshan and elsewhere; Yiwu Airport and Quzhou Airport have domestic flights; sights within the region are scattered, so self-drive is more flexible. Spring and autumn are best; summer is muggy in the basin, and when climbing Mount Jianglang, guard against heat and slippery paths in the rain.

Destinations

Itineraries