Four Seasons South Lake Water Chestnuts Haiyan is known for its water chestnuts, which are delicious and tasty. Four Seasons South Lake Water Chestnuts is a famous dish from Haiyan. It is tender, smooth, fragrant, and crispy. Made with South Lake water chestnuts, small lotus roots, shredded Chinese broccoli, and carrots, the ingredients are blanched, then deep-fried at a three-stage oil temperature, removed, and then mixed with salt, MSG, and a starch slurry before tossing all the ingredients together. …
Braised Water Chestnuts in Red Fermented Tofu Sauce Braised Water Chestnuts in Red Fermented Tofu Sauce is a famous dish from Haiyan, known for its delicious taste and appealing color. The water chestnuts from Nanhu Lake are first blanched, then briefly fried before being removed from the oil. They are then simmered in red fermented tofu sauce, seasoned with MSG, and thickened with a starch slurry to finish. …
Lotus Root Starch Dumplings In the peak of summer in the Jiangnan region, the lake surfaces of the polder villages are densely covered with emerald green lotus leaves. When a gentle breeze passes by, they sway gracefully, while the elegant lotus flowers emit a refreshing, intoxicating fragrance. During this time, lotus farmers often dig up fresh lotus roots, wash them, and then grind them on special stone mills to produce a large amount of lotus root starch...
The seafood salt Chepu and Luli Weir eateries have long been known for offering game meat. Nowadays, yellow quail and patterned chicken are the most famous, commonly referred to as “bird jerky.” Among them, yellow quail is especially prized for its delicious flavor. There are two main cooking methods. One involves cutting the game meat into chunks and stir-frying it with a small amount of diced bamboo shoots, preserving the original wild taste—ideal for cooking and eating fresh. The other method is braising with sauce, using ingredients...
Nanbeihu Scenic Area lies on the northern edge of China’s citrus cultivation zone. According to the Song Dynasty’s “Hanhui Annals,” the area has a history of over 700 years in growing oranges. The citrus-growing region is concentrated around Nanbeihu Village and the nearby Huangshawu Mountain Village. In particular, “Huangshawu,” covering an area of about one square kilometer, is densely planted with orange orchards and is hailed as the “Northern Zhejiang Orange Garden,” often referred to as a “paradise on earth…”
As an underground tuber crop, sweet potatoes grow in hilly areas surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, where they suffer little from pests and diseases. Their cultivation requires no pesticides or chemical fertilizers, making them a safe, pollution-free green ecological food. Sweet potatoes are rich in protein, starch, pectin, amino acids, dietary fiber, carotene, vitamins A and B, …
Mulberry wood ear, a type of hairy wood ear fungus, grows on aged mulberry trees. It is abundantly found in the Hangjiahu region, where tens of tons of dried wood ears can be produced annually. Locals have a long-standing tradition of consuming it, and it is commonly used in folk medicine to treat hemorrhoids, indigestion, and other ailments. …
The "One-Bite Eggplant" is a rare miniature vegetable. This type of eggplant is rarely cultivated across the country and is difficult to pickle. From harvest to finished product, it only takes five days, using a unique production process that makes the skin of the "One-Bite Eggplant" refreshingly crisp and the flesh tender, juicy, and nutritious. Scientific analysis has found that eggplants contain a variety of vitamins, fats, proteins…
Made by kneading tender mugwort, small brambles, and other herbs into glutinous rice flour to form green-colored dumplings, Qingtuan were traditionally used by the people of Wuzhen for tomb-sweeping and ancestor worship. However, nowadays they are more commonly enjoyed as seasonal treats, and their ritual function has gradually diminished. Qingtuan have been popular for over a hundred years and are usually unfilled. In recent years, various sweet and savory fillings such as lard rose, black sesame paste, and pork filling have appeared...
China is the country where soy sauce production originated earliest, with a history of over two thousand years, all made through natural fermentation and brewing. In the ninth year of the Xianfeng reign during the Qing Dynasty (1859), Tao Xuchang from Wuzhen founded Xuchang Sauce Workshop, bearing his own name. This was the earliest recorded sauce workshop in Wuzhen’s history. For over a hundred years, Xuchang Sauce Workshop...
In the authentic lives of the Chinese, cloth shoes are indispensable. Wuzhen cloth shoes are exquisitely handcrafted with solid materials. Get yourself a pair of comfortable, breathable layered sole cloth shoes, and journey through the Jiangnan water towns in the rhythm of China.…
Wuzhen boasts highly developed handicrafts. From everyday bamboo and wood utensils to artisanal works, all showcase the ingenuity and dexterity of the local people. Each exquisite piece of wood carving, root carving, and bamboo engraving looks naturally formed—simple yet uniquely creative.…
Shen Yongchang, the founder of Yida Silk, a renowned old-brand silk business in Wuzhen, had a son named Shen Xuewen. After taking over the family business, to overcome the challenge of sluggish sales of traditional wooden-loomed silk fabrics in the market, he conducted extensive research and decided to replace conventional products with brocade items. In 1923, he personally selected more than ten apprentices to study brocade weaving techniques in cities such as Hangzhou, Suzhou, and N…
The braised lamb in red sauce from Wuzhen is made with very particular ingredients. Only “flower hollow lamb,” meaning young local sheep, is used. This type of lamb has tender meat, less fat, fine skin, and rich gelatin, making it an essential tonic dish in Wuzhen’s winter cuisine. There’s even a folk saying: “A winter of lamb beats several pounds of ginseng.” The braised lamb in red sauce from Wuzhen is made with very particular ingredients, and it must…
In the old days, the brewing industry in Wuzhen was highly developed. During the Ming Dynasty, there were more than 20 distilleries, among which Gaogongsheng, Shunxing, and Yongsheng were the most renowned. Today, only the Gaogongsheng Distillery remains. Originally established as Gaogongsheng Sauce Garden in the early Ming Dynasty, it produces “Wuzhen” Sanbai Liquor, which is celebrated for its rich aroma, mellow taste, smooth entry, clean aftertaste, and lingering fragrance...
Wuzhen Soy Sauce Chicken uses free-range female local chickens raised by farmers in the same year as its main ingredient. During processing, the whole chicken is roasted, simmered in its own juices, and the broth is extracted three times; it is then simmered again with premium soy sauce, yellow rice wine, sugar, and spices. Before serving, a layer of sesame oil is brushed on top to complete the dish. Due to being repeatedly simmered in its original juices, the chicken...
Haining City, with leather goods as its pillar industry, is China’s largest production base for leather products such as leather garments. It has been designated as the “Hometown of Chinese Leather Garments” (Haining)…
Product Name: Haining Leather Product Origin: Haining, Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province Product Features: Smooth and flat, soft and fold-resistant, with excellent breathability and a sculptural texture. Product Introduction: Haining City, with the leather and leather goods industry as its pillar sector, is China’s largest production base for leather products, including leather garments. It has been...
Product Name: Haining’s Three Knives Place of Origin: Zhejiang Category: Handicrafts Product Features: Both tough and sharp Product History: “Haining’s Three Knives” originated in the fourth year of the Tongzhi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1835), founded by “Zhou Shunxing Iron Shop” in Yanguan Product Introduction: Known for medicinal knives, tea knives,…
Product Name: Haining Ziwei Sugarcane Place of Origin: Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province Product Season: Between October and November Product Characteristics: Thick and upright stalks, soft and crispy texture, juicy and sweet taste, premium quality, high yield. Product Composition: Sugar, protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, iron, as well as various vitamins, crude...