A Tale of Two Cities | "Zhejiang" Is a Lot of Fun (A Four-Day, Three-Night Trip to Jinhua, Lishui, and Quzhou)

I've been working in Shanghai for several years now, and the pressures of life and work have piled up, almost suffocating me. Every time I talk about traveling, it’s just talk—after all, work must go on, and life still comes with stress, which often makes it impossible to take off on a spontaneous trip. ...

About This Trip

I've been working in Shanghai for several years now, and the pressures of life and work have piled up, almost suffocating me. Every time I talk about traveling, it’s just talk—after all, work must go on, and life still comes with stress, which often makes it impossible to take off on a spontaneous trip. I don’t want to be an appendage to life, nor a puppet of work. I want to live life to the fullest. I’m not keen on going out during statutory holidays when everything is crowded, and I don’t have enough leave either. So I’ve started saving up my vacation days wisely. Time is like a sponge—you can always squeeze out some. I decided to go on a spontaneous trip, to clear my mind and rediscover the part of me lost among the concrete and steel. Only then can life become more beautiful. That’s why I planned this trip—a switch between Shanghai and Zhejiang.

A Tale of Two Cities · Itinerary

July 13, 2019 — Shanghai → Jinhua → Jinlin Buddha’s Hand Cultural Park

July 14, 2019 — Jinhua Shuanglong Cave → Lishui → Ancient Dam Painting Village

July 15, 2019 — Damushan Tea Plantation → Quzhou → Niutoushan Ancient Town

July 16, 2019 — Jianglang Mountain → Ancient City Wall of Quzhou → Return

A Tale of Two Cities · Ticket Prices

Jinlin Buddha’s Hand Cultural Park: 60 RMB

Jinhua Shuanglong Cave: 80 RMB

Ancient Dam Painting Village: 50 RMB (includes round-trip boat ticket)

Damushan Tea Plantation: 30 RMB

Niutoushan Ancient Town: 80 RMB

Jianglang Mountain: 100 RMB

Ancient City Wall of Quzhou: Free

Money-Saving Tips: Tickets for major scenic spots can be purchased online, often with certain discounts—after all, when traveling, saving where you can is key. One important thing to note: all scenic spots in Quzhou are free to enter from Monday to Friday on non-statutory national holidays. They only charge admission on statutory holidays and weekends. So, it’s most cost-effective to visit Quzhou on weekdays and non-holidays.

A Tale of Two Cities · Transportation

Shanghai and Zhejiang could be called “sister cities.” Traveling from Shanghai to any city in Zhejiang is very convenient, as high-speed rail lines basically cover all destinations. Given how close the two regions are, flying is generally unnecessary—high-speed rail is the most direct and convenient option.

Shanghai Hongqiao High-Speed Railway Station (06:45) → Jinhua South High-Speed Railway Station (08:38), G1383 train, 1 hour 53 minutes—just enough time without delaying your Jinhua itinerary.

Jinhua South High-Speed Railway Station (13:55) → Lishui High-Speed Railway Station (14:34), G1965 train, 39 minutes

Lishui High-Speed Railway Station (15:06) → Quzhou Station (16:32), G2316 train, 1 hour 26 minutes

Quzhou Station (16:03) → Shanghai Hongqiao Station (18:22), G1322 train, 2 hours 22 minutes

A Tale of Two Cities · Accommodation

When staying in Niutoushan Ancient Town, there’s no need to think twice—the Border Town Resort Hotel near the ancient town is perfectly located, just a five-minute walk to the scenic area. Its new Chinese architectural style fits the charm of the ancient town well. Open the window, and you’ll see small bridges, flowing water, and classic Jiangnan-style ancient scenery. The hotel is quite affordable, built to a four-star standard but priced like an economy hotel. The overall environment is quiet and refined, with public spaces utilized thoughtfully and decorations chosen with care, giving it a lot of character.

On every trip, I make an effort to find a homestay with charm, and this journey was no exception. On the last night, I stayed in downtown Quzhou, choosing 24 Su Homestay next to the Shuiting Gate of the Ancient City Wall of Quzhou. The entire homestay is decorated in a retro Chinese style, exuding strong traditional Chinese aesthetics everywhere. Brush-and-ink paintings are visible throughout, and rockeries, potted plants, and curios are meticulously maintained. Each room also subtly reflects ancient touches, as if you’ve traveled back in time to an old inn in ancient Quzhou Town, where you rest before continuing your journey the next day.

A Tale of Two Cities · Expenses

1. Shanghai to Jinhua high-speed rail: 147 RMB

2. Jinhua to Lishui high-speed rail: 34.5 RMB

3. Lishui to Quzhou high-speed rail: 76.5 RMB

4. Quzhou to Shanghai high-speed rail: 182.5 RMB

5. Public transport and partial transportation costs: 200.5 RMB

Total: 641 RMB

II. Entrance Fees:

Jinlin Buddha's Hand Cultural Park: 60 RMB

Jinhua Shuanglong Cave: 80 RMB

Guyan Painting Village: 50 RMB (includes round-trip boat ticket)

Damushan Tea Plantation: 30 RMB

Total: 220 RMB

III. Accommodation: This trip mainly used AA system, so the cost was kept at 600 RMB.

IV. Meals: Basically breakfasts were provided by the hotels, only lunches and dinners were shared via AA, totaling around 500 RMB.

Total: 1961 RMB

A Tale of Two Cities · Luggage

I. Packing Luggage

1. In July, the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai region also entered “grill mode,” so luggage was primarily summer and sun-protection oriented.

2. For summer travel, bring mosquito and insect repellents. If flying and carrying over 100ml of repellent, remember to check it in.

3. Try to bring your own toiletries when traveling—start environmentalism with yourself.

4. This trip didn’t have great weather—the first three days were overcast and rainy, very damp and humid. Fortunately, I checked the weather forecast beforehand and brought rain gear.

II. Photography Equipment

1. Sony A7M2 with 24-70 lens, Nikon P510

2. Gopro Hero 4

3. Tripod

4. Spare batteries

5. iPhone X

6. DJI Mavic drone

III. Well-Prepared Wallet

Times are advancing, and payment methods have undergone tremendous changes. Alipay and WeChat Pay have brought great convenience to our travels. Basically, you don’t need to carry too much cash when going out—just a mobile phone will do.

A Tale of Two CitiesTraveler

A semi-literary, somewhat older man who loves life, travel, music, reading, and writing. A global traveler, travel video creator, contracted self-media influencer on Sina Weibo, travel content creator on multiple self-media platforms, and an OTA platform-contracted travel experience reviewer.

Please contact the author for reprints. Respect the original creator’s hard work.

“Zhe” is Delicious Here

Only food should never be let down. If you visit a new city without trying its classic flavors, you’ll always feel like something is missing—even like you’ve never truly been there. So in every city I go to, I seek out its traditional tastes—flavors unique to that place—and discover the city through my palate. Lishui, Jinhua, and Quzhou are three nearby cities with similar palates, but their dishes vary quite a bit. There are shared flavors and different stories. But enough talk—let’s eat first.

We arrived in Jinhua close to noon, so our lunch there became the first meal of our entire trip. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t on our side when we got there—it poured down rain. But we had to fill our stomachs first. At Jinlin Buddha’s Hand Cultural Park · Restaurant, we enjoyed our first meal, which featured Jinhua specialties. The Jinhua Meatball is especially recommended—it’s very different from meatballs you’d find elsewhere. Here, the texture is delicate yet chewy. The Jinhua Bamboo Bone Pot was definitely the right choice for a signature dish. The long braising in the clay pot had drawn out all the essence of the bones, resulting in a rich, savory broth and tender meat. The Spicy and Sour Wild Bamboo Shoots made for a great side dish. Originally, because of the rain, we didn’t want to go to other restaurants, so we were mentally prepared for higher prices—after all, restaurants in scenic areas are bound to be pricier. But the Jinlin Buddha’s Hand Cultural Park · Restaurant offered very reasonable prices, with no reduction in portion size or flavor. It’s truly a conscientious restaurant within the scenic area.

Stir-fried Eggplant in Soy Sauce

Spicy and Sour Wild Bamboo Shoots

Jinhua Meatball

The food in Lishui is quite abundant. If I had a whole week to eat my way through Lishui, I doubt I could cover it all. But we only had one day in Lishui, so finding a restaurant where we could sample authentic local flavors became the most crucial part of the trip. In the end, after comparing options, we chose to have dinner at the restaurant of the homestay where we were staying. Our homestay was called Guyan Huaxiang Shuimo Residential Homestay. We arranged dinner with the owner, and after exploring Guyan Huaxiang, we returned to enjoy authentic Lishui cuisine. The chef wasn’t a professional cook, but the owner’s mother personally prepared the meal using fresh ingredients from that day. What we tasted wasn’t just the flavor of Lishui, but also the taste of home.

Jinyun Pancake

Braised Tiger Fish (A specialty aquatic dish of Lishui. When in Lishui, you must try this unique tiger fish. The meat is tender and free of fishy smell. Even for someone like me who doesn’t usually like fish, it was absolutely delicious—I couldn’t stop eating it.)

Rare Sauce Squid (Arguably the oldest dish in Lishui. The thick, rich sauce has a mellow flavor and a slightly sour taste. The squid is very chewy, and with the addition of ingredients like winter bamboo shoots, lean meat, water chestnuts, and eggs, the broth is fresh, tender, and refreshing.)

Dried Bamboo Shoots Stewed with Pork

Boiled Okra

Stir-fried Mushrooms with Pork

Stir-fried Huangji (A traditional folk dish from Qingyuan County and also a banquet staple.)

Huaxiang Glutinous Rice Cake (There are many types of glutinous rice cakes in Lishui, and flavors vary. We’ve tried black sesame and original flavors, as well as black tea and green tea versions.)

The cuisine of Quzhou is like a treasure map—you have to explore it bit by bit. But tourists simply don’t have that much time to search everywhere. So to enjoy Quzhou’s food, it’s best to go to a restaurant that specializes in local dishes. After recommendations from many locals, we chose to visit Gu Pu Liang Shi (Kecheng District Branch), which was even featured as a filming location for a CCTV food program’s Quzhou episode. The restaurant features a Chinese retro decor style, and most eye-catching are the hanging lanterns, each inscribed with the name of a Quzhou dish—there are 108 in total. Especially recommended are the Qing Dynasty Wontons, Shangfang Qingming Dumplings, and Duck Feet—all with authentic flavors that deliver the true taste of old Quzhou.

Qing Dynasty Wontons (The chef who makes the wonton wrappers here is the fifth-generation inheritor of the craft. He can only make fewer than 200 servings a day, and once they’re sold out, that’s it. The wrappers he makes are as thin as paper, with a delicate texture that melts in your mouth.)

Kaihua Clear Water Fish

Longyou Steamed Sponge Cake (When eating in Quzhou, steamed sponge cake is a popular choice for a staple. There are many flavors, and the texture is soft and smooth without being overly sweet.)

Quzhou Three Heads and One Paw (Quzhou’s most famous dish. The three heads are rabbit head, fish head, and duck head, and the one paw is duck foot. It seems you haven’t really been to Quzhou if you don’t try this dish. If you’re not brave enough to try the rabbit head, you can choose the fish head or duck head instead.)

Shangfang Qingming Dumplings (They look similar to the green rice balls eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai region, but they’re not. These are stuffed with meat, and one bite releases a burst of savory juice.)