Weekend Delight: A Hidden Neighboring Town Behind Hangzhou

Outside the car window, the city skyline gradually blurs. Thirty minutes later, when the announcement says "Yuyao Station," it feels almost unbelievable that this small town, praised by Fan Zhongyan as "the most famous city in the southeast," is as close as a backyard to Hangzhou. 01 Mountain Mist and Stars Living in the Clouds: The "White Citadel" After exiting the station, rent a car and head toward Siming Mountain. After 40 minutes of winding mountain roads, deep in the mist at an altitude of 600 meters, Dalezhiyie · Gusha appears like a secluded "white citadel." The 22 rooms are named after green bamboo, red maple, green persimmon, and white cherry blossoms, with floor-to-ceiling windows framing the entire mountain range like a flowing painting. In the afternoon, soak in the infinity pool and watch the clouds drift over the layered distant mountains; children laugh and slide from the loft slide into the artificial sandpit—childlike fun infused with the fresh scent of plants. If you visit in late autumn, the housekeeper will bring warm persimmon sweet soup. As the fruit aroma spreads, the hills outside the window are covered with red persimmons, as if autumn has been brewed into honey. 02 Seven Thousand Years of Civilization Awakening on the Bluestone Path Yuyao’s depth goes beyond its scenery. At the Hemudu Site: holding a grain of carbonized rice, 7,000 years of civilization suddenly feels warm. The stilt house ruins lie quietly in the excavation pit; the mortise and tenon joints used by ancestors supported not just houses but the dawn of Chinese civilization. Parents with children often crouch down and whisper, "Look, this is what the 'earliest Chinese village' in textbooks looks like." Wang Yangming’s Former Residence: stepping into Ruiyun Building, the wooden stairs creak, as if awakening the young Wang Shouren’s dream of studying. The replica manuscript of the "Instructions for Practical Living" on the study desk still shows fresh ink. The phrase "Unity of Knowledge and Action" jumps from the display board into the heart, proving that the power of thought can truly transcend 500 years of time and space. Yuyao Museum: don’t miss the spiral staircase disguised as an ancient bridge! Among the farming tools displayed on the second floor are memories from grandma’s kitchen: bamboo fish baskets, wooden spinning wheels… They are not cold exhibits but warm poems of ancestral life. 03 Gifts of Siming Mountain: Ancient Villages, Red Rocks, and Cherry Blossom Rain Shilin Ancient Village: a ten-minute walk from the guesthouse brings you to the 600-year-old Shilin Village. In autumn, orange-red "lantern strings" hang under the eaves, and grandmothers sitting on the doorstep offer soft persimmons: "Home-dried, sweet!" One bite, and the wild mountain sweetness fills your tongue. Danshan Chishui: follow the path behind the village deeper, where red cliffs split the emerald deep pools. Standing on the glass plank bridge looking down, the stream flows like a silver chain threading through the ochre rock walls—this is the earth’s exposed bloodline and sinew. Shangmagang Cherry Blossom Sea: if you visit in spring, head straight to Dalan Town. At the corner of the mountain road, tens of thousands of late cherry blossoms pour down like a sea of pink and white clouds. When the wind blows, falling petals brush the car window, as if driving into a Hayao Miyazaki dream. 04 Small Town Life: Warm Stomachs and Warmer Hearts The taste of Yuyao is a gentle comfort between dawn and dusk. Morning · Legendary Soy Milk: At Gan Dalin Soy Milk Shop on Langxia Old Street, the wooden barrel has been used for over thirty years. The owner scoops thick white soy milk, covers it with braised beef, drizzles soy sauce, and sprinkles scallions—a salty, hot bowl that truly wakes up Yuyao’s morning. Noon · Yellow Croaker Noodles: Steam rises from the stove at Songlan Noodle House. Fried fragrant yellow croaker lies in creamy white broth, sprinkled with pickled snow vegetables to enhance the flavor. The local diners’ slurping is a more moving endorsement than Michelin stars. Late Night · Beef Bone Delicacy: The neon lights of Adong Beef Flavor stay on until dawn. Holding the clay pot, suck the marrow from the beef bones; the aroma of meat mixed with pepper rises to the nose—this is the "boldness of eastern Zhejiang" in a late-night diner. Don’t forget to take a box of Liangnong rice cakes when you leave! The glutinous rice cakes, a mix of black and white rice, bear a vermilion stamp of "Unity of Knowledge and Action." One bite, and the sweet red bean paste is subtle—just like the elegance and resilience in the bones of Yuyao people. 05 Trendy Mountain Villages, Markets, and Stargazing Camping Today’s Yuyao pulses with a young heartbeat within its ancient soul: at Qiu’ao Village halfway up the mountain, Sen · Coffee’s hand-brewed aroma drifts past bamboo fences. Visitors hold their cups, leaning on the railing and gazing afar: "Never expected to taste a more stunning Geisha coffee here than in the city!" At Wang Yangming’s Former Residence, the "Follow the Map" check-in game lets children hold phones to find hidden electronic stamps, proudly smiling when exchanging for Yangming bookmarks: "The master of heart philosophy has become our NPC!" At Zhangshan Village campsite, tents are strung like a galaxy. Young people gather around the fire singing, looking up to see Siming Mountain’s silhouette bathed in moonlight—this is poetic living at its best. When the high-speed train starts on the return trip, the Liangnong rice cakes in the backpack are still warm. Suddenly recalling the rice ear patterns on Hemudu pottery, the ancient camphor tree planted by Wang Yangming, the redwood forest of Siming Lake in winter… Yuyao has long transformed 7,000 years of civilization into tangible morning mist, chewable warmth, and pillowable starlight. Another Way to Spend a Weekend Transportation: Hangzhou East → Yuyao North high-speed train 30 min (over 40 daily departures); Intercity train Hangzhou South → Yuyao 15 RMB > Secret Itinerary Day 1: High-speed train to Yuyao → Dalezhiyie → Shilin Village → Danshan Chishui night stargazing Day 2: Hemudu Site → Langxia Soy Milk → Yangming Former Residence → Buy cakes at Liangnong Return Tips: Siming Mountain’s winding roads have many U-turns; please honk and drive slowly if self-driving; Dalezhiyie requires booking half a month in advance. This 30-minute escape will ultimately teach you that an ideal weekend is simply taming a small town together: it gifts you the clear sounds of mountains and waters, and you return it with a knowing smile.