Why Exploring a City’s Heritage Adds Meaning to Your Stay

When you plan your holiday, it’s easy to forget the history, tradition, and culture of a place and fill your itinerary with all things shiny and new. Travellers typically gravitate towards restaurants, shopping, and popular attractions, but most destinations have much more to offer. Heritage shapes the city’s character, and exploring it is the best way to connect with a destination.

Heritage as Part of Your Experience

When you’re looking to book accommodation from brands like Park Hotel Group or browsing lists of things to do in Wuxi, for example, you’ll notice heritage always comes up. It’s part of what makes the city what it is today.

The temples, old districts, and traditional markets are living monuments of the city’s history. When you spend time exploring these sites, you connect with the past and get a sense of the city’s character. This is what makes a vacation truly memorable.

Who Finds Value in It

Think heritage is only for history buffs? It’s meant to be enjoyed by everyone. Families, solo travellers, couples, and even business travellers find it adds something more meaningful to their trip.

A family trip becomes more than sightseeing when children get to see how traditions are passed down and have shaped a destination. Solo travellers feel more in tune with the culture when they spend time where locals hang out.

Even short-stay visitors who only have a day or two often find heritage sites add some oomph to their trip.

Making Getaways More Memorable

Contemporary attractions might be entertaining, but that experience is fleeting. Heritage, on the other hand, is what lingers. You may forget the specifics of a shopping mall, but you won’t forget dining in a teahouse with a long history, or walking down an ancient street where people have lived for centuries.

These experiences provide you with memories you can form an entire conversation around once you get home.

Helping Local Communities

Not only does heritage discovery benefit tourists, but it also benefits residents. The money you spend in heritage districts often goes to artisans and small businesses. Buying a handmade craft or paying for a guided walk puts resources right into the hands of people who keep the heritage alive.

In Wuxi, for example, visiting gardens or markets and participating in workshops supports the community. This helps preserve culture, tradition, and heritage for the next generation.

It Balances Things Out

Travelling can sometimes feel monotonous if you do the same thing day in, day out, but add heritage sites to your getaway, and you have variety, making your trip much more fun.

It strikes a balance between the old and the new. Besides, heritage experiences don’t limit you to historical sites. Food, art, architecture, and community are all part of it.

Heritage Attractions in Wuxi

Wuxi is packed with history and culture, so if you’re heading there, don’t just stick to the shopping malls and other modern attractions – make time for its heritage.

First on the list is Lingshan Grand Buddha. It’s a huge 88-metre-tall statue that you can see from miles away. Up close, it’s even more remarkable. Yuantouzhu, also known as Turtle Head Isle, is another must-visit. It’s beautiful any time of year, but in spring, when cherry blossoms bloom all over, the place looks even more enchanting.

To see old Wuxi, head over to Huishan Ancient Town. With narrow streets, wooden houses, and little shops and food stalls, the town makes you want to spend at least a few hours there.

Are there more places to visit? Of course! Liyuan Garden, located by Taihu Lake, is another must-visit. It’s the perfect place if you feel like taking a break from the city. Nanchan Temple is another one not to miss. It’s one of the oldest in Wuxi, going back to the Tang dynasty, and it’s still in use.

Outside the temple are several food and souvenir stalls, so you can have some fun shopping too. For something a bit different, visit Three Kingdoms City, which is a massive movie set built for a TV show. It features palaces, ancient costumes and also hosts live shows.