Plan at a glance
Free streets and paid gardens
Mudu Ancient Town follows Shantang Street. The town streets are free to enter, while Yan Family Garden, Hongyin Shanfang and Gusong Garden sell individual or combination tickets. The main streets are paved with stone and are best explored on foot; prices, combination-ticket contents and the day's clearing time at the paid gardens can change, so confirm them at the ticket counter before entering.
How much time to allow
The free streets take about 1–2 hours, while adding the paid gardens and Mingyue Ancient Temple takes about 3–4 hours. The paid gardens usually finish admitting visitors earlier than the town streets and may clear earlier on weekends, so put the gardens in the first half of the day.
Tickets and visit details
View visit options for this attraction and confirm the visit date and current arrangements before you go.
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Yan Family Garden, Hongyin Shanfang and Gusong Garden
Yan Family Garden is suited to studying garden layout, rockeries and windows; Hongyin Shanfang focuses on its historic stage, residences and waterside spaces; Gusong Garden adds another set of garden details. Mingyue Ancient Temple is a free temple stop with arhat statues and its own atmosphere, making it a useful addition to a walking route.
Who it suits
Visitors interested in gardens and local history can plan the paid gardens together, while those who want an easy walk can stay with the free streets, bridges and water edges. Photographers can move between garden windows, temple gateways and stone lanes, but do not let the paid sights make you miss the closing time.
Build your day
A 1.5–2 hour route
Enter at the Visitor Centre at 188 Shantang Street, visit Yan Family Garden first, continue to Hongyin Shanfang and finish at Gusong Garden. The three paid gardens sit along the main route, so this order limits backtracking and makes it easier to complete the main interiors and courtyards earlier in the afternoon.
A 3–4 hour route
From the Visitor Centre, visit Yan Family Garden, Mingyue Ancient Temple, Hongyin Shanfang, the Number One Scholar's Residence and Gusong Garden before returning to the free streets. Confirm the opening of Mingyue Ancient Temple and the Number One Scholar's Residence on the day; finish the paid gardens first because the all-day access to the free streets does not apply to internal attractions.
Get there
Metro and walking
Take Metro Line 5 to Lingyanshan Station (灵岩山), Exit 1, and walk about 5–6 minutes to the Visitor Centre. Lingyanshan Station is closer to the recommended entrance than Mudu Station on Line 1.
Parking and water routes
Drivers can navigate to Mudu Ancient Town Visitor Centre Parking Lot; the reference charge is CNY 6 per hour, and spaces may be tight during holidays. A rowing boat is an optional water-town experience, with route and fare confirmed on site; the main street is easy to walk, so a short-distance tricycle ride is unnecessary.
Know before you go
Tickets and closing time
The main planning risk in Mudu is the separate ticketing and early clearing time of the paid gardens. Confirm prices, combination tickets and the weekend closing time on the day; entering the paid gardens before 16:00 is the safer choice, leaving the free streets, temple or food for later.
Spending and walking
Restaurants, snacks and rowing boats along the main street have separate charges, so ask about unit prices, what the unit covers and any extra service before paying. The stone lanes are generally level, but a long walk still calls for comfortable shoes; noodle shops and restaurants outside the old town can be options after the paid gardens.