After about a 30-minute drive, or 28 kilometers, from Zhuji city center, you arrive at Shanxiahu Town—a place that produces 73% of the world's freshwater pearls. There's no fancy packaging here as one might imagine; instead, it's like a typical Jiangnan town: crisscrossing rivers, interconnected ponds, and every household with piles of mussel shells by their doors and fishing nets drying. The busiest place in town is the Huadong International Jewelry City, known as the "world's largest freshwater pearl distribution center"—over two thousand businesses are packed inside, where pearls are not sold individually but wholesale by the "bag/strand."
Xin Jucheng Village, just a few minutes' drive from the Jewelry City, has become a must-visit "oyster opening experience" base for tourists in recent years. For 300 to 400 RMB, the owner will take you on a small boat into the pond to collect your own mussels—you choose whichever one catches your eye, like a treasure hunt on water. After collecting them, the owner will use a small tool to pry open the mussel shell, and the pearls inside could be round, baroque (irregularly shaped), pink, purple, or white—just like opening a blind box, it's all up to luck.
If you also want to visit, I recommend the following itinerary: in the morning, go to Xin Jucheng Village to experience opening mussels (about 1-2 hours), and in the afternoon, visit Huadong International Jewelry City to browse for accessories and pick out some finished pieces to take home—the jewelry city starts closing around 6 PM, so try to arrive before noon. Public transportation is not very convenient, so it's recommended to take a taxi or drive yourself. As for food, Ciiwu Damin (noodle) is a must-try in Zhuji—the noodles are made by beating, making them exceptionally springy and chewy.
