On September 26, more than 20 experts and scholars from Zhejiang and other provinces met in Anchang, a town with a long history, to discuss on the private advisors phenomenon and the tourism development of the ancient town. 

Anchang town is ancient town typical of a region with waters and rivers and one among the first batch of cultural and historical districts under the provincial protection. The mile-long riverside market street, legends of private advisors, and way of life in a region of rivers and lakes, combine to add a flavor of history and culture to the ancient town.

With increased investments and promotions in recent years, Anchang has begun to attract with its unique features more and more visitors on eastern Zhejiang tours.  

To further promote Anchang as a huge attraction for those who wish to see cultural relics, the local tourism department has made efforts to highlight the features of the ancient town. Private advisors from Anchang are certainly a unique attraction, which also embodies Shaoxing’s local history and cultural characteristic.  

Experts spoke out freely and offered advices for the development of the ancient town tourism. According to these experts, private advisors from Shaoxing as a group of intellectuals collectively played a very significant part in the official circles in the last years of the Chinese feudal society. Anchang was one of the major places where Shaoxing private advisors originated. The Private Advisors Museum  in Anchang testifies to both a special political cultural phenomenon and the deep cultural background in Anchang town.  Therefore, experts said, Shaoxing private advisors could be regarded as an attraction in developing the tourism in the town. Experts suggested that efforts should be made to explore the subject thoroughly and make the best use of the resources in this field, which could make the town stand out from other similar water towns and make the ancient Anchang a unique tourist destination.