Xikou's main old street runs along the Shanxi River through the centre of town, lined with Qing and early Republican-era buildings in grey brick and stone that house tea shops, small restaurants, and stalls selling the town's famous thousand-layer cake (qianceng bing), a flaky sesame pastry that has been Xikou's signature food for centuries. The street is pedestrianised and maintains much of its original character, though visitor numbers mean it is rarely quiet.
The combination of the old architecture, the clear river, the wooded hills visible at the end of every cross-street, and the domestic scale of the buildings makes this one of the more attractive small-town streetscapes in Zhejiang. Early morning, before the tour groups arrive from Ningbo, is the best time to walk it.