In the regions south of the Yangtze River, many of the towns and villages are surrounded by water. Zhouzhuang is one of the most famous, and it's a must-see place for all visitors to Suzhou. Crisscrossed by rivers and canals, the town is widely known as the Venice of the Orient, and is believed to be the jewel in China's water town crown.

The town has a history of 900 years, and in ancient times, it served as an important distribution center for commodities like silk, porcelain, crafts and grain, because of its unique geographical location. It is closely connected with the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.

The town is very small, with an area of just half a square kilometer and a population of only 20 thousand. So it's by no means noteworthy in terms of the size. But surrounded by rivers and canals on all sides, the town offers a timeless beauty and charm to artists, photographers, and common visitors alike because of its winding water lanes, arched stone bridges, wooden boat rowing and well-preserved ancient buildings.

One of Zhouzhuang's most distinctive features is its water lanes. As we have mentioned, Zhouzhuang is otherwise known as the Venice of the Orient. These water lanes are the town's main roads, and the boat is the most common mode of transport here. In front of every white-walled house you can see steps leading down to the waterway. These small docks also provide the locals with a very handy place to do their washing.

You can board man-powered tour boats from anywhere along the canals. They'll take you through all the major scenic spots in the town. You'll also see a number of ancient bridges straddling the rivers, and many old houses flanked along the winding water lanes.

Some of the stone bridges in Zhouzhuang date back to the 14th century. The oldest one was built in 1355. The most famous are the Twin Bridges, and these are considered the symbol of Zhouzhuang.

Located over two crisscrossing streams in the northeast of the town, the twin bridges were built four centuries ago and include a 16-meter-long stone arch bridge and a 13-meter-long stone girder bridge.

The locals love to tell people a story that is related to these bridges. In October 1984, Chen Yifei, a famous Chinese painter, held an art exhibition in a New York gallery. One of his paintings, depicting the Twin Bridges in Zhouzhuang was finally purchased by Armand Hammer, owner of the gallery and chairman of the Occidental Petroleum Corporation. One month later, when Hammer visited China and met the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in Beijing, he presented the painting to Deng as a gift. The story has helped spread the name of Zhouzhuang on tourist itineraries.

Another great attraction in Zhouzhuang is its well-preserved ancient architecture, such as temples, towers, pagodas and residential buildings, which are a testimony to the town's ancient history. More than 100 residential houses there were built during the Ming and Qing dynasties. They usually have two stories and feature upturned eaves, white brick walls, black tiles, and crimson wooden windows and doors. These houses serve as a living museum for people today to get a glimpse of how the locals lived all those years ago.

Among the many old houses, the mansion of the Shen Family near the Fu'an bridge is the most famous and a must-see for visitors. Built in the middle of the 18th century as the private residence of a wealthy merchant family, the huge mansion clearly illustrates how the rich of that time lived. It covers an area of 2,000 square meters and consists of more than 100 beautifully-decorated rooms, which are equipped with elegant classical furniture and connected with arcades and towered gateways.

The architecture in the residence is arranged in three sections. In the front part there is a high arch over the gateway and a dock for mooring boats and washing clothes. The middle part features halls of different sizes for receiving guests, negotiating business, holding ceremonies and discussing family affairs. A number of bedrooms and studies lie in the back part of the house.

Another house worth visiting is the dwelling of the Zhang family, located to the south of the Twin Bridges. It was built in the 15th century during the Ming Dynasty. The complex is a little smaller than the Shen house, and it has around 70 rooms. One unique feature of this residence is a stream that runs through the backyard so that boats can actually enter the grounds and dock there.

After feasting your eyes with all the attractions in Zhouzhuang, you should also treat your mouth with a meal of the delicious local food. The Shen Family Restaurant is said to be the best place to enjoy the typical local cuisine. The local specialties include braised pork tendons, white shellfish, steamed shad and fried whitebait. (Photos by Liu Chi)

Source: crienglish.com