Zhouzhuang is a lovely and peaceful canal town that promises you
a romantic, peaceful and an enjoyable holiday.
Zhouzhuang is situated in between Shanghai and Suzhou and is an
open air gallery of ancient Chinese architectural splendor.
It is a marvelous place of art and architecture. Two-thirds of
the architecture in this canal town dates back to the Yuan
(1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644), and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.
Temples and houses line the zigzagging streams that cut through the
town, and 14 arched bridges enable people to travel within the city
walls on foot. The canals are responsible for the city's survival:
during times of war, they were effective defenses against invading
forces.
Recently, Zhouzhuang has become a tourist attraction for people
seeking escape from modern Chinese cities. Once inside the walls of
the town, you feel you've gone back into the past. Some
plain-looking buildings have entire temples just inside their
exterior walls. Small restaurants line the streams, and boat tours
are available along the main waterways.
Out toward the edge of town, reflecting pools surround temples
that are accessible by long arched bridges. As you travel even
further from the center of town, you find ancient-style subsistence
farms.
Zhouzhuang's layout is like none other. Between streams, the
roads and paths create a maze among the local neighborhoods, making
it difficult for outsiders to get around. But it is well worth a
visit to experience a real canal town and see the amazing
temples.
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