Park of China
Overview
| Designation | AAAAA tourist attraction (2007, “Zhouzhuang Ancient Town Scenic Area”) Famous Historical and Cultural Town of China (first batch, 2003) |
| Province | Jiangsu |
| Location | Southern Kunshan, Suzhou, Jiangsu; near Qingpu, Shanghai |
| Latitude, longitude | 31.11, 120.85 Google Maps |
| Highlights | A water town south of the Yangtze: canals, stone bridges, Ming and Qing houses |
| Top sights | Twin Bridges, Fu’an Bridge, Shen Residence, Zhang Residence |
| Nearby cities | Shanghai, Suzhou |
| Nearby sites | Classical Gardens of Suzhou 31km, Lake Tai 62km, Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City 114km, West Lake, Hangzhou 118km, Shugang and Slender West Lake, Yangzhou 198km Search nearby |
| Themes | Town, Old villages & vernacular houses, Old bridges, Ancient Building, Rafting & boat trips, Night views |
About
Zhouzhuang, in the south of Kunshan, Suzhou, Jiangsu, was anciently called Zhenfengli. It is ringed by lakes, and its canals cross the town in a grid like the character 井; houses line the water and Ming and Qing stone bridges span it. The Twin Bridges, Shide and Yong’an, meet at a right angle; first built in the Ming, the present bridges date from the Qing.
The Shen Residence, with seven courtyards one behind another, was built in the Qianlong reign by descendants of Shen Wansan, a merchant of the late Yuan and early Ming; the Zhang Residence is said to date from the Ming, with a stream running past its hall. In 1984 the painter Chen Yifei painted the Twin Bridges in “Memory of Hometown”, which made Zhouzhuang known beyond China.
Fu'an Bridge, at the east end of Zhongshi Street, was first built in 1355 and repaired several times in the Ming and Qing; the single-arch bridge has a tower at each corner.
The Shen Residence, originally Jingye Hall, was built in 1742 by Shen Benren, a descendant of Shen Wansan: seven courtyards deep with five gate towers, over 100 rooms on more than 2,900 m²; the main hall is Songmao Hall.
Travel tips
Getting there: buses run from Shanghai, Suzhou and Kunshan; driving from central Shanghai takes about an hour.
What to do: the old town is small and easy to walk; you can also take a hand-rowed boat along the canals.
Time: half a day to a day; stay overnight to see the canals early in the morning and at night without the daytime crowds.
Where to stay: guesthouses along the canals in the old town.
Map
Photo credits: Canal and stone bridge in Zhouzhuang: xiquinhosilva (CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons)
Nearby
| World Heritage | Classical Gardens of Suzhou 31km, Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City 114km, West Lake, Hangzhou 118km, Zhongguo Huanghai Houniao Qixidi 118km |
| National parks | Lake Tai 62km, Mount Mogan 113km, Taiji Cave 140km, Shengsi Islands 159km |
| Detailed guides | The Three Hills of Lake Tai 54km |
| AAAAA attractions | Tongli Ancient Town Scenic Area, Wujiang 13km, Xitang Ancient Town Tourist Area 20km, Jinji Lake Scenic Area 27km, South Lake Tourist Area 41km |
| AAAA attractions | Shanghai Grand View Garden 7km, Lili Ancient Town 8km, Jinze Ancient Town 11km, Dongfang Green Boat 16km |
| Historic cities | Jiaxing 40km, Shanghai 61km, Changshu 61km, Wuxi 73km |
| National key parks | Tuisi Garden 13km, Canglang Pavilion 29km |
| Cities | Suzhou 31km, Shanghai 63km, Hangzhou 114km |
| Historical sites | Jingye Hall <1km, Gengle Hall 14km, Siben Bridge 15km, Arhat Statues of Baosheng Temple 18km |
| National geoparks | Suzhou Taihu Xishan National Geopark 48km, Chongming Island National Geopark 85km |
| Nature reserves | Jiuduansha Wetland National Nature Reserve 109km, Chongming Dongtan Birds National Nature Reserve 111km |
| Historic towns | Zhouzhuang Town 2km, Lili Town 8km, Jinxi Town 9km, Jinze Town 11km |
| Historic villages | Luxiang Village 48km |