Zhouzhuang

Zhouzhuang is one of the most famous water townships in China. It is located in Kunshan City, Jiangsu province, only 30 kilometers (18 miles) from Suzhou and 60 kilometers (36 miles) from Shanghai. The ancient town is noted for its profound cultural background, the well preserved ancient residential houses, the elegant watery views, and the strong locally colored traditions and customs. Marco Polo visited the town and called it 'the Venice of the East'.

The town has a history of over 900 years and most of residencies and houses in the town were built in Ming (1368-1644) or Qing Dynasties (1644-1911). The rivers and streams in Zhouzhuang crisscross the town and are spanned by 14 stone-arch bridges constructed during the Yuan (1271-1368), Ming, and Qing Dynasties. Largely due to these waterways, the town avoided the most of the chaos and wars that raged at the time. Because of the peace enjoyed there, most of the architectural structures have remained basically intact.

The outside world became aware of the beauty of Zhouzhuang in 1985 after the painting, the Remembrance of My Hometown, by Chen Yifei, was presented to Deng Xiaoping, China's most respected political veteran, by Mr. Armand Hammer, chairman the board of the Occidental Petroleum Corporation of the United States.

One of the most distinctive features of Zhouzhuang (and the reason it is called "the Venice of the East") is its water lanes. These water lanes are the town's main roads, making small boats the most common mode of transport. In front of every white-walled house you can see steps leading down to the waterway. These small docks serve a dual purpose as they not only provide a convenient place to dock one's boat, but they also provide the locals with a very handy place to do their washing.