Half Day Zhouzhuang Water Village
Nicknamed the ‘Venice of the East’, daily lives of the people of Zhouzhang revolve completely around water. The town has been praised for keeping an immaculate network of canals, waterways and bridges in tact since it was erected at the beginning of the 12th century. Situated within 30 kilometres from another beautiful town – Suzhou – and within easy reach of Shanghai, Zhouzhang lies right in the crossroads between these popular tourism destinations. Based on its rating and comparing it with other water towns, this is probably one of the best in the whole of China where elegant houses, traditional architecture and beautiful landscapes the town’s centre. If only half a day to spare but want to see authentic China from the water, this is the tour to book.
The tour starts only in the afternoon and departs from four different pick-up points in Shanghai; transfers from and to one of these pick-up points is on own arrangement and we do recommend to be at one of these points at least 15 minutes prior to scheduled departure time. Once we make our way out of Shanghai with its towering skyline, the landscape changes slowly to low rise and the beginning of some of the farm lands. In no time, you will see the contours of Zhouzhang appearing on the horizon through the coach windows.
Zhouzhang is such a well-preserved water town where visitors feel that the sands of time have stopped here years ago. Famous for its waterways, it becomes pretty obvious that sailing over the waterways and walking are the best means to explore and see the town from up close. The original architecture dates back from the Ming and Qing dynasties (from the 13th until the 20th century) with numerous residences, stone houses and more than 60 archways, made completely out of bricks are simply breathtaking. You will admire the craftsmanship of stone masons, builders and architects in the best way from the Chinese version of a gondola. You may spot one of the nearly 100 courtyards, connected to the many houses and residences, still preserving the atmosphere of a bygone era. Your guide will show you some of the bridges (such as the famous Double Bridges) and halls. When time permits, we include a stop at a local silk factory to show you all the steps from the raw material to fabulous silken material.
With lakes on four sides, the beauty of Zhouzhuang is specially to be found along the waterside ways and around a number of the stone bridges. A different vista at every turn can be found here. All those make a visit most enjoyable and one can enjoy the fairyland atmosphere when the sun sets in the west here when the myriad stars twinkle as though in communication with the glittering lights. You may catch a last glimpse of this before heading back to Shanghai where you will arrive in the early evening at one of the 4 meeting points. Transfer back to your booked hotel is on own arrangement.
