Zhouzhuang Ancient Town: The First Water Town in China

Zhouzhuang Ancient Town is located at the junction of Kunshan, Wujiang, and Shanghai in the southeast of Suzhou City, belonging to Zhouzhuang Town of Kunshan City, Suzhou. It is a national 5A-level tourist attraction. Surrounded by water on all sides, the town is formed by rivers, with streets built along the water, and markets along the streets. The original inhabitants live by the river, and most of the ancient residential buildings are well-preserved, still retaining the architectural style of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The quaint and elegant, bluestone-paved streets along the river tell the ancient and long history of Zhouzhuang. Especially, the well-shaped river system that flows around the town has 14 ancient stone bridges built during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, which are well-preserved and add much charm to the ancient town. There are many attractions in the town, including Zhang Hall, Shen Hall, Jingye Hall, the Ancient Opera Stage, Fu'an Bridge, Twin Bridges, Quanfu Temple, Milou Tower, Zhouzhuang Boat, Zhouzhuang Museum, and Chengxu Taoist Temple.