Main Tourist Attractions in the Itinerary:
Xitang Town:
Five Girls Park, Temple of King Protecting Country Sui Rice, Long corridor by the side of river, Drunken Garden, Sacred Hall, Ni’s Family Residence, West Garden, Zhongfu Hall, China Wine Culture Museum, China Eaves Tile Museum, Ancient Wood Carving Museum, China Button Museum, Root Arts Museum.
Wuzhen Town which is commonly recognized The best water town in China,
The East Part of Wuzhen:
Fragrant Hill Hall, Jiangnan Hundred Beds Showroom, Jujia Folk Customs Exhibition Hall, Gong Sheng Grains Wopkshop, Blue calico Workshop, Jiangnan Wood Carving Showroom, Yu Liuliang’s Coin Display Room, The Former Residence of Mao Dun, Ancient Opera Stage, Xiuzhen Taoist Temple, The Former Residence of an Imperial Academy Member, Hui Yuan Pawn House.
West Part of Wuzhen:
Soy-Sauce Workshop, Yichang Foundry Workshop, Memorial Hall for Mr. Maodun, Wang Hui-wu Memorial Hall, Kong Ling-jing Memorial Hall, Waterside Garden, Zhaoming Academy, Footing-biding Museum, Wuzhen Post Office, hengyitang Chinese Herb Pharmacy, Double Decker Hall, Temple of General Wu, Yida Silk Workshop, White Lotus Pagoda, Temple of God Guan, Wenchang Pavilion.
Experience in the Itinerary:
* Explore the picturesque narrow canals, little streets with cobbled street stone or slates, bridges arching over canals and visit the ancient houses, charming gardens.
* Enjoy the fairyland like night view in Wuzhen. Taste this completely different world from the hustle and bustle of Shanghai.
Why we suggest this tour itinerary?
Having Having a tour to ancient towns and villages in China would be a very special experience for who wanna escaping from the over-noising city and long for a vacation that can free oneself in peace. China Ancient Town Tours here selects well-arranged tour packages to famous water towns and ancient villages, Xitang and Wuzhen (Wuzhen is commonly recognized as the Best Water Town in China) , aims to provide you opportunities to explore those towns, which well keep their unique customs and culture. You can visit the famous water towns to appreciate their peaceful atmosphere there and feel the magic power of water.
The natural beauty of the town is indescribable. Old stone bridges, limpid water, old trees and old-style dwellings, as well as the local costumes and local food, create an ideal civilized, rich, pastoral and harmonious environment. A walk in the ancient town is said to be a walk into history frozen in time, tranquil and serene.
You can find the situation of the famous ancient Water Towns near Shanghai in Yangtze River Delta at this map,
6 Most Famous Water Towns:
Wuzhen, Nanxun, Xitang, Tongli, Luzhi, Zhouzhuang
Some other Water Towns in this area:
Zhujiajiao, Jinxi, Mudu, Luxiang, Huishan.
In 2003,the protecting project of the Yangtze River Water Towns (including Zhouzhuang, Tongli, Luzhi, Nanxun, Wuzhen and Xitang) was granted the Award of Distinction by the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation. It has helped make the project a model for repairing and conserving other cultural relics. By car, you can easily take one day tour to any one of these towns from Shanghai.
These small towns, with their black tiled, oil-painted timber framework houses, that contrast sharply with its white walls and gray flagging, brings to mind a Chinese ink and wash painting. The rivers running through the town were once the main means of transportation for local people, but these days is little used, other than for festive celebrations, when bulk cargo is shipped in. The window sills of the houses on the banks of the river are further extended with boards, on which flowers, plants and bonsai bloom in the warm sunshine, adding a touch of life and color to this tranquil, old style towns.
There are many well-preserved Ming (1368-1644 AD) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD) buildings in these towns, formerly the homes of those rich enough to escape the social turbulence of centuries past. They chose these towns as the place to build their homes for its out-of-the-way location and convenient transportation, the same reasons these towns retains such an authentic feeling today.
Go to Water Towns near Shanghai, looking for peace in your heart...
More about The Ancient Waterfront Towns in the South of Yangtze River at UNESCO website: http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5328/
The Map of Xitang Town:
The Map of the West Part of Wuzhen Town:
