Wuzhen Brief

In the south of the Yangtze River Delta, there are many ancient water towns like Wuzhen. They are common in possessing ancient bridges, streets, lanes and delicate residences. But Wuzhen seems to contain richer historical and cultural flavors, maybe because it boasts the most venerated history and most fertile cultures.

Wuzhen lies at the north of Tongxiang City of Zhejiang Province,China, and at the center of the triangle formed by Shanghai, Hangzhou and Nanjing, positioning at the east longitude of 120�29' and north latitude of 30�44'.

It is a scenic town whose name means crow or dark. Wuzhen displays its two-thousand-year history in its ancient stone bridges floating on mild water, its stone pathways between the mottled walls and its delicate wood carvings.On both sides of a slabstone-paved street stand pubs, restaurants, pawnshops, weaving and dyeing establishments, and other businesses, all housed in wooden structures of brown. Rivers and creeks spanned with stone bridges in various designs flow through the town, and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal passes by.

Old waterside houses and outside corridors can be found here and there. It is said that people have lived in Wuzhen for 7,000 years and over time it has produced a galaxy of talents. Mao Dun, an outstanding modern Chinese writer, was born here, and his masterpiece, 'The Lin's Shop', describes vividly the life of Wuzhen.

Wuzhen is at its best on rainy days. Strolling with an umbrella along an old lane past the centuries-old wooden houses and seeing the rain flow off the engraved eaves that cover the doorways is an amazing experience. The falling raindrops bring ripples on the river surfaces, while boats travel to and fro. The waterside pavilions and corridors and the arched bridges, all shrouded in drizzle, make up a charming scene.

In 1991, Wuzhen was authorized as the Provincial Ancient Town of History and Culture, so ranking first among the six ancient towns south of the Yangtze River. People in Wuzhen live a simple life. Many of them breed silkworms and raise chrysanthemums, and they have mostly retained the tradition of buying fruit and vegetables from trade boats through the windows of their waterside houses. They benefit from an inherited harmony of man and nature and enjoy the pleasing living environment that comes from social progress. Recently Wuzhen has been included by UNESCO in the reserve list of world cultural heritages.