Ancient Town of Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang is 30 km in the southwest of Kunshan City and 38 km to the southeast of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province. Lying quietly by the side of Dianshan Lake near the Daguanyuan Park in Shanghai, it has a history of more than 900 years. The town is surrounded and bisected by streams. Inside the town, riverways intersect one another, and houses are all built on riverside. More than 10 stone bridges span over the water lanes, providing convenient passage for the local people. They were built between the Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.
Zhouzhuang is not only famous for its beautiful scenery, but also known for its culture heritages. It boasts about 100 old houses, such as the Shen's House, the Zhang's House, Milou Tower, Ye Chucang's Former Residence, Chengxu Taoist Temple, Quanfu Temple, etc. All of them have great historical and cultural value. Many ancient and modern scholars lived in or visited the town. Zhouzhuang is reputed as the best region of rivers and lakes in China.
