Zhouzhuang travelogue

I have heard about Zhouzhuang for years. It is ranked among the top water towns in China; it is said to be an ancient town gathering all the beauties of China water towns; it is the home of a lot of celebrities...So as to experience a real Zhouzhuang, I decided to lead a tour there with my friends. Ignoring the tiring bus journey, we arrived in Zhouzhuang quite happily.

The first task for us was to find lodging for the night. The hotels and inns there easily got no vacancy during the hot tourist season. On the main street leading to Zhouzhuang Town (the tourist area requires admission), there are flocks of vendors, often mobilized with their motor bicycles, persistently asking whether you need a guide, a map, an inn or something else. We finally chose an inn outside of Zhouzhuang Town. We could have also chosen to stay within the town, but it seemed that those rooms were nearly rented out and the prices for those remained would be a little bit high. The inn we stayed was a common two-story house with rooms of 120 RMB per night. I was too impatient to wait, so as soon as I put down my bag, I went back out to the street.

The architectural style in the southern areas is very different from that of other places. Houses are all built along the river, all of which are similar to each other, with white walls, black tiles, and tip-tilted eaves.

A Riverside Dinner

Many restaurants were situated along the riverside. We had a special dinner at one of them, and for me it was one of the most special memories of� Zhouzhuang. I sat on a bamboo chair before a wooden table, watching the passing boats beside me. After sunset, red lanterns lit up, and under the romantic relaxed atmosphere, we tried some local dishes. Wansan Pig's Trotters, a kind of pork leg, is the most famous food there. In addition, we ordered the Shaoxing yellow wine, heated just a little bit. I am not good at drinking, but this wine made me recall the famous Chinese writer Lu Xun's famous novel Kong Yiji, whose main character likes Shaoxing yellow wine very much. Just at that time came a young lady with a dish and chopstick in her hands. She asked whether I would like to listen to her song, I felt a bit uncomfortable to let her stand and sing while I sat and ate, so I refused her politely. However, I still heard her sweet voice and the rhythmic tapping of her chopstick on the dish for a neighboring table.

A Night Discovery

The locals told me that tourists can go into Zhouzhuang Town without fare either before 7:00 am or after 7:00 pm. So one evening after dinner, we headed for the marvelous Zhouzhuang, just following their suggestion.

It was a dimly lit everywhere and people were sitting outside and chatting with each other happily. We roved through the groups of people and found a strange place in the dark. It seemed like a blind alleyway, but when I got closer, I found it was a narrow sidestreet. To my surprise, the distance between the walls could only allow one person to pass through, approximately half a meter! The further you walk into it, the darker it becomes. But just when I began to feel frightened, I heard voices on the other side of the wall. I kept along the wall and discovered a wooden door to someone's home! I couldn't believe there were people living in such a narrow, dark alley. It was very interesting to be closer to the real life of local people.

Breakfast in Zhouzhuang

The next morning I got up early and was eager to have breakfast in the town. It was to be my second visit to Zhouzhuang Town. In the early morning the town was peaceful and quiet. The streets are narrow and paved with stones. On both sides of the street are located tiny stores. I saw a lady open the door of her restaurant and began to sell soy milk and breakfast food. Naturally, I entered the room and was attracted by seeing the real wooden equipment used to grind soybeans and produce soy milk. I was curious about it, and seeing my interest, the kind hostess began to teach me how to use it, so I ended up making my breakfast by myself! Although Zhouzhuang Town has� been extremely developed for commercial tourism, there are still some special things left. After breakfast I visited a clothing workshop where all the clothes were made by an old loom I had never seen before.

Out of curiosity, I went again to the narrow alley we visited last night. It looked better under the sunshine, and this time I noticed a tablet hanging at the top that read: "The first Jiangnan alleyway, constructed in 1660 AD with a length of 58.3 meters."

Famous Scenes

Shuang Qiao (Double Bridges)

If you know the Chinese artist Chen Yifei, you may know his famous oil painting named "Memory of a Hometown" which was based on the Double Bridge. Since then, the Double Bridges has became well known both at home and abroad. The Double Bridge is composed of the Shide and Yong'an bridges. They were built in during the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty and connected with each other. Because the Double Bridge looks like a key of ancient times, it is also called the Key Bridge.

The Hall of Shen's Residence (Shen Ting)

The hall of Shen's residence was built by Shen Wansan's offspring in the seventh year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. As an extremely rich man in Chinese history, the hall of Shen's residence shows it, possessing seven courtyards and five entrances. More than 100 rooms are connected and form into one large hall. It ranks as the epitome of folk dwellings. Additionally, a river runs across it, reflecting the typical architectural features of the waterside town. But to be honest, I wasn't so much interested in such a grand construction as the simple and pure style of the riverside town.

Departure

After two days' vacation, we had to pack up and started off. On the way home, I recalled what I had done, what I had seen and where I had gone in that beautiful town and I found that all the memories were quite wonderful. And I will keep it in my mind forever. Wish your trips delightful and pleasant, too!