Zhouzhuang town Guide

Suburban Suzhou is dotted with many old towns, where houses line up the canals and ancient stone bridges cross among the houses and over the canals. One of them is Zhouzhuang. Zhouzhuang, known as Zhenfang Lane in ancient times, is located southeast of the city of Suzhou and to the Southwest of Kunshan. In the Spring and Autumn Period, Zhouzhuang was a part of the King of Wu and called Yaocheng. It was called Zhouzhuang after ZhouDigong donated more than 200 acres to the local Quanfu Temple during the Yuan Dynasty (1860). By the mid-Yuan Dynasty, Wanshan Shen was using its superior geographical advantage to do trade, hence, Zhouzhuang became a distribution center of food, silk, ceramics, arts and crafts in the south of China. It was officially named Zhouzhuang town on the beginning of Qing Dynasty.

A full day visit consists of sightseeing activities in such a town. Zhouzhuang lies between Shanghai and Suzhou with gifted natural position, Zhouzhuang is a water town in the south Yangtze River with the history of over 900 years. It has the area of 0.47 square kilometer and a population of 2.2 thousand. Zhouzhuang is encircled by water and water accounts for 40% of the whole area. The layout of water lanes look like “#”, which 14 ancient bridges built in Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, all are well preserved. Its most famous attractions are the Twin bridge and Fu An bridge, which is the only remaining structure that made a connection between bridge and house. When you visit it, you will feel you are in a picture. Overseas newspapers called Zhouzhuang as "China's first water village". “Small bridge, Flowing water, people” is the special characteristics of Zhouzhuang. Every family has its own pier in the water town. There is a proverb in Zhouzhuang is the “sedan chair through into the front door and the boat through the home gone”.

• Water Town Tongli
• The Lingering Garden
• The Ancient Grand Canal
• The Master of Nets Garden
• Silk Embroidery Factory
• Tiger Hill
• Xuanmiao Taoist Temple
• Panmen Scenic Zone
• Shiquan Culture Street
• Zhouzhuang town
• Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty
• The Garden of Cultivation
• Lingering Garden
• Suzhou Museum
• Lion Grove Garden
• Hanshan Temple
• Jinji Lake
• Shantang Street