National Parks of China
Overview
| Province | Jiangsu |
| Latitude, longitude | 31.11, 120.85 Google Maps |
| Themes | Town, Old villages & vernacular houses, Old bridges, Ancient Building, Rafting & boat trips, Night views |
About
Zhouzhuang, in the south of Kunshan, Suzhou, Jiangsu, was anciently called Zhenfengli. It is ringed by lakes, and its canals cross the town in a grid like the character 井; houses line the water and Ming and Qing stone bridges span it. The Twin Bridges, Shide and Yong’an, meet at a right angle and date from the Ming dynasty.
The Shen Residence, with seven courtyards one behind another, was built in the Qianlong reign by descendants of Shen Wansan, a merchant of the late Yuan and early Ming; the Zhang Residence is said to date from the Ming, with a stream running past its hall. In 1984 the painter Chen Yifei painted the Twin Bridges in “Memory of Hometown”, which made Zhouzhuang known beyond China.
Travel tips
Getting there: buses run from Shanghai, Suzhou and Kunshan; driving from central Shanghai takes about an hour.
What to do: the old town is small and easy to walk; you can also take a hand-rowed boat along the canals.
Time: half a day to a day; stay overnight to see the canals early in the morning and at night without the daytime crowds.
Where to stay: guesthouses along the canals in the old town.
Map
© OpenStreetMap contributors · Map credits
Photo credits: Canal and stone bridge in Zhouzhuang: xiquinhosilva (CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons)
Nearby
| World Heritage | Classical Gardens of Suzhou 31km, Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City 114km, West Lake, Hangzhou 118km |
| National parks | Lake Tai 62km, Mount Mogan 113km, Taiji Cave 140km, Shengsi Islands 159km |
| Detailed guides | The Three Hills of Lake Tai 54km |
| AAAAA attractions | Tongli Ancient Town Scenic Area, Wujiang 13km, Xitang Ancient Town Tourist Area 20km, Jinji Lake Scenic Area 27km, South Lake Tourist Area 41km |
| AAAA attractions | Shanghai Grand View Garden 7km, Lili Ancient Town 8km, Jinze Ancient Town 11km, Dongfang Green Boat 16km |
| Historic cities | Jiaxing 40km, Shanghai 61km, Changshu 61km, Wuxi 73km |
| National key parks | Tuisi Garden 13km, Canglang Pavilion 29km |
| Cities | Suzhou 31km, Shanghai 63km, Hangzhou 114km |
| Historical sites | Jingye Hall <1km, Gengle Hall 14km, Siben Bridge 15km, Arhat Statues of Baosheng Temple 18km |