Why is Zhouzhuang Village special?
Known as China's oldest water town and the best place to sample the local culture of southeast China, Zhouzhuang is surrounded by lakes on its four sides, with 60 per cents of its constructions built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Visitors can choose to have lunch there, experiencing the well-known local food for it is not far from Shanghai.
Zhouzhuang Village Highlights
Double Bridge
Commonly known as the “key bridge”, the double bridge is composed with an arch bridge and a beam bridge, both made of stone, regarded as the symbol of Zhouzhuang. It looks like the key that used in the ancient times because of the cross shape and the two arches on the two bridges, which are round and square respectively. Visitors can get a perfect shooting angle here.
Hall of Shen's
Here tourists can see the Qing's style complex, which consists of several buildings connecting through arcades, aisles and courtyards. With more than one hundred rooms, the Hall of Shen's Residence is one of the most attractive private houses in the town. It was built in 1742 by the son of the first millionaire of the province, Shen Wansan, who made his fortune from the silk trade. Cultural relics are exhibited in the back hall, and take your time to appreciate the water gate and the wharf, the tearoom and the main hall.
Pig’s Upper Leg
Among the many special snacks in Zhouzhuang, the most famous one is pig’s upper leg, which originated in Shen Wansan, thus is locally called “Wansan elbows”. It is the necessary dish for honoured guests.