Zhouzhuang

The ancient town of Zhouzhuang, recorded in 1086, is located between Shanghai, Suzhou, and Hangzhou. Known as the Ze Kingdom, it is surrounded by water on all sides and requires boats and boats to travel within a short distance. The whole town is lined with rivers and streets, connected by bridges and streets, with deep houses and courtyards, high ridges and eaves, riverside pavilions, arcade buildings, bamboo and stone railings, and waterfront pavilions. It exudes an ancient and tranquil atmosphere, making it a typical small bridge and flowing house in Jiangnan. Zhouzhuang Town was formerly known as Zhenfeng Village. According to historical records, during the Yuanyou period of the Northern Song Dynasty (1086 AD), Zhou Digonglang believed in Buddhism and donated 200 acres (over 13 hectares) of farmland to Quanfu Temple as temple property. The people felt grateful for his kindness and named this land "Zhouzhuang". But at that time, Zhenfengli was just the embryonic form of a market town, almost the same as a village. In 1127, the 20th Prince of Jin followed Emperor Gaozong of Song to the south. Moving here, the population gradually became dense. In the middle of the Yuan Dynasty. Shen You, the father of the legendary Jiangnan tycoon Shen Wansan, migrated from Nanxun in Huzhou to Dongzhai Village to the east of Zhouzhuang (near Yinzibang in the late Yuan Dynasty). Through business, he gradually rose to fame, leading to a prosperous scene in Zhenfeng and forming an old market town centered around Fu'an Bridge on both sides of the North and South Rivers. In the Ming Dynasty, the town expanded and developed westward to the areas of Fuhong Bridge on Hougang Street and Puqing Bridge on Zhongshi Street, and was relocated to Hougang Street. In the Qing Dynasty, residents became more densely populated, and the area around Xizha gradually became a bustling area. The commercial center was relocated from Hougang Street to Zhongshi Street. At this time, it had become a major town in Jiangnan, but it was still called Zhenfeng Village. It was not until the early years of Kangxi that it was officially renamed Zhouzhuang Town. Zhouzhuang has rapidly developed from a small market to a major commercial town, which is closely related to the rise of Jiangnan tycoon Shen Wansan. Shen Wansan made use of the advantage of the Baixian River (i.e. the East River) connecting the Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal in the west and the Liuhe River in the northeast to trade with the sea, turning Zhouzhuang into a distribution center and trading center for grain, silk and a variety of handicrafts, promoting the rapid development of Zhouzhuang's handicraft industry and commerce. The more prominent products are silk, embroidery, bamboo ware, foot stoves, Baijiu, etc. The environment of Zhouzhuang is tranquil, with ancient and simple buildings. Despite more than 900 years of vicissitudes, it still preserves the architectural style of the original water town. More than 60% of the residential buildings in the town are still from the Ming and Qing dynasties, with only 0.47 square kilometers of ancient town. There are nearly a hundred classical mansions and more than 60 brick carved gatehouses. Zhouzhuang residential buildings still have an ancient style, and the most representative ones are Shen Hall and Zhang Hall. At the same time, Zhouzhuang also preserves 14 unique ancient bridges, which together create a beautiful water town landscape painting of "small bridges, flowing water, and homes". There are many tourist attractions in Zhouzhuang, including Zhangting, Shenting, Shuangqiao, Fu'an Bridge, Quanfu Lecture Temple, Folk Collection Hall, Yixitang Museum, Guailou, Ye Chulun's Former Residence, Shen Wansan's Former Residence, and so on. Zhouzhuang, with its long history, has created many scenic spots for the ancient town. Famous architect Luo Zhewen praised Zhouzhuang as "not only a treasure of Jiangsu Province, but also a treasure of the country.".