Misty rain, pink walls and black tiles, gurgling water, Wu Nong soft words...

Somehow, the Jiangnan water town has an irresistible appeal.
It can always inadvertently arouse people's yearning.

Zhouzhuang, built next to the water, can be said to be Chinese"Dream of Water Town"starting point.
As the earliest "discovered" ancient water town, Zhouzhuang has gone through more than 900 years of ups and downs.
The pink walls and black tiles washed by rain, the squeaking sound of oars on the hand-cranked boat, the quiet and deep bridges and flowing water in the people...
In this increasingly hot summer, people will feel a sense of coolness from their hearts.

01China's No. 1 Water Town

"There are many alleys in the water town, and people sleep on the river."
The simple and elegant houses of the Ming and Qing Dynasties give this flowing water infinite vitality.
This flowing water also adds a touch of color to the originally plain blue tiles and white walls.
From time to time in the river, small boats carrying tourists will sway by, and bursts of laughter like wind chimes can be heard.

Fu 'an Bridge, is the only remaining three-dimensional bridge building in the Jiangnan water town.
Especially the meaning of "wealth and security" is very beautiful.
There are also pavilions with flying eaves and angled corners built on the four sides of the bridge. The cornices are high and face each other in a distance, like flying bridges in the pavilion or building houses on the bridge.
The combination of bridges and buildings creates an interesting contrast. It is not only the crown of Jiangnan bridges and buildings, but also the symbol of the ancient town of Zhouzhuang.

After a walk in Zhouzhuang, you will find that many things here are related to a legendary historical figure--Shen wansan。
Once upon a time, Zhouzhuang was just a small market.
Shen Wansan took advantage of Baixian's advantages of connecting the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in Jiangxi and the Liuhe in Northeast to go to sea for trade and turned Zhouzhuang into a large commercial town.
As a result, Zhouzhuang's handicrafts and commerce have developed rapidly, the most prominent ones are silk, embroidery, bamboo ware, foot stove and liquor.
So, when you come to Zhouzhuang, you might as well goFormer Residence of Shen WansanGo find out his story.

Shen HallIt was built by the descendants of Shen Wansan.
There are more than 100 houses of different sizes in total, distributed on both sides of the 100-meter-long central axis and covering an area of more than 2,000 square meters. It is now also a national key cultural relic protection unit.
The whole building has a solid shape and a solid floor. Walking in it, it seems that you can see my grandma washing clothes, my ancestors discussing matters, and hear joy and sorrows falling...

When you come to Jiangnan Water Town, how can you not listen to Kunqu Opera?
Zhouzhuang Ancient TheaterIt is a good place to listen to music. It combines Jiangnan Zoumalou style residential buildings with a stage. The stage is exquisite carpentry and majestic.
The multi-basin-shaped "Phoenix Caisson" is the "original stone sound" of the stage. After a Kunqu Opera, you only feel gentle and romantic, and the sound lingers around the beam.

In the morning, the crows of chickens and smoke, the dialect greetings in the morning, the teahouses and restaurants in the afternoon, the boat is rocking and listening to music in the afternoon, and the moon is enjoying the cool at night...
In the ancient town of water town, it is so comfortable and leisurely.

02The "cloud life does not know where" in the world

I still remember when I first watched "Chen Qing Ling", my favorite thing was "The clouds are deep and I don't know where they are" in the play.
Waterside gardens, misty fairyland, lotus fragrance...
Although you can't go to the "deep clouds and unknown places" in the play, there is Zhouzhuang, an ancient town in the water town.
It is comparable to Suzhou.

Different from the quiet scenery of mountains and rivers where the clouds are deep and unknown, Zhouzhuang Ancient Town, far away from the city, is more peaceful.
Green tiles, white walls and stone slabs, ancient alleys with shade of trees and rowing boats, every scenery reveals leisure.

You have the smile of the emperor, I have the Wansanjiu
In addition to the scenery, the "deep clouds and unknown" smile of the emperor is also the most curious existence.
Although I can't taste the smile of the emperor in the play, Zhouzhuang's famous wine--Wansan Yellow Rice WineBut we can taste it carefully.

It is said that water makes good wine. Zhouzhuang's water is tender and full of charm, and the wine brewed with it will naturally not be bad.
Coupled with the process of selecting materials to making, from rice dipping to fermentation, from squeezing to sealing, the rice wine brewed with such craftsmanship not only has a mellow taste, but also has a unique flavor of water town.
Moreover, Shen Wansan, the richest man in Jiangnan, especially loves this wine. He must have this wine every time a family banquet or when dignitaries come.

Good wine is matched with delicious food, and the taste is in the world
Yunshen's food is light, but Zhouzhuang has good wine and delicious food.
Among them, the most famous ones areWansanjia BanquetIt is especially suitable for the whole family to fill their stomachs and taste the food.
The dishes at Shen Wansan's family banquet are naturally not bad. They include Wansanti, Sanweiyuan, Xianjiang Water Fresh, Braised Eel Tube, River snail stuffed with meat, Braised Mandarin fish, Youbu stuffed with meat, farmhouse eel carp vegetables, Wansan cakes, sugar taro...

Want to eat snacks? Of course!
Stinky tofu, sugar porridge, green dumplings, small wontons, crab meal and small steaks, as well as various Jiangnan cakes, full of the flavor of water town.
How many patterns are there?
Let's put it this way, if you add a little of everything, it will not be enough for a stomach!

03A day for Zhouzhuang people

Zhouzhuang people are happy and even more enviable.
From day to night, from lively to leisurely, Zhouzhuang is different every moment.

In summer, the sun will rise earlier than in other seasons.
Just after 5 o'clock, the east was already white, flowers blooming, birds chirping, and cocks chirping everywhere. At this time, Zhouzhuang gradually woke up from the silence.
The grandfathers and grandmothers got up at the right time, made a fire to cook porridge, washed and dried clothes, and started the new day.

The ancient town is filled with the freshest air of the day, mixed with fireworks, with pleasant temperatures and the most vibrant.

At noon, the sun shines brightly on the earth, and tourists appear in the ancient town one after another. Even the temperature slowly rises with the rising popularity.
At this time, Zhouzhuang was the most enthusiastic.

After eating and drinking, I looked at the scorching sun and just wanted to find a shady place.
Set up a recliner, brew a cup of green tea, take a nap, or share what you have seen and heard all morning with friends, and find some conversation points to pass the scorching sun.
After having rested enough, I wandered aimlessly in the ancient town.
Take a walk on the mottled stone road and listen to the legendary story about Shen Wansan.

When the sun sets, night falls. Different from the bustle during the day, Zhouzhuang at night is a gorgeous beauty.
Roadside vendors, shouting bosses, street craftsmen...
Zhouzhuang under the night has a unique vitality. It is lively but not noisy, and records the details of beauty quietly.

A night boat trip to Zhouzhuang is definitely a good choice.
The lanterns on the cruise ship are strung together, the boat is connected to the boat, and the lamp holds the lamp. Against the backdrop of a bright moon, it creates a beautiful picture of the lake waves and moonlight in the south of the Yangtze River.


Or go to see an original watertown real-life performance-"Four Seasons Zhouzhuang".

Hand-cranked boats, oil-paper umbrellas, girls picking flowers spoke soft words of Wu Nong, the boys sweated and formed the harvested wheat stalks into bundles, and the oxen roared and walked around the field with simple and honest steps...
as"Zhouzhuang People"The day was pleasant, fulfilling and full of surprises.




"The trees of Wu are surrounded by the water of Wu, and the boats in Wuzhong are good for swimming."
Zhouzhuang, engraved by time, has turned into a dazzling and dense fireworks in the world.

It is the simplicity and gentleness of the world, but also the vitality of the world.
Come to the water town to order a cup of afternoon tea and steal a leisurely life.