Zhouzhuang
 Known
as a collection of beauty of China's water
town, Zhouzhuang,Jiangsu,like a lotus on
the water, is surrounded by rivers as Nanbeichi,
Houxiang, Youcheyang and Zhongshi. There
are many bridges as well, the most famous
being Yong'an and Shide, alias Double Bridge,
from which many artists have drawn inspiration,
including the eminent painter Chen Yifei.
Sitting on a boat, you may be carried away
by the quiet and beautiful scene. At night
when all streets are empty, you catch a
glimpse of dim lights down the narrow lanes.
Occasionally, the sweet peace is punctuated
by the distant sound of laughter, and a
harmonious environment is created----both
fragrant and tasteful.
 Although
more than 900 years have past, its architectural
style is still well preserved, more than
60 percent of the residential houses were
built during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing
(1644-1911) dynasties, consisting of nearly
100 classic courtyards and 60 carved brick
archways. The houses commonly have two floors,
with white walls and black roofs, various
styles of windows out of which often poke
many bamboo poles carrying the household
laundry.
The most interesting travel
route is walking along the banks or rowing
a boat through the stone arch bridges to
view the residential houses along the waterside.
The local people use the water to do their
washing, and also do their shopping by lowering
a pole with a basket on the end to the vendors
sitting in their boats. Along the roads,
there are various forms of stone blocks
every 10 meters for the boats stop.
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