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China travel and tour destination Zhouzhuang

China Destination Guide - Zhouzhuang 周庄

The oldest of the water towns that are close to Shanghai, Zhouzhuang is celebrated throughout China as the "Venice of the East" which is, perhaps, a little of an exaggeration. However, its network of canals is very pictureque and has inspired painters and poets for generations and more lately the famous Chinese artist Chen Yifei whose 38 canvases where exhibited in New York just as China was opening up in the early 1980s, putting Zhouzhuang on the global art map.

➤ TCTC Tip: Zhouzhuang can easily be visited as a day trip from Shanghai.

What there is to see in Zhouzhuang:

The Twin Bridges (Shuang Qiao) are the most famous view of Zhouzhuang (and the one painted by Chen Yifei). They were built in the mid-16th Century during the Ming Dynasty.
Fuan Bridge, built in 1355, combines being both a bridge and also a tea room from where you can contemplate the view.
To see how weathy local people lived during the Qing dynasty you can visit Shen House which dates back to 1742. Zhang house is another option.
Chengxu Taoist Temple was built during 1086-1093 of the Song Dynasty and is considered an architectural masterpiece of its type.

Best time to visit Zhouzhuang

April and May as well as September, October and November are the best but December and January are also not bad as well as March. Summer months are hot humid and rainy but that doesn't stop the tourists at the weekends.

Best reason to visit Zhouzhuang

Sipping a fine tea in one of the canal side teahouses and watching the world go by.

Our last word on Zhouzhuang

For a change of both scene and pace from Shanghai, nearby Zhouzhuang is both accessible and not as large and visited as Suzhou although it does lack Suzhou's famous gardens.