Zhouzhuang Ancient Town

Synopsis

Zhouzhuang is located in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, and is one of China's most famous ancient water towns in the Jiangnan region, renowned as the "No. 1 Water Town in China." Founded during the Yuanyou period of the Northern Song Dynasty (around 1086), it boasts a history of over 900 years. The town is crisscrossed by waterways and well-preserved Ming and Qing dynasty architecture. The Twin Bridges gained international fame through Chen Yifei's oil painting "Memory of Hometown," while Shen House is the largest residential building in Zhouzhuang. It was designated as a Chinese Historical and Cultural Town in 2003.

Overview

Zhouzhuang Ancient Town, located in Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province, is one of China's most famous ancient water towns in the Jiangnan region, renowned as the "Number One Water Town in China." Surrounded by water and crisscrossed by canals within the town, it is celebrated worldwide for its well-preserved Ming and Qing dynasty architecture and the quintessential Jiangnan water town landscape. Zhouzhuang was founded during the Yuanyou period of the Northern Song Dynasty (around 1086 AD). It was named after a local squire named Zhou Digonglang who donated land to build the Quanfu Temple, giving it a history of over 900 years. In 2003, Zhouzhuang was designated as a Famous Historical and Cultural Town of China. It is one of the six great ancient towns of Jiangnan, alongside Wuzhen, Xitang, Nanxun, Tongli, and Luzhi.

The beauty of Zhouzhuang lies in its perfect preservation of the ancient charm of Jiangnan water towns. The classic description of Jiangnan—"small bridges, flowing water, and households"—finds its most perfect embodiment in Zhouzhuang. White-walled, grey-tiled Ming and Qing residences line the rivers, stone arch bridges span the emerald waters, and black-canopied boats glide leisurely across the surface, all combining to create a picturesque water town world. Zhouzhuang was also one of the earliest ancient town tourist attractions developed in China, and its successful model of protection and development has had a profound influence on other ancient towns.

Historical Origins

Zhouzhuang's history can be traced back to the Yuanyou period of the Northern Song Dynasty. At that time, a devout follower named Zhou Digonglang donated land to build the Quanfu Temple. A settlement gradually formed around it, and people began to call the place Zhouzhuang. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, thanks to its advantageous geographical location and convenient water transport, Zhouzhuang became an important distribution center for grain and silk in the Jiangnan region, enjoying prosperous commerce and attracting many wealthy merchants.

Shen Wansan, an immensely wealthy merchant of the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, was a native of Zhouzhuang. Legend has it that Shen Wansan amassed a colossal fortune through overseas trade, rivaling the wealth of the state. He funded the construction of one-third of the Nanjing city wall, but this aroused the suspicion of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, leading to Shen's eventual exile to the frontier where he died far from home. Shen Wansan's legendary story adds rich cultural color to Zhouzhuang, and various tales about him are still told in the town today.

Main Attractions

The Twin Bridges are the most representative scenic spot in Zhouzhuang. Composed of Shide Bridge and Yong'an Bridge, the bridges are positioned horizontally and vertically, with one square and one round arch, resembling an ancient key, hence the nickname "Key Bridges." In 1984, the renowned painter Chen Yifei created the oil painting "Memory of Hometown" based on the Twin Bridges. This painting was later purchased by American oil magnate Armand Hammer and gifted to Chinese leaders, bringing Zhouzhuang fame both domestically and internationally. Consequently, the Twin Bridges have become the most iconic landscape of Zhouzhuang and indeed the entire Jiangnan water town region.

Shen House is the largest residential architectural complex in Zhouzhuang, built by Shen Ben, a descendant of Shen Wansan, in the 7th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign (1742) during the Qing Dynasty. The entire complex covers an area of over 2,000 square meters, containing more than 100 rooms of various sizes, divided into three sections, and is grand in scale. The layout of Shen House is typical of a wealthy Jiangnan merchant's mansion—with a front hall and a rear hall, symmetrical on both sides. Its exquisite brick carvings, wood carvings, and stone carvings showcase the superb architectural craftsmanship and aesthetic taste of the Jiangnan region during the Qing Dynasty.

Zhang House is another important Ming dynasty structure. Its uniqueness lies in a small river flowing through the courtyard, creating the marvelous layout where "sedans enter through the front gate, and boats pass through the home." This architectural form, characteristic of water towns, is extremely rare among China's ancient towns and is an excellent embodiment of Zhouzhuang's water town culture.

Cultural Significance

Zhouzhuang is a model for the protection and development of ancient towns in China. Before the 1980s, Zhouzhuang was still an obscure Jiangnan town. It was Chen Yifei's oil painting that introduced Zhouzhuang to the world and sparked the boom in ancient town tourism in China. While developing tourism, Zhouzhuang has consistently adhered to the principle of "protection first," implementing strict restoration and maintenance of ancient buildings, ensuring the intact preservation of this over-900-year-old town.

Zhouzhuang also represents the essence of Jiangnan water town culture. The Jiangnan water town is not merely an architectural form and spatial layout but also a way of life and cultural tradition—living by the water, using bridges as roads, boats coming and going, and markets lining the waterways. This water town culture embodies the Chinese wisdom of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature and is one of the most gentle and poetic chapters of Chinese civilization.

References

1. Baidu Baike: https://baike.baidu.com/item/周庄古镇
2. Wikipedia: https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/周庄
3. Zhouzhuang Tourism Official Website: http://www.zhouzhuang.net/