Water towns, also called Canal towns (), are certain ancient and historic towns in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
known for their bridges, rivers, and canals. Such towns exist in many regions in China, although those in
Jiangsu
Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, Postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an Eastern China, eastern coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is o ...
and
Zhejiang
Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...
provinces are often the most renowned.
Canal towns are generally concentrated in the Jiangnan area which includes the Jiangsu province, Zhejiang province and Shanghai area. They are located towards the south of the Yangtze River. These river-based settlements are widely advertised as tourism destinations because of their historical and cultural representations of China. The idyllic small-town setting, which demonstrates the harmonious relationship between nature and its residents, is also another attractive factor.
The distribution of residential buildings in these water towns can be categorised into three types: against the water, by the water, and across the water. They are usually characterised by some of the traditional architectural features, including eaves gallery and patio.
Besides these vernacular dwellings, more contemporary structures also have begun to emerge in recent years due to the continual growth of tourism. Effectively integrating the modern and traditional is currently one of the main priorities of the local governments in some of the water towns.
Although some cities in Jiangnan such as
Suzhou
Suzhou (; ; Suzhounese: ''sou¹ tseu¹'' , Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Soochow, is a major city in southern Jiangsu province, East China. Suzhou is the largest city in Jiangsu, and a major economic center and focal point of trade ...
and
Shaoxing
Shaoxing (; ) is a prefecture-level city on the southern shore of Hangzhou Bay in northeastern Zhejiang province, China. It was formerly known as Kuaiji and Shanyin and abbreviated in Chinese as (''Yuè'') from the area's former inhabitants. ...
have canals and bridges, they are not characterised as water towns as they are geographically larger. As a result, they are categorised as cities.
Notable towns
Zhejiang:
* Anchang, Shaoxing
*
Cicheng
Cicheng () is a town in the Jiangbei District of Ningbo in Zhejiang. It is an ancient walled city dating from the 8th century when it was renowned for its handicraft
A handicraft, sometimes more precisely expressed as artisanal handicraft ...
,
Ningbo
Ningbo (; Ningbonese: ''gnin² poq⁷'' , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly romanized as Ningpo, is a major sub-provincial city in northeast Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It comprises 6 urban districts, 2 sate ...
*
Nanxun,
Huzhou
*
Wuzhen
Wuzhen (, Wu: Whu-tsen lit. "Wu Town") is a historic scenic town, part of Tongxiang, located in the north of Zhejiang Province, China.
It lies within the triangle formed by Hangzhou, Suzhou and Shanghai. Covering an area of , Wuzhen has a tota ...
,
Jiaxing
Jiaxing (), alternately romanized as Kashing, is a prefecture-level city in northern Zhejiang province, China. Lying on the Grand Canal of China, Jiaxing borders Hangzhou to the southwest, Huzhou to the west, Shanghai to the northeast, and the ...
*
Xinshi, Huzhou
*
Xitang
Xitang (), formerly known as Xietang (), Pingtang () and Xutang (), is a historic town in Jiashan County, Zhejiang, China. It borders Luxu Town in the north, Yaozhuang Town in the east, Ganyao Town in the southeast, and Tianning Town and Town in t ...
, Jiaxing
Shanghai:
*
Fengjing
Fengjing () is a town in Jinshan District, Shanghai. An ancient water town, it also has a new town with a Canadian theme and an industrial zone. It is a centre for Jinshan peasant painting.
Fengjing has an area of , and had a registered populatio ...
*
Qibao
Qibao (; Shanghainese: Tshih4pau2) is a town in Minhang District, Shanghai. Its formation can be traced back to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, to the Northern Song Dynasty. The name comes from the local temple, "Qibao Temple". Today, ...
*
Zhujiajiao
Zhujiajiao (; Shanghainese: ''Chukakoq'') is an ancient town located in the Qingpu District of Shanghai. The population of Zhujiajiao is 60,000.
Zhujiajiao is a water town on the outskirts of Shanghai, and was established about 1,700 years ago. ...
Jiangsu:
* Bacheng,
Kunshan
Kunshan is a county-level city in southeastern Jiangsu province with Shanghai bordering its eastern border and Suzhou on its western boundary. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Suzhou.
Name
There is a strong pos ...
*
Jinxi, Kunshan
*
Luzhi
Luzhi Town () is a famous historic old town located in the Wuzhong District, 18 km east of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China.
Etymology
It was also known as Puli (),() has two pronunciations, 'fu' and 'pu'. () is pronounced as Pu-li, not F ...
, Suzhou
*
Mudu
Mudu (; Suzhou Wu: Moh doh, ) is a town in Wuzhong District, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. It takes about 1.5 hours to drive from the downtown in Suzhou to Mudu. Mudu is a small town which is famous for its history. During the Qing dynast ...
, Suzhou
*
Qiandeng
Qiandeng () is a town in Kunshan, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. , it has 12 residential communities and 16 villages under its administration. It is located 15 kilometers south of Kunshan city and borders Qingpu District, Shanghai on its east side. Qian ...
, Kunshan
* Shuangfeng,
Taicang
Taicang is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China. The city located in the south of the Yangtze River estuary opposite Nantong, being bordered by Shanghai proper to the south, while the river also delineates ...
*
Tongli
Tongli, alternately Tong-Li (; Wu: Don li, ) is a town in Wujiang district, on the outskirts of Suzhou, Jiangsu province. It is known for a system of canals, it has been given the nickname "Venice of the East". The place retains many of the f ...
, Suzhou
*
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang (; Wu: ''Tseu-zaon'') is a town famous for its canals in Jiangsu province, China. It is located within the administrative area of Kunshan, 30 km southeast of the city centre of Suzhou.
Zhouzhuang is a popular tourist destination ...
, Kunshan
See also
*
Venice of the East
The following is an incomplete list of places which have been nicknamed Venice of the East.
List
See also
* Venezuela, country whose name means "Little Venice"
* Venice of the North
* Little Venice
Little Venice is a district in West Lon ...
References
{{Reflist
External links
China's 5 most beautiful water towns (CNN)
*
Architecture in China