Wuzhen city - China

Wuzhen (Simplified Chinese: 乌镇; Traditional Chinese: 烏鎮; pinyin: Wūzhèn) is a historic scenic town, part of Tongxiang, in northern Zhejiang Province, China. It lies within the triangle formed by Hangzhou, Suzhou and Shanghai. Wuzhen's area is 46.5 square kilometers.
Located in the center of the six ancient towns south of Yangtze River, 17 kilometers (10.56 miles) north of the city of Tongxiang, Wuzhen displays thousands of years of history in its ancient stone bridges floating on mild water, its stone pathways between the mottled walls and its delicate wood carvings. Also, setting it apart from other towns, it gives a unique experience through its profound cultural background.
Mao Dun, a renowned modern Chinese writer, was born in Wuzhen, and his masterpiece, 'The Lin's Shop', describes vividly the life of Wuzhen. In 1991, Wuzhen was authorized as the Provincial Ancient Town of History and Culture, it was ranked first among the six ancient towns south of the Yangtze River.
Wuzhen's uniqueness lies in its layout, being divided into six districts. These are: traditional workshops district, traditional local-styled dwelling houses district, traditional culture district, traditional food and beverage district, traditional shops and stores district, and water township customs and life district. Wandering along the east-west-east circuit created by these six districts, tourists can enjoy the atmosphere of the traditional cultures and the original ancient features of the town that have been preserved intact.
In the tranquil little village of Wuzhen, the light hangs over the Dong Shi River in a soft summer pallour, as though the clouds are making a deliberate effort to protect the residents from sunburn. Along the river, a select group of day-trippers enjoy a cruise aboard a pole-steered barge. I'm highly privileged to be visiting the very last of China's ancient "water towns" to be opened to visitors.
When the authorities opened the 1,300 year old riverine settlement of Wuzhen to visitors in early 2001, they were determined to avoid the tacky mix of tourist restaurants and kitsch souvenir shops that has swamped other estuary towns such as Zhouzhuang (which also lies in the Yangtze River delta). Wuzhen's old buildings, an architectural symphony of stone, wood and tiles, have been preserved rather than restored, and lovingly maintained rather than tarted up. The result is a place that is a sheer joy to explore on foot.
At first, it was as though the authorities gave a town and nobody came. But as word has gotten around, the initial trickle of visitors has now swollen to become a torrent (particularly at weekends). But like the river itself, the steady stream of guests flows gently through the town and then quietly departs.
Wuzhen is still a living town, where daily life goes on life goes on as it has for the last thousand or so years. Coppersmiths, wood-carver and silk-spinners work at their age-old crafts. Bicycle rickshaw drivers exchange stories as they wait for passengers. People cart water, cook meals, and tend their gardens, each flower-plot the size of a postage stamp.
The townsfolk of Wuzhen gather in the town square around mid-day - talking, smoking or playing mah-jongg. They seem laidback and contented. Most of all, they seem to enjoy observing the passing parade, which provides a constant source of amusement. I started to wonder whether it was the town or the strange foreign visitors like myself that was the main attraction. Western visitors are still a rarity here.
Wuzhen lies in the far north-east of Zhejiang province, about 90 minutes by road from Shanghai. The name "water town" is especially apt; besides lying on the Grand Canal, the settlement is completely encircled by two rivers - the Dong Shi and a smaller tributary, which meet at a T-junction. No matter where you stand, water provides the backdrop, the raison d'être of the whole town.
About 250 families used to live in the old quarter of Wuzhen. However, following the "restoration" of the town, many townsfolk have been moved out to the "new" Wuzhen, an attractively landscaped but otherwise characterless apartment block 15 km down the road towards Shanghai. Those who remain are mainly the elderly and craftspeople. While I was assured that there is nothing to stop new residents moving into the old town, young people nowadays seem strangely absent.