Shanghai - Places Nearby

After appreciating the miraculous cosmopolis-Shanghai, what will you do next? Do you want to experience the feel of water townships and water cities? Would you like to open your eyes to the south China? In these places, there are strongly cultural deposits, time-honored historical sites, the unparalleled landscapes and the ancient folk houses which enjoy widespread fame and that sort of thing, they will make you acquainted with south China, so don't shilly-shally, go and look around these places nearby Shanghai.

A Water Township in the dream--Zhouzhuang

Zhouzhuang is located about 2 hours from Shanghai. It is said that "In China, the landscapes in the Huang Mountains top the other mountains, while the landscapes in Zhouzhuang top the other water towns." To choose the most representative water township in China, undoubtly, we highly recommend Zhouzhuang Township. Zhouzhuang is noted for its profound cultural background, the well-preserved ancient residential houses, ancient bridges, the elegant watery views and the strong local colored traditions and folk customs. In an area of half a square kilometer, 60 percent of the architectures were built during the Ming (A.D.1368--1644) and Qing (A.D.1644--1911) Dynasties. Here the most far-famed scenic spots are Fu'an Bridge, Shuang qiao Bridge, Sheng Hall, Quanfu Temple etc.

Southern Water Township--Wuzhen

Located in the north of Zhejing province, Wuzhen Township is embraced by the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and with rivers and canals crisscrossing the whole township. It only takes you 80 minutes to reach there if you start your travel from Shanghai.Wuzhen Township has more than 2000 years history, now it has possessed many ancient bridges, streets, lanes and delicate residences, ancient docks and waterside pavilions, they make a romantic atmosphere that is typical to Jiang Nan water townships. In recent years, many photographers and tourists have been held captive by its unique folk customs, primal natural landscapes, thousand of year cultural and historical deposits. To visit here, you need not pay more. A cost-effective visit will make you feel that it is certainly worth it. Rambling on the old streets, your feel just likes sipping a cup of ripe wine leisurely.

Water Township -Tong Li

A well-known thousand-year ancient township in China, located in the west of Zhouzhuang about 10km from there, and it is only 18km to Suzhou and 80km to Shanghai. Tong Li is about 33 hectares in area. The whole township is around by water, all of the houses are built nearby the rivers, so it is called "the small Venice in the east". This town manly featured rich water, plenty of bridges, many constructions in Ming (A.D.1368-1644) and Qing(A.D1616-1911)Dynasties, many celebrities and refined scholars.

It is known for small ancient bridges, rivers and houses. The most distinctive human landscapes in Tong Li can be summed up in one garden (Tuisi Garden), two halls ( Chong Ben Hall &Ji Yin Hall) and three bridges(Peace Bridge, Lucky Bridge and Chang Qing Bridge).Among them, the Tui Si Garden has been listed into the World Cultural Heritage Directory by UNESCO, and was awarded the top ten attractive famous town in China by CCTV in 2005. Walking at a slow pace here and seeing the meandering rivers, ancient bridges, old water allies, old houses and old gardens, which will give you a special experience in China.

Ancient Water Township in Misty Rain--Xitang

Xitang is only 90km away from Shanghai, because the convenient transport, no mater by bus or by train from Shanghai you can reach there very fast. It is a small, mysterious and typical water township in southern China with over a thousand years of history. There are nine rivers twine through the township, and over one hundred ancient bridges connect the whole township. Evening and early morning in Xintang are the most beautiful moments, they are comely, unadorned and natural so you'd better stay one night in Xitang. Especially in the drizzling and misty days, the entire township is smothered in mist, which will bring you a sense of mystery. The sunset, the small boats, the clear water, the riverside lights in the evening and the water alleys, all of these bring you to an earthly paradise. If you have plan for lodging in this town there are many hotels for you to choose, and their prices are so just. On the other hand, don't forget to taste the local delicious snack food here and the freshwater fishes, the lake crabs and shrimps.
 

Heaven on earth--Hangzhou

Hangzhou is considered "the land of silk" of China. Its silk industry has a long history, and the varieties of silks are plentiful, and their qualities are superfine. In addition, Hangzhou is also "the land of fish and rice" and "the land of tea", which is the home of the famous Dragon Well Tea.This beautiful city has attracted more than 20 million sightseers from home or many other countries.Hangzhou is a traveler's paradise with its rich natural and human landscapes, such as the West Lake, ancient courtyards, gardens, pavilions, towers, temples, springs, ravines, grottos, precipice inscriptions etc have achieved world-class applause of the tourists visiting this city.

In Hangzhou there are "The new top 10 views" and "Traditional Top Ten Views", if you visit this city you should spectate these amazing landscapes leaving you awestruck even at a single glance, which will give you an unforgettable impression.

Garden city-- Suzhou

Suzhou has a long history of more than 2500 years. It is not only famous for the landscape gardens but also for the mountains and waters. Its natural sceneries contrast very finely with its human landscapes. The city site of Suzhou had been located a long, long time ago. Its city scale is large. The creeks are always parallel to the streets and are adjacent to each other. The inner city is still located on the former address, which is quite infrequent in the country.

Shopping in Suzhou, the Suzhou embroidery should be the foremost recommendation. Its angkucanum shares a very high reputation with of the Hunang embroidery, Sichuan embroidery and Guangdong embroidery. They are extolled as the most four famous embroideries in China.

Pearl of Taihu Lake--Wuxi

Wuxi City is a famous historic and cultural city in Southern China, with a long history more than 3000 years. It is situated in the south of Jiangsu province and the centre belt of Yangtze River Delta.

The beautiful rivers, creeks, lakes, springs, caves and gardens compose a picturesque landscape in Wuxi, which features with the unique and spectacular scenery in southern China. In Wuxi, the Soft-shelled Turtle Peninsula, Fan Li's Garden, Plum Orchard and the Xihui Park on the lakeshore of Taihu Lake are very beautiful. The human landscapes, such as the Ancient Grand Canal, Donglin Shuyuan (academy), the Taibo Tomb, the Taibo Temple, the Former Residence of Xu xia-ke (1586-1641, A famous Traveller), Huangshan Emplacement, the Xu bei-hong's (1895-1953, a renowned painter) Memorial, the Wu (Jiangsu province) Cultural Park etc are so attractive that you make a halt here and linger on without any thought of leaving.

In recent years, many film-video towns have been built in succession in Wuxi, for instance, the Europe Town, the Tang Town, Three Kingdom Town, Shuihu Town (Shuihu : Outlaws of the Marsh) etc. At the same time, the Wuxi Taihu Lake National Tourism Area for Holidays was built here, in the area there are Yueliangwan Vacation Centre, Lingshan Scenic Spot (the big Buddha of Lingshan) and Dragon Head Peninsula Park etc, which have lent a bright and colorful landscape to Wuxi.