Zhouzhuang

Zhouzhuang is an ancient town of Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province, lying between Shanghai and Suzhou, 30 km the southeast of Suzhou and 60 km the southwest of Shanghai.

With a history of more than 900 years, Zhou Zhuang has been known as "Venice of the East", characterized by the picturesque water county scenery--- a perfect combination of exquisite bridges, limpid rivers and quaint houses. The rivers and streams in Zhouzhuang crisscross the town and are spanned by 14 stone-arch bridges constructed in Yuan (1271-1368), Ming, and Qing Dynasties. Many thanks to these waterways, the town avoided the chaos that might be caused by wars in the past dynasties and most of its architectural layouts have eventually remained intact.

There are nearly a hundred well-preserved old mansions and over 60 gateways made of carved bricks. You can enjoy many fantastic and rustic vista, including Twin Bridges, Fuan Bridge, Shen House, Milou Tower, and so on. Also, one can enjoy the fairyland atmosphere of the evenings here when the myriad stars twinkle as though in communication with the glittering lights. In 2000, the United Nations Center foruman Settlement awarded Zhouzhuang with the Best Example Prize of the Dubai International Living Environmental Improvement Conference. On June 6, 2001, Zhouzhuang hosted the Informal Trade Ministerial Conference the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. Trade ministers from the 21 member economies saw the integration of old and modern China in Shanghai and Zhouzhuang.