Zhouzhuang Ancient Town

Zhouzhuang Ancient Town

Zhouzhuang Ancient Town is a National AAAAA-level Tourist Attraction.

Zhouzhuang Town is located 38 kilometers southeast of Suzhou City and 33 kilometers southwest of Kunshan City. It is a water town with a history of over 900 years, surrounded by Cheng Lake, Dianshan Lake, and Nanhu Lake. Due to its separation by rivers and lakes, it avoided wars and conflicts throughout history, preserving its original water-town architecture and unique layout to this day. Over 60% of the town's buildings are from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Structures such as the Shen Hall built by the descendants of Shen Wansan, the wealthy tycoon from the late Yuan and early Ming Dynasties, and the Zhang Hall built by the descendants of Xu Da, the Prince of Zhongshan from the early Ming Dynasty, are all models of Ming and Qing residential architecture. Zhouzhuang was also home to literary figures such as Liu Yazhi and Chen Qubing.

“Huangshan embodies the beauty of China’s mountains and rivers, while Zhouzhuang embodies the beauty of China’s water towns.” If you were to choose one representative ancient water town in China, without a doubt, it would be “China’s No. 1 Water Town” – Zhouzhuang. No wonder in 2001, it was also specially favored as one of the host venues outside of Shanghai.

If you were to choose the most popular ancient water town in China, Zhouzhuang would surely rank at the top. Zhouzhuang is a world of water, naturally possessing its unique forms and flavors. This is certainly not something that can be reflected by just one or two ancient buildings or three or four old stone bridges. It is a living, breathing atmosphere. You may discover it through your own powers of observation, or you may feel it without even paying attention: the stone revetments along the waterways, the bamboo-pierced stone railings; the diverse-shaped boat mooring stones embedded along the banks; straw sandals sold in shops; women washing vegetables and rice by the river; elderly women sitting together embroidering and chatting; street-corner tailor shops; toilets soaking up the sun; even the sound of water flowing after household washing… After all, it is everywhere, and it often becomes a favorite subject for photographers. It is hard to imagine that such a small town can receive over ten thousand visitors in a single day during peak season. No wonder people say, “In heaven there is paradise, on earth there are Suzhou and Hangzhou, and in between lies Zhouzhuang.”

Zhouzhuang was formerly known as ZhenTi Li. In the first year of the Northern Song Dynasty (1086), Zhou Dipu Gong, a devout Buddhist, donated 13 hectares of farmland to Quanfu Temple as temple property. The local people, grateful for his kindness, renamed ZhenTi Li to Zhouzhuang.

Zhouzhuang Town is located 38 kilometers southeast of Suzhou City and 33 kilometers southwest of Kunshan City. It is a water town with a history of over 900 years, surrounded by Cheng Lake, Dianshan Lake, and Nanhu Lake. Due to its separation by rivers and lakes, it avoided wars and conflicts throughout history, preserving its original water-town architecture and unique layout to this day. Over 60% of the town's buildings are from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Structures such as the Shen Hall built by the descendants of Shen Wansan, the wealthy tycoon from the late Yuan and early Ming Dynasties, and the Zhang Hall built by the descendants of Xu Da, the Prince of Zhongshan from the early Ming Dynasty, are all models of Ming and Qing residential architecture.

Zhouzhuang is surrounded by water on all sides, making it a watery land. The North-South Market River, Hougang River, Youcheyang River, and Middle Market River form a “well” shape. Residents build houses along the river, form streets around the hills, and 14 ancient bridges span the waterways. Coupled with the simple and honest folk customs of the ancient town, it presents an ancient, serene, and elegant charm, a typical example of the Jiangnan style of “small bridges, flowing water, and rustic homes.” No wonder Zhouzhuang has always been a top location for photographers, writers, artists, and even TV and film shoots.

The charm of Zhouzhuang lies in its cultural heritage. Historic sites such as Shen Hall, Zhang Hall, Mi Lou, Ye Chucang’s Former Residence, Chengxu Taoist Temple, and Quanfu Temple hold high historical, cultural, and aesthetic value. Where there are rivers and streets, there are bridges. Zhouzhuang has many ancient bridges, each with its own distinctive features. Notable examples include Shuang Qiao (Double Bridge) and Fu’an Bridge.

Shuang Qiao is located in the town center of Zhouzhuang Ancient Town, consisting of Shide Bridge and Yong’an Bridge. The bridges are positioned one horizontally and one vertically, with one square and one round arch, resembling an ancient key, hence the nickname “Key Bridge.” In 1984, Chen Yifei’s painting “Memory of My Hometown” featured Shuang Qiao as its centerpiece, making the bridge—and by extension, Zhouzhuang—famous both in China and abroad.

The entire town features bridges connected to streets, houses built along the river, gently swaying boats, and swaying green shadows. Travelers who yearn for simplicity and authenticity can’t help but recite: “Willows by the Wu River sway, boats drift gracefully amid the streams.”

Shuang Qiao was first built in the Ming Dynasty and has undergone multiple renovations since. The reflection of Shide Bridge on the water, together with the arch itself, forms a perfect circle—its elegant shape makes it a favorite subject for photography enthusiasts and art students. However, during holidays, Shuang Qiao is often the most crowded spot in the ancient town, with every visitor eager to take a photo with this iconic landmark.

Taiping Bridge was built during the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty and rebuilt in the 36th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1771 AD). It is a single-arch stone bridge, with lotus pedestal patterns carved on the bridge and vines growing in the crevices of the stonework, making it highly photogenic.

Yu Yan Tang, originally named “Yishun Tang” and commonly known as Zhang Hall, was first built during the Zhengtong reign of the Ming Dynasty (1436–1450) by the descendants of Xu Mengqing, brother of Xu Da, the Prince of Zhongshan. It was sold to the Zhang family in the early Qing Dynasty. It has six courtyards, 60 rooms, covers an area of 1,400 square meters, and has a construction area of 1,884 square meters. On the south side of the main hall, there is a dim and narrow service corridor, 20 meters long, which connects to the upper hall on the left and leads to the flower hall on the right. Beneath the corridor flows a crystal-clear stream passing through a waterside pavilion, connecting to Nanhu Lake. The architectural feature of “bridge at the front door, boat sailing through the home” makes it one of China’s well-preserved Ming Dynasty residences, highly valued by countless experts in ancient architecture.

The main hall of Yu Yan Tang still retains the appearance of a prosperous household. The entire hall is bright and spacious, furnished with antique redwood furniture. The pillars are about one person’s embrace in diameter, and unusually, their bases are wooden drum pedestals—a distinct hallmark of Ming Dynasty construction. The hall’s plaques and ceiling are adorned with lanterns and decorations, infusing the otherwise solemn space with a touch of festive cheer, as if bringing back the days when the former owners held banquets and welcomed guests.

Due to its elegant and classic charm, Yu Yan Tang was designated as a Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit in 1995. It has also become one of the famous attractions in Zhouzhuang, one of Jiangnan’s Six Ancient Water Towns.

Jingye Tang, commonly known as “Shen Hall,” was first built in the seventh year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1742) by Shen Bengren, a descendant of Shen Wansan. It has seven courtyards and five gate towers, covering an area of 2,000 square meters with over 100 rooms of various sizes. It follows the typical “front hall, rear hall” layout: the front section includes a waterside gate for docking boats and washing; the middle section consists of gate towers, a tea hall, and the main hall, used for receiving guests, handling weddings and funerals, and conducting meetings; the rear section includes the large and small upper halls and rear hall, serving as living quarters. The front and rear buildings are connected by overhead walkways and corridor towers, forming a large “horse-walking building.”

Shen Hall is located on Nan Shi Street, south of the east end of Fu’an Bridge in Zhouzhuang. Facing south, it has seven courtyards and five gate towers, with over 100 rooms of varying sizes distributed along a 100-meter central axis, covering an area of more than 2,000 square meters. It is a Jiangsu Provincial Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. Originally named Jingye Tang, it was renamed Songmao Tang in the late Qing Dynasty. It was built in the seventh year of the Qianlong reign (1742) by Shen Bengren, a descendant of Shen Wansan.

According to the “Zhouzhuang Town Annals”: “Shen Bengren in his early years enjoyed wayward behavior and associated with disreputable characters. When his father passed away, people said, ‘He will surely ruin the family within three years.’ Upon hearing this, Bengren held a banquet, invited those disreputable friends, gave them money, and told them: ‘I must now support the family and cannot continue to associate with you!’ From then on, he shut his doors to guests, focused on farming, expanded the family estate next to the Daye Hall, acquired hundreds of rooms and thousands of acres of fertile land, and became a prominent family in the town.” It seems Shen Bengren was a classic case of a reformed prodigal son—he did not squander the family fortune, but instead worked hard after his father’s death to expand the estate and build the grand Shen Hall.

Among Zhouzhuang’s nearly one thousand residential buildings, those from the Ming, Qing, and Republican periods still account for over 60% of the total. These include nearly a hundred ancient mansions and over 60 brick-carved gate towers, as well as some overhead walkways and waterside gates—architectural elements representative of the Jiangnan water towns. Among these, Shen Hall is the most iconic.

Shen Hall consists of three parts. The front section includes the waterside gate and river dock, specifically for docking boats and washing clothes—unique architectural features of the Jiangnan water towns. The middle section includes the gate tower, tea hall, and main hall, used for receiving guests, handling major ceremonies, and conducting business. The rear section includes the large and small upper halls and rear rooms, serving as living spaces. The entire structure follows the classic “front hall, rear hall” layout. The front and rear buildings are connected by overhead walkways and corridor towers, forming a continuous horse-walking building—an architectural rarity.

Within the seven courtyards, the 170-square-meter Songmao Tang sits at the center. The main hall is 11 meters wide, with a front porch, a depth of 11 meters across seven rafters, and a rear porch. The main hall is square-shaped, flanked by secondary rooms that connect to the front and rear wing rooms via upper floors. The roof is a double-sloped gable roof, with single-layer roofing from the sixth to seventh rafter and double-layer roofing elsewhere.

The hall features thick beams and columns, intricately carved with motifs such as pythons, qilins, cranes, and dancing phoenixes. At the center of the hall hangs a plaque inscribed with the three raised gold characters “Songmao Tang,” written by Zhang Jian, the top imperial scholar of the late Qing Dynasty. The most magnificent of the five gate towers, facing the main hall, stands six meters tall, with three bays and five stories, covered with projecting eaves, upturned corners, supported by brick brackets, and flanked by hanging floral designs. Below are five tiers of brick carvings arranged tightly. At the center is a plaque inscribed with “Jihu Liuguang” (Accumulated Virtue Shines Far), surrounded by delicate carvings of red plum blossoms heralding spring.

Chengxu Taoist Temple is a famous Taoist site in the Zhouzhuang area. As a sacred place of Taoism, which originated in the Eastern Han Dynasty and was founded by Zhang Ling over 1,800 years ago, Taoism venerates Laozi as its deity and regards Laozi’s “Tao Te Ching” as its core scripture, pursuing spiritual cultivation and immortality. Chengxu Taoist Temple was first built during the Yuanyou reign of the Song Dynasty, with a history of over 900 years. Originally named “Shengtang,” it was donated by the people of Chengxu in Wujiang, hence its name. Unfortunately, due to years of neglect, the temple fell into disrepair. In 1994, the Zhouzhuang government funded its restoration, restoring it to its former glory.

Zhouzhuang Museum was originally the residence of a Zhu family during the late Qing and early Republican period. After the liberation, it served as the office of the town government. In the mid-1990s, it was renovated and opened to the public as a tourist attraction. The museum covers a construction area of over 1,000 square meters. It mainly displays everyday utensils, farming tools, and some locally unearthed famous black-glazed pottery artifacts.

Special Tips:

1. When taking a tricycle from within Zhouzhuang Town to the ancient town entrance, it is important to clarify the route and price, as some drivers may take tourists on a tour around the ancient town before demanding extra fees.

2. The Town Water Cruise and the traditional paddle boat rides within the scenic area are not the same. Tickets for the Town Water Cruise can be purchased at the scenic area ticket office or as part of a combo ticket, while paddle boats within the scenic area must be booked and paid for at the dock at 150 RMB per boat (up to 6 people).

Address: No. 43 Quanfu Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Kunshan City, Suzhou (Ancient Archway Entrance & Exit)

Type: Ancient Town & Village

Rating: AAAAA

Recommended Visit Duration: About 1 day

Phone: 4008282900; 0512-57211699

Official Website: http://www.zhouzhuang.net

Social Media Accounts:

Opening Hours:

The ancient town is open all day; smaller attractions within the town such as Zhang Hall and Shen Hall are open from 8:00–20:00 in summer and 8:00–19:00 in winter; other smaller attractions are open from 8:00–16:30.

Ticket Information:

Admission to the ancient town costs 100 RMB, which includes access to 15 attractions within the town such as Shen Hall and Zhang Hall; the ticket is valid for three days, but visitors staying for more than one day need to register and have their photo taken at the visitor center.

Zhouzhuang Town: Zhouzhuang Town is located in the northeastern part of Kunshan, bordering Taicang City and Changshu City. It was formed by merging the former Zhouzhuang, Xinzhen, and Luyang towns, and is designated as the central area of the northern part of Kunshan by the Kunshan Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government. The town covers an area of 81.56 square kilometers, with a local resident population of 43,000 and a migrant population of 60,000. It administers two subdistrict offices—Xinzhen and Luyang—12 community committees, and 15 administrative villages, comprising a total of 112 residential groups and 382 villager groups. The town has been awarded titles such as “Nationally Recognized Beautiful Environment Town,” “Jiangsu Provincial Civilized Town,” and “Suzhou Municipal Pioneer in Investment Attraction…” More detailed information about Zhouzhuang Town++

Further Reading:

·2020 Top 100 Historic Site Attractions Brand Ranking