Hundred Rooms

　　Introduction

　　Located on the northeastern side of the town, Hundred Rooms was built along the eastern and western banks of the old canal. Legend has it that Dong Fen, a Minister of Rites during the Ming Dynasty, constructed it as housing for his servants and household staff. Originally, there were about a hundred rooms, hence the name “Hundred Rooms,” which has been retained to this day.

　　The entire street features continuous rows of houses with adjoining side walls. Its distinctive feature is the riverside buildings—meandering waterways connected by stone bridges. The buildings have traditional black tiles and white walls, forming a long street of arcaded corridors adorned with light and airy arched gateways.

　　Between the houses, the gables rise high, some styled as cloud heads, others as Guanyin hoods, or in three-tiered horse-head walls. The varying heights create a dynamic profile against the dark walls and black tiles. Under the black tiles of the riverside houses, wooden lattice windows grace the upper floors, while many ground-level units have overhanging eaves, another layer of black tiles, and then covered corridors along the riverbanks—light, airy, and full of the charm of traditional water-town dwellings.

　　The most densely concentrated section of houses lies along the east bank, stretching from Lotus Bridge to Long Bridge. The houses here are relatively neat and tightly packed along the riverbank. White walls, blue tiles, covered walkways, river docks, patterned walls, arched doors, eaves, and flowing river water with passing boats present a classic scene of the unique scenery of the Jiangnan water towns.

　　The west bank suffered severe damage from bombings by Japanese military aircraft in the 1940s. Despite several restorations, it still falls short of its former glory.

　　The river at Hundred Rooms was originally part of the canal, through which goods bound for Huzhou, Wuzhen, Suzhou, and Nanxun were transported. After the city wall was built in the late Yuan Dynasty, this section became part of the moat. Most structures along the river were warehouses and shops, with neat stone embankments built along the shore. Moored boats lined the docks for loading and unloading cargo. The area along the river was a long street, with most of the buildings being front shops and back residences. Wealthier families typically lived in three to four courtyards, while ordinary households occupied two-courtyard homes centered around a single courtyard.