Little Lotus Villa
A water garden.
钉钉 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zhangzhugang — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zhangzhugang — CC BY-SA 4.0 · 钉钉 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zhangzhugang — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zhangzhugang — CC BY-SA 4.0 · 钉钉 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zhangzhugang — CC BY-SA 4.0
A canal town of the Yangtze delta, near where Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Shanghai meet. It became a town in 1252 under the Southern Song and grew richest from the late Ming to the mid-Qing, when people said that «the whole city of Huzhou is not worth half of Nanxun town». Its wealthy merchants left grand houses and gardens along the canals, among them the Little Lotus Villa with its water garden, the Jiaye Library, once the largest and best-stocked private library in Chinese history, and the house of Zhang Shiming, which blends Chinese and Western architecture. Walking the town's streets is free at any hour, while six of the historic houses are ticketed, with a joint ticket of CNY 75 to 85 depending on the booking platform, per visitor guides. Pork is common in the town's dishes and snacks, so ask about ingredients.
A water garden.
A famed private library.
East meets West.
Nanxun District, Huzhou, Zhejiang
Yes, walking its streets and canals is free, while historic houses such as the Little Lotus Villa, the Jiaye Library and the Zhang Shiming house are ticketed, with a joint ticket of CNY 75 to 85, per visitor guides.