Canals
Between the houses.
Gerbil — CC BY-SA 3.0 · ·˙·ChinaUli2010·.· — CC BY 3.0 · Immanuel Giel — CC BY-SA 4.0 · ·˙·ChinaUli2010·.· — CC BY 3.0 · gdczjkk — CC BY 3.0 · Nablazzz — CC BY-SA 3.0 · ·˙·ChinaUli2010·.· — CC BY 3.0 · ·˙·ChinaUli2010·.· — CC BY 3.0
One of the loveliest old water towns south of the Yangtze, in Tongxiang between Hangzhou, Suzhou and Shanghai; it dates back to the seventh century under the Tang, and canals run between its old timber houses. The town keeps its old stone bridges, paved lanes and fine wood carvings, and houses that overlook the water with balconies hanging over the canals; it has the home of the famous Chinese writer Mao Dun and has hosted the annual World Internet Conference since 2014. The visitor town is split into two areas: Dongzha in the east, with traditional life, small museums and craft workshops, and the larger Xizha in the west, with hotels, cafés and canals lit up at night, where many prefer to stay overnight. The East area costs CNY 110, the West area 150 and a combined ticket 190, per the town's official website. The drive from Hangzhou takes about an hour and a half; the West area is loveliest in the evening, and many restaurants serve pork.
Between the houses.
Old and arched.
Lights on the water.
Tongxiang, northern Zhejiang
The East area is CNY 110, the West area 150 and a combined ticket 190, per the town's official website.