Twin Bridges
The town's symbol.
EditQ — CC BY-SA 4.0 · kevinmcgill from Den Bosch, Netherlands — CC BY-SA 2.0 · ngader — CC BY 2.0 · Unknown — CC BY-SA 3.0 · EditQ — CC BY-SA 4.0 · livepine — CC BY 2.0 · kevinmcgill from Den Bosch, Netherlands — CC BY-SA 2.0 · EditQ — CC BY-SA 4.0
China's best-known old water town, about 30 km southeast of Suzhou, often called the «Venice of the East», with architecture more than 900 years old, about sixty original brick archways and a hundred old courtyards. Canals weave between white houses with grey roofs, crossed by old stone bridges, the best known being the Twin Bridges joined at a right angle, which became the town's symbol after a famous painting of them. Visitors wander narrow stone lanes, ride wooden boats rowed by boatmen between the houses and visit historic mansions such as the great hall of the Shen family; Smithsonian Magazine called it the most famous and most commercialised of the water towns. Tickets are about CNY 100, per visitor guides, with boat rides extra. It's very crowded on holidays, so visit on a weekday morning or stay a night; many dishes contain pork.
The town's symbol.
Between the houses.
A historic mansion.
Kunshan, about 30 km southeast of Suzhou
About CNY 100, with boat rides extra, per visitor guides; a weekday morning is the best time.