Zhouzhuang is a renowned water town in Jiangnan, known for its crisscrossing waterways and ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties that line the rivers. The Double Bridge, immortalized by painter Chen Yifei, depicts the gentleness of small bridges and flowing water. The expansive and beautiful Nanhu Lake lies to the south of the ancient town. At night, Zhouzhuang is illuminated with lights, creating a unique ambiance.
Among the highlights of visiting Zhouzhuang are the Jiangnan misty rain, the ancient residences with brick carving gateways, and the architecture, which is predominantly Jiangnan residential style. There are nearly a hundred ancient residences, mostly from the Ming and Qing periods. The town is surrounded by water on all sides, making it a place formed by rivers. The various waterways form a ‘well’ pattern embedded in the town, giving Zhouzhuang its characteristic layout of water-adjacent streets and market streets.
Above the water lanes of Zhouzhuang, 14 ancient stone bridges from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties are well-preserved, along with the water lanes and ancient residences, truly embodying the ‘small bridges and flowing water’ imagery. Visiting ancient residences and following the footsteps of celebrities, there are many ancient residential architectural relics, including the famous Zhang Hall and Shen Hall, as well as the mysterious Shen Wansan’s underwater tomb, which is said to be the burial place of Shen Wansan’s clothes and hat.
The rowing boats in the water lanes of Zhouzhuang are like a beautiful water town dream. The ancient town of Zhouzhuang is not large, with a length and width of about one to two kilometers, and can be toured on foot. However, it is highly recommended to experience the boats on the waterways. The boats in the town are wooden boats covered with water town blue calico, which can accommodate one to six people. The boatwomen often sing some Kunqu tunes, which are very characteristic of the water town.
‘Only Zhouzhuang’ – An Immersive Multidimensional Space Drama ‘Only Zhouzhuang’ is an immersive multidimensional space drama designed to immerse the audience in a ‘journey of meeting oneself in a dream within a dream’. The play breaks the traditional patterns of drama and stage performance, exploring issues of space and time through deconstruction and reconstruction. It combines Song dynasty aesthetics with multidimensional technological creativity, leading the audience on a journey beyond three-dimensional space and time, providing an emotional and spiritual super sensory experience.
Old Dream: Welcome to Zhouzhuang! At an offline gathering of astronomy enthusiasts, you meet a young man named Zhou He. He casually takes a copy of ‘Annals of Zhouzhuang Town’ from the front desk and plans to read it before going to bed. That night, all the guests in the hotel strangely enter the same dream. You enter Zhou He’s dream. The rain is pattering outside the window. Zhou He sleeps with a book and embarks on a dream journey, returning to the water town 900 years ago and meeting a Song dynasty person with the same name as himself.
Come and enter the dream together. Highlight: An immersive drama performance presented in an all-round way in the dome light and shadow space brings you a shocking visual enjoyment. Entering the Painting: There are dreams within dreams. You hurry along with a lantern in hand, following Zhou He’s footsteps and entering the dream of the Song dynasty person with the same name. The dream is full of memories, including the bustling banquets and music in Tokyo in the past, the acquaintance and separation with the court singer Tao Xi, and people’s agreements and entrustments. At the moment of waking up, Zhou He of the Song dynasty has an answer between leaving and staying. ‘There are beautiful sceneries everywhere in the water towns of the south of the Yangtze River. Why does Brother Zhou stay here alone?’ It’s only because ‘Where the heart is at ease is my hometown’. Highlight: The court musicians of the Twelve Cases of Music are restored on site. The dancers of the Song dynasty court dance gracefully against the backdrop of light and shadow, showing the prosperous court scene. Expedition: Zhou He of modern times follows the light in the fragments of time and witnesses the half-life story of Zhou He of the Song dynasty staying in Zhouzhuang. To protect the water town, he sends his son Zhou Xi into the army. Amidst drunkenness, he looks at his sword under the lamp, and in his dreams, the sound of bugles from the military camps echoes. Zhou Xi is brave and good at fighting. He leads three hundred brave men from Zhouzhuang to join the army going north to resist the Jin army. Highlight: Boarding a ‘warship’, being in the fierce battle against the Jin army, and personally experiencing the war atmosphere of wind and rain, lightning and thunder, and cannons firing everywhere. Finding the Way: The ginkgo tree planted by the elders of Zhouzhuang to commemorate the brave men who resisted the Jin army has become a sacred tree for the people of the water town to pray for blessings. In the dream, time and space fade away. Zhou He of modern times takes the guiding fish lantern and waits under the ginkgo tree. Zhang Han, Zhou Digonglang, Shen Wansan… Old friends of Zhouzhuang enter the dream one by one, telling the sentiment of ‘Only Zhouzhuang’. Day breaks, and each of us wakes up from our own dreams, reminiscing about this ‘lucid dream’ where we once met each other. May all the white estrangements at least meet and embrace in dreams. Highlight: Hundreds of blessing lotus lanterns on and under the sacred tree illuminate one lost person after another. It is real, illusory, and like a dream. Slow Life, Leisurely Walk and Enjoy Leisure Zhouzhuang is a very suitable place for relaxation. In the morning, you can enjoy the breeze by the river and have some Jiangnan special breakfast. During the day, you can walk around the town, listen to operas and drink tea in teahouses, or read books and drink coffee in cafes. At night, you can have a drink in a quiet bar. Many bars have singers performing or shows. Special Shopping Zhenfeng Cultural Street: Sells Jiangnan handicrafts, including homespun cloth, shoe art, olive pit carving, bamboo weaving artworks, etc. Most shops close at sunset.Cardboard King Theme Creative Park: All kinds of decorations and small items in the store are made of paper, which is very distinctive. You will find that with just paper, so many interesting things can be made. FuNan Road Cultural and Creative Street: It includes intangible cultural heritage shops such as Embroidery Silk and Zhu Bingren · Copper, as well as delicious and high-quality products like Daoxiang Village, Crab Companion, Pin Cool Workshop, and Sen Cui Women’s Clothing. Zhang Hall Fan Shop: It collects thousands of fans, including round fans and folding fans, with Suzhou embroidery and ink painting, which are very distinctive, allowing you to deeply understand the profound culture of fans. Zhouzhuang Accommodation: If conditions permit, it is recommended to stay overnight in the ancient town to better understand this place. There are many local family-run inns in the ancient town, most of which are located along the river and have backyards. The environment is good and quiet, and you can choose according to your own needs. Zhouzhuang Cuisine: When you come to Zhouzhuang, you must taste the local snacks. There are many characteristic snack shops around Zhenfeng Street and Shen Hall. Zhouzhuang’s snacks are very rich, including such as Wansantui, A Pocai, White Silk Fish, Sanweiyuan, and Jiangnan specialties such as Qingtuan, Wa Di Su, and Chang Yao Gao can all be found here, allowing you to stroll and search for taste. Delicious Wansantui: Longfeng Restaurant, Wansan Restaurant A Pocai: Shen Hall Restaurant, Zhouzhuang Huajian Hall Kikuko Restaurant Sanweiyuan: Wansan Restaurant, Shen Hall Restaurant Opening Hours: The whole year 07:30-20:00, the opening hours of the sub-attractions are subject to the actual situation on site. Preferential Policies: Children: under 6 years old (inclusive) or under 1.4 meters (inclusive) in height, free; Elderly: over 70 years old (inclusive), need to hold their original valid ID card, free; people aged 60 to 70 (not including 70) can enjoy half-price tickets with valid documents; Minors: minors aged 6 to 18 (inclusive) can enjoy half-price tickets; Disabled: disabled people and one accompanying person for severely disabled people (level 1 and 2) can enjoy free tickets with valid ID cards, need to hold their original valid ID card; Military: People’s Republic of China active servicemen (including military academies) and retired military officers can enjoy free tickets with valid ID cards, need to hold their original valid ID card; Drivers and Guides: drivers with A1 licenses and certified guides can enjoy free tickets with valid ID cards, need to hold their original valid ID card; Journalists: journalists with press cards issued by the News Office can enjoy free tickets with valid ID cards, need to hold their original valid ID card; Honored Individuals and Preferential Objects: individuals who have won the national voluntary blood donation award, voluntary donation of hematopoietic stem cell award, lifelong honor award for voluntary blood donation service, and preferential objects who enjoy Jiangsu Province’s preferential treatment and subsidies, need to hold their original valid ID card, free; Students: full-time undergraduate students and below, need to hold their original valid ID card, half-price; Preferential Objects: preferential objects with the ‘People’s Republic of China Veterans’ preferential card’ and ‘People’s Republic of China Martyrs, Martyrs, and Sick Soldiers’ preferential card’ (except for garden in the garden, garden charges, and night tour projects), need to hold their original valid ID card, free; Kunshan Labor Models: Kunshan city labor models, Kunshan city honorary citizens and Kunshan friends, need to hold their original valid ID card, free; Firefighters: officials and staff of the national comprehensive fire rescue team can enjoy free tickets with valid ID cards, need to hold their original valid ID card; Service Facilities: Parking: [Zhouzhuang Visitor Center Parking] Reference price: ￥20/time; Address: Zhouzhuang Visitor Center Parking is located at Zhouzhuang Dian South Road Visitor Center; Spaces: 1006; Small car 10 yuan/time, large car 20 yuan/time, specific to the parking fee announcement; Spaces small car 850, bus 156. WIFI: Account: zhouzhuanglife; Password: No password required; Coverage: Full coverage. Luggage Storage: Reference price: Free with ticket; Address: Ancient Archway Visitor Center; Dangerous items and valuables are not accepted for storage. Scenic Area Explanation: The scenic area provides electronic explanation services.
WeChat follow the official account ‘How to Play in Zhouzhuang’. There is tourist service in the lower left corner, which includes electronic explanations. Experience price is 8 yuan (subject to actual charges at the scenic spot). Stroller rental: Reference price: free, with a deposit of 500 yuan. Address: Ancient Memorial Archway Tourist Center. Recommended for babies weighing less than 20 catties. Toilets: There are multiple toilets in Zhouzhuang, located near the main gate of the ancient memorial archway, Zhang’s Residence, Shen’s Residence, and ancient stage, etc., and are marked with conspicuous signs. Catering: There are restaurants in Zhouzhuang, near Shen’s Residence and marked with conspicuous signs. Alipay/WeChat payment is available. Convenience stores: There are multiple convenience stores in various main streets of Zhouzhuang Ancient Town. Alipay/WeChat payment is available.
