Embarking on my journey from the ancient capital of Hangzhou, it takes less than two hours' drive to reach my destination, Wuzhen. It's a small town built alongside a river. The sprawling Beijing-Hangzhou Canal, built some 2,400 years ago divides the town into four parts, the eastern, western, northern and southern areas. Wuzhen is a typical water town, buildings are on the river banks and streets are connected to one another by stone bridges.
A local tour guide says the buildings took shape more than 100 years ago, and they haven't changed in over a century.
"These buildings contain the special architecture of Wuzhen and are known as 'water houses'. They are regarded as the last "houses sleeping on water" in China. The reason why they have been given this name is because it seems that the houses are built on the surface of the river, as if they are sleeping on the water. All of these houses have a history dating back at least 100 years."
The water houses are everywhere in Wuzhen. Built partly on the bank and then stretching into the river, they are still home to the local residents. The wooden pillars and columns on which the houses stand are in the river bed. Living in the water house, standing by the window, and watching the bridges, water and houses outside, you can almost imagine yourself in a fairytale world.
As an ancient town, Wuzhen has preserved a rich and complete folk culture. Through inherited traditions passed down since ancient times, its unique culture has become the soul of the town.
Zhang Jianlin, mayor of the town, believes the attraction of Wuzhen lies not only in its architecture, but also in its rich historical and cultural merits.
"Wuzhen must keep its own unique characteristics. We need to further develop the water town culture in order to attract more tourists."
Among the four districts in Wuzhen, two are open to the public. The eastern district was opened in 2001. Highlights in this area are more culture-related. Several private museums are located in this district, such as a Bed Museum, the Folk Custom Museum, and a Wood Carving Museum. People can also visit the former Residence of Mao Dun, a renowned novelist in modern Chinese contemporary literature. These museums are not big, but in them you can find the essence of Wuzhen.
Other 'must-see' places in the eastern district are workshops run by the locals. Wine and cloth-dyeing are popular here. The Sanbai Wine Workshop is where this famous alcohol of the same name is made. Sanbai, in Chinese literally means "three white". It refers to the wine that is made from three ingredients, glutinous rice, distiller's yeast, and clean water. Sanbai Wine is noted for being pure, sweet, and tasty. Here in the workshop, visitors may not only watch the process of it being made, but also taste the wine.
The Hong Yuantai Dye House has a history dating back 1,000 years and is well known for its blue print cloth. The patterns on the cloth feature strong characteristics of local rural life. Visitors can even buy a piece of the cloth as a souvenir.
A young couple from central China's Henan province is resting at a little bridge.
"We arrived here yesterday. The scenery is more beautiful than we have imagined. We'll stay here for a couple of days."
"We came here because he enjoys taking photos. We can relax ourselves by touring around here as well. One of our friends recommended Wuzhen to us."
Wuzhen is widely acclaimed as an "Oriental Venice" with river ways interlaced throughout the land. By taking a boat along the river, you can reach the western district from the east.
The western district has been opened to tourists since 2007. Delicate ancient architecture, built some 600 years ago during the Ming and Qing dynasties, is well protected in this district. In this 250,000 square meter area, you can find more than 70 bridges of various shapes and sizes.
What you are hearing now is how silk is processed from the silkworm stage to the final woven cloth product. The Yida Silk Workshop has been in operation for more than 100 years. You can watch the process of planting the mulberry trees, raising silkworms, collecting silkworm cocoons and weaving the silk in the workshop. Tourists can even try their hand at weaving some silk themselves.
In order to meet the growing demand for accommodation, hotels of different kinds are provided in the western district, from low-end budge hostels, family hotels to luxurious five star hotels.
Gao Yuping, the manager of the Public Relations Department with the Wuzhen Tourism Company, and developer of many of the local travel resources, says that finding that perfect match between high-quality travel services and preserving local heritage is what the company is all about.
"I want to tell the tourists that the houses in Wuzhen are not only for admiring but also used to stay in. To stop over in a travel destination is an extension of travel. You are more than a tourist. You can become a live-in customer. Wuzhen is more than a tourist spot to you, it is also a place for you to relax."
If you want to experience the folk custom deeply and fully enjoy the water town life, there is no better choice than living in one of the family hotels. Zhifang Bridge Hotel is one of these family inns. With only a couple of rooms, it is very tidy and clean.
Liu Yanping is the owner.
"We used to live here and then migrated to a neighbouring town. But we missed our life in Wuzhen so we couldn't wait to come back. I enjoy my life here. The business is quite good. My guests are from all over the world including Malaysia, Singapore, France, and Britain."
Through word-of-mouth, Wuzhen has gained increasing popularity among backpackers and travellers. More and more tourists from home and abroad have been attracted to Wuzhen because of its natural beauty, ancient architecture and rich cultural heritage.
During the eight years, from 2001 when the east district was opened, to 2007 when the west district was opened, Wuzhen has welcomed around 14 million tourists and about 10 percent of these have been foreign visitors.
Mayor of the town, Zhang Jianlin, says developing the local tourism industry goes hand in hand with protecting the heritage of the town.
"We have established a protection system of our own. There are mainly three aspects to it. One is to protect the historic sites, one is to protect the environment, and the other is to protect the culture, which is the most difficult part and always the easiest to ignore."
With many sites of historical and cultural interest, the tranquil town of Wuzhen has become a 'must-visit' destination in southern China.
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