Jiangsu · Suzhou
Often called China’s first water town, Zhouzhuang has been lived in for more than 900 years, and it still runs on water. Canals thread between whitewashed houses with black-tiled roofs, crossed by fourteen old stone bridges — none more photographed than the Twin Bridges, where two Ming-era spans meet at a right angle over the stream. The best way to understand the town is from a low wooden boat, gliding beneath bridges while the boatwoman sings a Jiangnan folk song and laundry, tea houses, and lantern-lit doorways drift past at water level. On land, wander the old residences of the Shen and Zhang families, browse silk, embroidery, and bamboo crafts along the narrow lanes, and linger over local dishes in a canalside restaurant. Spring and autumn are the loveliest seasons, and the town is at its most magical at dawn or after dark, when the day-trippers have gone and lantern light shimmers on the water.
Tips: Come on a weekday and arrive early, or stay overnight — mornings and lantern-lit evenings are when Zhouzhuang feels like itself. Take a boat ride along the main canals, then walk the quieter back lanes away from the main street. Pair it with Suzhou, just a short drive away, whose classical gardens and silk workshops complete the Jiangnan picture.
Photo: Mattias Hill / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)