A TRIP FROM MODERNITY TO ANTIQUITY IN JIANGNAN
A MODERN CITY
Jiangnan is a geographic area in China referring to lands immediately to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, which attracts a number of foreign tourists every year. The first city in Jiangnan, which is highly recommended to visit, is Shanghai.
As an international metropolis, Shanghai is the center of China’s economy, finance, trade, shipping, and technological innovation. One of the most representative tourist attractions is Lujiazui Financial Business District in Pudong. As the first national financial development zone in China, many foreign financial institutions, including HSBC, Citibank, Standard Chartered Bank and DBS Bank, have set up offices in Lujiazui.
Here, you can see the landmark building of Shanghai, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, and watch its ingenious structure which is designed according to a famous Chinese ancient poem Big Pearl
and Small Pearl Falling Jade Plate. At over 200 meters high, the tower offers a sightseeing area overlooking Shanghai and an aerial revolving restaurant that lets you enjoy the wonderful cityview while you eat.
Adding to the elegant and modern skyline are Jinmao Tower, Global Financial Center, Shanghai Center, among others. You may also walk along the Lujiazui Riverside, located opposite of The Bund des Nations Building Expo Group. After sunset, the sparkling night scenery on both sides of the Huangpu River is unforgettable.
TWO ANCIENT TOWNS
When you come to Jiangnan, you might as well take a walk around some ancient towns. Green tiles, white walls, small bridges and flowing water make up a graceful and beautiful landscape, along with the gentle and delicate local customs of Jiangnan people.
Zhouzhuang is located in Kunshan, Suzhou. It is one of the six ancient towns in Jiangnan and has the reputation of “China’s first water town.” The town has a long history and maintains its ancient style. Fourteen ancient stone bridges built in the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties are well-preserved in the well-shaped River course. More than 800 ancestral families live in the town, and more than 60 percent of the houses still retain the architectural style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
There are many tourist attractions here. You can see the most representative ancient houses in Jiangnan by visiting Zhang House and Shen House. Stop and rest at Sanmao Tea House and Xu’s Residence to experience the ancestral customs; and you can also feel the cultural and historical atmosphere of this ancient town in many celebrities’ houses such as the Yifei Home.
Wuzhen, located in Tongxiang, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, is also a typical ancient water town in Jiangnan. It is known as “the last pillow-water family in China” and “the land of fish and rice, the house of silk.” Wuzhen has a history of 1,300 years. The two crossing rivers divide the town into four sections known as East, West, North and South Scenic Zones.
Now, Wuzhen’s sightseeing area mainly includes two parts: East Scenic Zone and West Scenic Zone, each with its own unique characteristics. Compared with West Scenic Zone, East Scenic Zone is smaller and it is full of life, featuring handicraft workshops, traditional shops and exhibition halls.
There are several ancient buildings and old street lanes built in Ming and Qing Dynasties in the West Scenic Zone. While retaining the antique flavor in the appearance, the ancient buildings have been selectively enriched with modern supporting facilities. Here, you can deeply experience the simple and fresh water life and enjoy the comfort and convenience of modern life at the same time. Wuzhen shines its charm of ancient Chinese ancient culture, and is becoming a bridge for cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries by attracting more and more foreign tourists.
GOOD WATER & GOOD MOUNTAINS
In Zhejiang Province, another attraction you should not miss is the West Lake, a freshwater lake in Hangzhou. It is divided into five sections by three causeways, and features numerous temples, pagodas, gardens, and artificial islands.
West Lake has influenced poets and painters throughout Chinese history with its natural beauty and historic relics. It has also been among the most important sources of inspiration for Chinese garden designers. It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011, described as having “influenced garden design in the rest of China as well as Japan and Korea over the centuries” and reflecting “an idealized fusion between human and nature.”
Walk along the Su Causeway and White Causeway and enjoy the breeze as it blows willows and flowers surrounding the lake. You can also carefully search for the famous “10 Sceneries of West Lake.” Each has a romantic and elegant name such as Remnant Snow on the Bridge in Winter, and Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon.
If you are tired, you may take a boat to rest and let the boatman paddle while telling you some interesting stories about the West Lake. In the afternoon, the top of the Leifeng Pagoda is absolutely an excellent place to enjoy the sunset. The beautiful night view of the West Lake can also be seen here.
There is an old saying in China: “The wise prefer water, the benevolent prefer mountains.” There is not only such good water as West Lake, but also good mountains such as Mount Putuo in Zhejiang Province.
Mount Putuo, located in Putuo District of Zhoushan City, is a small island in Zhoushan Islands. It lies in the East China Sea and incorporates the beauty of both mountain and sea. In the middle part of Foding Mountain, Tiandengtai is the highest point, with an altitude of 291.2 meters, which extends to all directions.
Mount Putuo is known as “Haitian Buddhist Kingdom” and “Holy Land of South China Sea,” and is one of the four Buddhist Taoist temples in China. It is also the bodhimaṇḍa of the bodhisattva Guanyin. Every year on the 19th day of the second lunar month, 19th day of the sixth lunar month, and 19th day of the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, it welcomes millions of people for the celebration of the birth of Guanyin.
As a Buddhist resort, Mount Putuo Scenic Area has 82 temples and more than 4,000 monks and nuns at its peak. Among them are Puji, Fayu and Huiji temples which are of great scale and exquisite architecture, typical of the temple complex in early Qing Dynasty.
You cannot only come here with piety and reverence to burn incense and worship Buddha, but also enjoy all kinds of strange rocks and caves at the Mount Putuo Scenic Area. There are also many beaches around the island, such as Qianbu Sand that is arcshaped and about three miles long, with gentle sand slope, wide and soft sand surface, and an excellent bathing place.