Water Town

Written by Matteo Updated Apr. 8, 2025

Some people ask if water towns are all alike. No, they are not all alike -- quite the contrary! When you visit water towns, you will discover that each one has its unique characteristics. They have their history, culture, scrumptious culinary delights, and a landscape representative of an ancient Chinese Calligraphy Painting.

Depending on how much time you have to visit water towns, you may have to pick and choose. It will be a difficult choice because they are all exquisitely Chinese!

Tongli - the Most Authentic Water Town

Tongli Ancient Town was constructed on the outskirts of Suzhou (Jiangsu Province) during the Song Dynasty (960–1279) and is the Most Authentic Water Town in China. It’s located on Taihu Lake, Wujiang District 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Suzhou, and 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Shanghai. There are hundreds of ancient gardens in different water towns near Shanghai; Chinese Gardens are an integral part of Chinese Culture, and Tongli Water Town’s classical gardens do not disappoint!

Tongli consists of 7 small islands divided by a network of 15 rivers and canals, which are connected by 49 ancient stone arch bridges in a variety of styles. Tongli has 47 temples, 38 Ming and Qing residences, and hundreds more residences with decorative gardens, formerly owned by powerful, wealthy people. Tongli is well-known all over the world and is one of the Six Famous Ancient Towns, South of the Yangtze River. It’s also renowned for its architecture built during the Ming (1368-1644) and the Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties.

Tuisi Garden in Tongli was listed as one of the World’s Cultural Relics by the UNESCO Heritage Site. Tuisi Garden, the Chongben and Jiaying Halls, the Taiping, Jili, and Changqing Bridges enjoy a reputation as being a “Natural Film Base.” Countless films and television series about water towns, and other parts of the South Yangtze River, have been filmed in Tongli Water Town.

Beautifully and comfortably presented are good words to describe Tongli Water Town, Suzhou. A mindful stroll around its ancient streets and bridges is like a walk through paradise. It’s no surprise Tongli has rightfully earned the title "The Venice of the East.” You don’t want to miss it!

Xitang - the Most Romantic Water Town

Xitang Water Town has an interesting 600-year history and is sometimes referred to as the “Youngest Water Town” in China. You will discover magnificent ancient townhouses and mansions built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) and Qing Dynasty (1636-1912 AD) in Xitang. The townhouses, and many streets and bridges in Xitang, are well preserved and still retain their original features from centuries ago. There is so much to see and do in Xitang, many tourists stay over for a night or two.

Xitang sets itself apart from other water towns because of its well-known covered corridors or "streets with roofs." You can comfortably walk along the covered corridors by the side of the canals to get out of the rain or sit in one of the many lounge chairs to refresh yourself and take a short respite from touring.

When the lanterns are lit after sunset, you can fall in love with Xitang. The ancient houses are reflected clearly on the peaceful surface of the rivers, making Xitang a very romantic atmosphere for lovers, and singletons as well! Xitang is committed to preserving its strong sense of identity and its history and culture.

Wuzhen - the Water Town with the Strongest Cultural Flavor

The historic town of Wuzhen was built over 6000 years ago and is the Oldest Water Town in China. Most other water towns are much younger, and we believe Wuzhen will offer you the most unforgettable water town experience. You don’t have to be a history lover to enjoy seeing the beautiful array of ancient stone bridges and pathways throughout Wuzhen. Wood carving plays a huge role in Chinese history and culture. During your tour of Wuzhen, stop by the Jiangnan Wood Carving Museum. They have a nice collection, and their display of wood carvings is something you don’t want to miss seeing!

In ancient China, students had to pass a first exam to qualify as successful candidates to take the Imperial Exam. If the candidates succeeded in the Imperial Examination, they had an opportunity to become rich and powerful government officials.

There were over 200 successful candidates for the Imperial Examination in the history of Wuzhen. Most likely, there was at least one successful candidate in every house you visited in Wuzhen today. It is said that the more you visit these houses, the higher the score you will get on your exam!

Zhouzhuang - the Most Crowded Water Town

Visitors flock to Zhouzhuang, one of China’s earliest water towns opened to tourism, to experience its beauty, rich history and cultural heritage. It’s one of the most renowned water towns in China and is noted for its deeply-rooted cultural background, well-preserved ancient residential homes, and perhaps the most quintessential water views in the area! A tour of Zhouzhuang is well worth the trip, even if it can get crowded!

Zhouzhuang is also famous for its local activities, including the popular sport of scullboat Boat Racing, incredible River Lantern Festivals, joyful Temple Fairs, and the Kun Opera Show, one of the oldest forms of Chinese Opera. Please note there is no set agenda for these activities.

Zhouzhuang is classified as a C-Scenic Spot by the China National Tourism Administration. China Central Television (CCTV) uses Zhouzhuang as an example to report the number of visitors at major tourist attractions, especially during national holidays. As a result of CCTV’s report, Zhouzhuang has become even more crowded!

For a real taste of China, drop into one of Zhouzhuang’s teahouses and order a refreshing cup of Green Tea (Longjing in Chinese), and a tasty Wanshan Pastry. You can learn about Zhouzhuang’s history with tea and buy some tea to take home with you.

Nanxun - the Richest Water Town in Ancient Time

Nanxun Water Town has a history spanning more than 1,400 years and is well known for its long history of silk production.

Silk is one of the few star products in the History of China. The mild climate and plentiful rainfall in Nanxun make the water town a perfect place to produce silk. In Ancient Times, rich merchants ran the silk factories; and the town folk made a living by raising silkworms and producing the silk. At the end of the 19th century, the top four rich merchants in the South Yangtze River area were from Nanxun. Many ancient tools to produce silk have been collected over the years and are on display in the Huzhou Silk Museum in Nanxun.

Nanxun is uncrowded and not commercialized, unlike many of the other water towns. Take a stroll along the canals and you’ll see the locals as they carry out their daily routines and you’ll witness the Chinese old town lifestyle, which still exists today. For a hands-on cultural experience, visit Liu's Family Compound (or Red House) and learn Chinese block printing, an old type of bookmaking technology. Also, you can make your calligraphy brush and learn how to write your name in Chinese! Touring Nanxun is a culturally rich experience you will want to tell your family and friends about!

Luzhi - One of the Most Beautiful Ancient Water Towns

This beautiful town has an enriched history of more than 2,500 years. If you are looking for a city with peace and tranquility, look no further than Luzhi. Some of the most interesting historical and significant sites you will want to see in this reclusive, quiet, unassuming water town are:

The natural beauty of Luzhi makes it an incredibly beautiful, charming, and serene Water Town. It will steal your heart away and bring you back again and again.

Jinze, Liantang, and Fengjing - the Least Commercialized Water Towns

Compared with the Water Towns listed above, Jinze, Liantang, and Fengjing are less commercialized and all have different characteristics. We encourage you to visit them; you will enjoy a relaxing atmosphere in these picturesque Water Towns, which will help you appreciate the history, culture, and beauty of Water Towns even more!

FAQs Related to Water Town

Although the water towns near Shanghai are becoming more and more popular, we believe not every tourist is familiar with them. The frequently asked questions below are selected based on our customers’ travel experience and the emails they sent us. We hope you will draw inspiration with your tour plan after reading these questions.

1. What are the highlights of water towns?

Sculling according to most of our customers' experience, admiring the water towns from a sculling boat is amazing. When your boat flows past ancient houses, traditional local shops, and tourists on banks, you will feel like cruising in the scroll of history.

Ancient houses - Most ancient houses in water towns were owned by rich merchants in ancient times. The deep water town culture and ancient merchants’ luxury lives are reflected by the decoration and antiques in these ancient houses. Lots of local museums were set up based on these merchants’ former residences, such as the Folk Custom Museum in Tongli, the Jili Silk Museum in Nanxun, the Ancient Bed Museum in Zhouzhuang, and the Wood Caving Museum in Xitang.

Ancient bridges - Thanks to these bridges, ancient residents in water towns could go to other places on foot. Most ancient bridges offer tourists wonderful backgrounds for photos, besides, most bridges are considered to be lucky places by local people. They walk through bridges to pray for good health and safety. You may want to follow them to see if this method works for you.

2. When to travel to water towns?

Normally, it is recommended to travel to water towns during weekdays, because there are fewer tourists during weekdays. It is worth visiting water towns in any season because there are different views and cultural highlights in different seasons.

3. How to avoid meeting big tour groups in water towns if I only have time during weekends or public holidays?

First of all, we suggest you go as early as possible. Big tour groups usually arrive at around 10:00 AM. Second, we suggest you go to a bigger water town, such as Nanxun. If you meet big tour groups in Nanxun, there will be enough space for you to walk away. After these groups are gone, you can return to your planned route. Check out the Nanxun Water Town Day Tour from Shanghai.

4. Do water towns look like “Oriental Venice”?

Although lots of water towns describe themselves as “Oriental Venice” in their slogan, it is not that true. The environment and tourist facilities in Chinese water towns are not as good as in Venice. And the water town's culture and views are completely different from Venice.

Chinese people think the water towns can be Oriental Venice because there are beautiful water channels in both Venice and these water towns and boats are the major mode of transport in both Venice and these water towns.

5. Is it easy to travel to water towns independently for a non-Chinese speaker?

There are English signs in most water towns, but it is still not so convenient for a foreigner. You can follow other tourists to major attractions in water towns, but it is impossible to understand the water town culture very well without a tour guide.

6. Is it expensive to travel to water towns?

You have to bargain. Even if you don’t speak Chinese, you can show a number via your gestures. Normally, they will charge you a higher price than the Chinese, so they will concede if you hold on a little longer.

7. Is the environment in water towns good enough?

Generally speaking, the environment in water towns is better than their surrounding cities, such as Shanghai, Suzhou or Hangzhou. You may still see a clean water town even if the air is seriously polluted in cities near the water town.

8. What about the local foods in water towns?

Most Chinese people like the street foods in water towns very much, such as the stinky tofu and pig’s knuckles. However, they look dirty to some foreigners. If you also think these street foods are dirty, just eat in a restaurant, where you can taste delicious river foods. The restaurants are much cleaner than street foods.

9. Is it worth staying in a water town for one night or two?

It is recommended to stay in a water town for at least one night, because the night view of a water town is very different from the daytime, especially when the lanterns are lit up, you will forget the fact that you are living in the 21st century and your thought will fly back to hundreds of years ago.

10. Which one is the best water town?

According to our customers’ feedback, Tongli is the best water town. It is quiet during weekdays and can be included in a one-day tour package with Suzhou. Besides, it offers you an authentic water town atmosphere.

11. When is the best time to take photos in water towns?

The views in the early morning and late evening are unrivaled, but there are many more tourists in the evening than morning, so we suggest you capture these views in the early morning, between 7:00 and 9:00 AM.

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