How to Visit the Zhouzhuang Water Park in Suzhou

If you were wondering what exactly a water town is, it is a small residential area built withing a network of waterways instead of roads. This particular water town is very popular for the hundreds of years of history that surrounds it. Amazingly people have managed to preserve these archaic buildings through the years and today this is an alluring historical site.

Image by 岳 武 from Pixabay 

bit of history

During China's Spring and Autumn periods from 770 – 476 BC, it belonged to fief Yaocheng and was called Zhengfengli. The town was later donated by Zhou Digong to the Full Fortune Temple and in 1806 was named after its donor. Most of the structures you'll see around here today were built during the period of 1368 to 1911. The mode of transport used here since early times would be a gondola.

Shuang Qiao – The Twin Bridges

Zhouzhuang water town has many rivers and lakes running through it. To get from one side to another with ease, 14 bridges have been built. Two of them, Yong'an Bridge and Shide Bridge are the Twin Bridges and is the main landmark of the water town. The Twin Bridges were first constructed during the Wanli era (1573-1619) which was during the reign of the Ming Dynasty. It was placed towards the northeast of the small town.

Although they are called the Twin Bridges, Shide Bridge has a curving arch while Yong'an Bridge is straight. Connecting the sides of the crisscrossing Yinzi Creek and Nanbeishi River, the bridges together look like an old Chinese key. Memory of Hometown was a piece of art created by the famed artist Chen Yifei is displayed in a museum in New York. It is a painting of the twin bridges which has caught the world's attention.

Fu'an Bridge

This bridge was built in 1355 during the rule of the Yuan Dynasty and was placed at the east end of Zhongshijie Street. The main feature of this bridge is that it has two towers which do not have stairs inside them to reach the top. Instead one will have to use the stairway on the bridge to reach the top of the towers. Inside these towers are restaurants, stores and even great viewpoints.

Shen House

This was once the house of the richest man in Jiangnan who lived in the period of the Ming Dynasty. The entire complex has been built in the architectural style that existed in this era and covers about 0.7 acres or more. There are about 100 rooms that have been divided into three units which are all connected by aisles. In some towers are cultural relics like ancient instruments which are on display here today. It is a truly wonderful layout to explore in this little town. You will certainly be taken back in time as you meander through the various buildings within the complex.

Zhang House

Originally built by Xu's family, this house was constructed in the Ming Dynasty's era, but was bought by Zhang in the Qing Dynasty period. It is situated towards the south of the Twin Bridges and has about 60 rooms. The Zhujing River flows by the place which is an absolutely tranquil sight.

How to get here from Suzhou

If you are staying at a luxury hotel in Suzhou, head over to Suzhou North Bus Station where the bus will depart every 40 minutes. You can also take the bust from Suzhou Railway Station's north square. Here too, the bus departs every 30-40 minutes. If you are travelling in a rented vehicle, it will take approximately 47 minutes from hotels like Pan Pacific Suzhou.