Nanxun Ancient Town（南潯古鎮(zhèn)）

Nanxun Ancient Town [uu97.com]

Located 30 kilometers (18.64 miles) east of Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, the Ancient Town of Nanxun is a historically and culturally well-known town, boasting a history that dates back 760 years. It was founded in 1252, towards the the end of Emperor Chunyou's reign during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279).

Thanks to the development of the town's silk market and industry, it has long been an important commercial town. As one of the most well-preserved old towns in the region, Nanxun Ancient Town is now among the top six ancient towns situated in southern China.

From a bird's- eye view, the town looks like a cross, covering a total area of 68 hectares. Two waterways intersect at the town: the Shihe River that runs from north to south and the ancient Grand Canal running from east to west. The waterways span a total length of 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles). 15 ancient bridges that were constructed during the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties (1127-1911), have remained until today. The style and features of the original architecture used to build the town, have also been preserved.

Admission: 100 yuan (US$15.69)/person