Xitang ancient town

Xitang Ancient Town. [Photo by Wang Buliu] 

Xitang ancient town is an ordinary town that happens to look like a masterpiece of traditional Chinese painting. It suits people who want to experience a comfortable and less stressful time in China.

The photo shows a corridor and a river of Xitang Ancient Town. [Photo by Wang Buliu] 

Xitang boasts a corridor stretching more than 1,300 meters along the river, and this corridor - which some say is a reminiscent of the Summer Palace in Beijing. It now also serves as a sightseeing route for visitors to walk along and enjoy the scenery.

A bridge is lying across a river. [Photo by Wang Buliu] 

Many bridges in Xitang date back centuries. The town became prosperous during the Yuan Dynasty (AD 1271-1368). During the Ming (AD1368–1644) and Qing dynasties (AD 1644–1911), it was an important town for the production of handicrafts and a commercial center in south China.

It is relaxing to sit by the water and sip a cup of green tea. Residents here still live in the old style houses, of which many boast rare and precious woodcarvings. The whole town is well preserved. 

[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] 

The town is located about 100 kilometers from Shanghai. As water occupies such a vast area and the nearby land area takes little, it means homes and other buildings need to take the most use of the limited land area. The small available space makes the houses close to one another. Night tours in Xitang attract lots of visitors to enjoy the town from the comfortable boats decorated with red lanterns. The boat tours here are more enjoyable than those along the Qinhuai River, according to some visitors.