Elly Shofia
Wuzhen Water Town is located in the northern part of Tongxiang City, Zhejiang Province. It is about 80 kilometers from Hangzhou and Suzhou, 140 kilometers from Shanghai.
The city covers an area of 71.19 square kilometers and has a total population of 60,000. About 12,000 are permanent residents.
This city is a typical ancient city in southern China. Additionally, Wuzhen Water Town has a history of more than six thousand years and is a fertile land with an abundance of rice, fish, and silk.
The city has a long history, which can be seen through its ancient stone bridges, stone pathways, and wooden carvings.
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The Beauty of Wuzhen City
The architecture of the old town and the beauty of the river exude the charm of the water town of Wuzhen. The houses are lined up and surrounded by a river. Several boats pass by on the river around this city.
In this city, there are many stone bridges. Many small boats with black tents float on the river.
The city of Wuzhen is divided into six districts. It consists of a traditional workshop district, a traditional local-style residential district, a traditional culture district, a traditional food and beverage district, a traditional shopping district, and a water town customs and life district.
Wuzhen has Never Changed
Wuzhen became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was built late 9th century. For over a thousand years, Wuzhen has never changed.
The name, the water system, and even the lifestyle have never changed. However, traditionally, houses, railroads, and bridges in this city have been maintained in their present form.
That’s why this city is so steeped in Chinese culture.
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Two Beautiful Bridges and Museums
Being a settlement surrounded by rivers, this city has many beautiful bridges. However, there are two beautiful bridges that are quite famous in Wuzhen.
Tongji Bridge crosses the river from east to west. Additionally, the bridge is a single arch bridge, 28.4 meters long and 3.5 meters wide, with a span of 11.8 meters.
Meanwhile, the other bridge is the Renji Bridge, which stretches from south to north. Moreover, the bridge is 22.6 meters long, 2.8 meters wide, and 8.5 meters long.
Wuzhen has several museums that you can visit to learn about the history and life of the local people.
Museum of Folk Customs of the Southern Yangtze River Region. The museum displays unique local birthday ceremonies, wedding customs, and folk customs at various festivals.
This museum is a great place to learn about the interesting lifestyle of the local people.
Another museum is the Yu Liuliang Coin Museum. It is a museum used to display more than 26,000 types of coins used by previous dynasties from about 230 countries and regions.
This museum was built in the 19th century and has a total area of 650 square meters. Moreover, this museum is the former residence of Mao Dun, a famous Chinese revolutionary writer.