古镇西塘Ancient Town of Xitang.docx

Ancient Town of XitangChinese name: 西塘古镇 (Xi Tang Gu Zhen)Location: Jiashan County, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province.Opening time: Xitang Ancient Town is open to tourists all day long but most scenic spots opens from 08:00 to 17:00.Brief introduction to Xitang Ancient TownXitang Ancient Town is located on the northeast edge of Fujian Province next to Jiangsu Province and Shanghai. It is within 100km from Shanghai, Suzhou, and Hangzhou. Crisscrossed by rivers, the town presents what a typical water town is like in southeast China. In the town stone-paved lanes run between age-old dwelling houses of white walls and black tiles. Riverside corridors are connected into a totally one-thousand-meter long corridor that is covered with roofs that protect walkers from rain and sunshine. Long and serene alleys and roofed corridors create a charming and picturesque scenery that cannot be found in other water towns.But?Xitang Ancient Town?glamour goes far beyond natural beauty. It has long history, rich culture and gives birth to a number of talents, such as Yangmao, a Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) master of arts and crafts, Gu Xidong, a famous playwright, etc. With a history of more than 1000 years, Xitang has entered the list of UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative Site. The trip to Xitang is also a cultural journey.Xitang is also famous for its numerous bridges, alleys and roofed corridors. With simple folk custom, melodious paddling sounds, and unique cultural trait, Xitang draws?tourists and photographers?from all over the world. It is one of six famous water towns (Zhouzhuang, Tongli, Luzhi, Xitang, Wuzhen, and Nanxun) in Lower Yangtze River Region.?History of Xitang Ancient TownXitang is one of the birthplaces of ancient Wu-Yue Culture (a culture developed in Tai Lake region and Zhejiang Province). In Spring and Autumn Period (770BC-476BC), Xitang was the border of Wu State and Yue State. It developed into a town approximately during Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. D