The six famous ancient towns in the south of the Yangtze River are Zhouzhuang, Tongli and Luzhi in Jiangsu, Xitang, Nanxun and Wuzhen in Zhejiang. These six ancient towns are also water towns, and they all have very deep cultural connotations. These six ancient towns are all concentrated in the southeast of Taihu Lake. The six ancient towns are the representatives of the water towns in the south of the Yangtze River, which have both similarities and characteristics. The areas with the most representative cultural features of the Han nationality water towns in the south of the Yangtze River are unique in the world and well-known at home and abroad for their profound historical and cultural heritage, elegant and graceful style of ancient water towns and simple folk customs of Wunong soft language.

1. the ancient town of xitang:

The largest of the six ancient towns in the south of the Yangtze River is located in Jiashan County, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province!

1. Origin of the town name: According to legend, in the Spring and Autumn Period, Wu Zixu of the State of Wu promoted water conservancy, transported salt, dug Wuzitang, and led the water north of Xushan (now 12 miles southwest of Jiashan County) to reach the territory directly, so Xitang was also called Xutang. Because Xitang is flat, it is a Ma Pingchuan, also known as Pingchuan and Xietang.

2. Famous scenic spots: "Sanduo" (many bridges, many alleys and many verandahs)

Xitang is famous for its many bridges, many alleys and many verandahs. Xitang is honest in folk customs and melodious in OARS, and it is permeated with the unique humanistic accumulation of ancient traditional culture in China. The ancient town of xitang has protected the harmonious relationship between man and nature, and it is a holy place for experts to study the folk culture of water towns in the south of the Yangtze River. Artists describe the base of "folk culture of Jiangnan water town"; Tourists taste the clean land of "folk culture of Jiangnan water town" The ancient town of xitang attracts people all over the world with its unique cultural temperament.

history of ancient town: Xitang is an ancient town with a history and culture of thousands of years. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, it was the intersection of wuyue and China, so it was called "Wugen crossing the corner" and "crossing the corner". A large number of villages were built during the Kaiyuan period of Tang Dynasty, and people built houses along the river and lived by the water. In the Southern Song Dynasty, villages gradually became large, forming a market. In the yuan dynasty, the market town gradually formed by the water, and the business began to flourish; During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it has developed into a handicraft industry and commercial center in the south of the Yangtze River. "Spring and Autumn Water, Towns in Tang and Song Dynasties, Buildings in Ming and Qing Dynasties, Modern People" is the most appropriate description of Xitang.

II. Wuzhen

1. Origin of the town name: In the Qin Dynasty, Wuzhen belonged to Huiji County, with Chexi (now Shihe) as the boundary, Wudun in the west, Wucheng County and Qingdun in the east, and it was ruled by Quanxian County and Wuzhen separately. In the early years of Yuanfeng (1178), there were records of Wudun Town and Qingdun Town. Later, it was renamed Wuzhen Town and Qingzhen Town to avoid light. Song Guangzong ascended the throne in the Southern Song Dynasty, and his name was a strange word. He added "Xiang" to his heart and pronounced "Dun", so all the words pronounced "Dun" in the world could not be used. From then on, Wudun was named Wuzhen. In May, 1951, the two towns of Wu and Qing merged and called Wuzhen, which belongs to Tongxiang County and transferred to Jiaxing City, until today.

2. Famous scenic spots: Mao Dun's former residence, Jiangnan Hundred Beds Museum

Mao Dun's former residence, where Mao Dun lived from 1974 to 1981.

Jiangnan Hundred Beds Museum is a museum specializing in the collection of ancient beds in the south of the Yangtze River. It is located at No.211, Wuzhen East Street, also known as Zhaojiating, with an area of more than 1,211 square meters, and contains dozens of Ming, Qing and modern ancient beds in the south of the Yangtze River.

History of Ancient Town: During the Spring and Autumn Period, Wuzhen was the border of wuyue, where the State of Wu stationed troops to guard against crossing the country, hence the name "Wushu".

3. nanxun town

1. Origin of the town name: In the third year of Taiping and Xingguo in the Northern Song Dynasty (978), Binxi was called Xunxi, which was used until Ningzong (1195 ~ 1224) in the Southern Song Dynasty; During the reign of Emperor Lizong in the Southern Song Dynasty (1225 ~ 1264), it was recorded in the literature that "Nanlin is a settlement, and the wealth of farming and mulberry belongs to the right of Zhejiang". Because of the gathering of merchants and houses in the south of Xunxi, it was called Nanlin; The town was built in the year of Chun Hu Ji (1252), taking the initials of Nanlin and Xunxi as Nanxun.

2. Famous scenic spots: Jiayetang Library Building, Liu's Xiaolianzhuang and Nanxun Sangu Bridge.

Jiayetang Library, which is adjacent to Xiaolianzhuang across the stream, was built in 1921 by Liu Yong, Sun Liuchenggan, and was named after the "Jin Ruo Jia Ye" Kowloon tablet given by Puyi, the Qing emperor. The building is large in scale and rich in books. The original library and garden are integrated into one, which is famous for its collection of ancient books. It is one of the famous private libraries in China in modern times and is a national key protected cultural relic. After liberation, the owner of the original library donated it to Zhejiang Library, and the library received readers and tourists from all corners of the country as a public library and a tourist attraction.

Liu's Xiaolianzhuang, the private garden, home temple and yizhuang of Liu Yong, the richest man in Nanxun during the Guangxu period of Qing Dynasty, is located in the west of Wangu Bridge in Nanxun Town, facing Zhegu River in the north and Jiayetang Library across the river in the west. It was originally a temporary funeral garden for Liu's family. From the 11th year of Guangxu (1885), flowers and willows were replanted around the pond, Han Han was replanted, pavilions were arranged, and a family temple was built. It took 41 years and was completed in 1924. He was named "Xiaolianzhuang" because he admired the painter Lotus Village in Huzhou, Zhao Mengfu in the Yuan Dynasty.

The "Three Ancient Bridges in Nanxun" are Guanghui Bridge, Tongjin Bridge and Hongji Bridge. Guanghui Bridge is located near the original site of Zhennanzha Chamber of Commerce, across the city river. This bridge is a single-hole stone arch. Its founding date has been lost, and it was renovated twice in Qing Dynasty. The bridge is 18 meters long, 33 meters wide, and the arch is 53 meters high. There are 24 steps up and down, and the arch stone is laid side by side in longitudinal sections. There is also a pair of exquisite stone lions on the bridge. The north of Tongjin Bridge is the west end of East Street, and the south of the bridge is Xiatang East Street, which is located at the intersection of the cross-shaped water system. "Tong" means access, and "Jin" means water. Due to the unprecedented prosperity of Nanxun Silk Market in Ming and Qing Dynasties, Tongjin Bridge became the center of Silk Market, and the famous "Jilisi" was transported to Shanghai by water and sold at home and abroad. Tongjin Bridge, built in Song Dynasty, is a single-hole stone arch bridge. After three renovations in the Qing Dynasty. At present, the bridge is 28 meters long, 4 meters wide and 76 meters high. There are 33 steps up and down, and the arch stone is laid side by side in longitudinal sections. Hongji Bridge is located in the east gate of the town, commonly known as the new bridge. The south of the bridge is in Xiatang East Street, and the north is in East Street. This bridge has been recorded in Huzhou Fuzhi during the Wanli period of Ming Dynasty, and it was rebuilt in 1815 in the tenth year of Qing Jiaqing. The bridge is a single-hole stone arch bridge, with a length of 28 meters, a width of 35 meters and an arch height of 72 meters. There are 33 steps up and down, and the arch stones are laid vertically and separately.