There are many interesting ancient towns in Suzhou, where you can feel the charm of Jiangnan Water Town. So what are the recommended ancient towns to visit in Suzhou? Next, let me introduce it to my friends in detail! Friends who want to go there, don’t miss it! 1. Jinxi Ancient Town

Roar the bow and sing Jiangnan

Jinxi has been famous for more than 2,000 years. However, it is said that when Lin'an was established as the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty, Concubine Chen, the favorite concubine of Emperor Xiaozong of the Song Dynasty, preferred Jinxi. The river, mountains and rivers, could not bear to leave, and after his death, he was buried here. Jinxi was renamed Chen Tomb for more than 800 years, and it was not until 1993 that the ancient name was restored.

The water in Jinxi is not like other water towns in the south of the Yangtze River. It is too domineering and exposed. The vast Wubao Lake occupies a large part of the ancient town. Therefore, taking a boat tour is the best option. The town is dotted with bridges and is known as "thirty-six bridges and seventy-two kilns."

Since Jinxi is not developed much, there are few entertainment projects in the town, but it has the flavor of an ancient town. Starting at 7 o'clock every night, local opera fans perform Shanghai opera performances in some courtyards. The red lanterns in the corridor a few miles outside the door are arranged in sequence and extend into the distance, which is quiet and peaceful. Jiwu Tea Station is a well-known petty bourgeoisie teahouse in the local area. If you like a more popular teahouse, you can go to the riverside. There are many there, where you can not only enjoy the scenery by the river, but also enjoy the tea.

Tips

Jinxi Ancient Town belongs to Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province

Food: sock-soled cakes, stuffed fish, crystal wonton 2, Tongli Ancient Town

Chunzheng Water Town in the Old Jiangnan

Tongli has beautiful scenery, surrounded by water on all sides outside the town. The town is divided vertically and horizontally into 7 small islands by 15 rivers, connected by 49 bridges. Every house in the town is close to the water, and every household has access to boats; Ming and Qing folk houses are lined up in rows; the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing bridges are well preserved. It has won the reputation of "Little Venice of the East" with its layout of small bridges and flowing water.

Tongli has many famous families, dense buildings, and more than 40 deep mansions with white walls and black tiles are well preserved. Brick carving is a major feature of Tongli folk houses. The Five-Crane Gate Tower of Zhuzhai is the most impressive. Five male cranes stand and hover, showing a kind of fairy spirit in their elegance. This gate tower can be called a masterpiece of Jiangnan brick carving art.

“There are many alleys and bridges, and everyone is leaning on the river.” This is the deep impression that Tongli has left on everyone. And “There are many simple houses, and the houses are quiet”, it is these unique waterside houses that give us good memories.

Tips

Transportation: There are multiple direct buses to Tongli from Suzhou South Bus Station, Suzhou Wuxian Bus Station, and Suzhou Railway Station Square every day. In addition to the land route from Zhouzhuang to Tonglichu, you can also take the water route and take a luxury cruise ship.

Food: Min cake, Gorgon cake, Tuisi cake, waist cake, grandma's dish.

Accommodation: The greatest enjoyment of traveling to the ancient town is to savor the tranquility and simplicity there. Therefore, it is necessary to stay one night in Tongli. Tongli has mature accommodation conditions, including high-end hotels, specialty inns, residential inns, etc., with a large number and complete facilities, and Internet access is generally provided. 3. Zhouzhuang

China's No. 1 Water Town

Zhouzhuang is probably the earliest water town to become famous. Chen Yifei's "Memories of Hometown" made this town famous all over the world. Although it has gone through more than 900 years of vicissitudes, it still completely preserves the original style and pattern of the ancient water town. Although it is not as spectacular and grand as Venice, Italy, it is unique.

Some people say that Zhouzhuang is too commercialized now, and some people say that Zhouzhuang is not quiet enough. But if you don’t follow the tour groups or just take a quick look, but read a book or a paragraph with genuine taste If you look at this town from a historical perspective, you will notice a different beauty.

A person may get lost when walking around Zhouzhuang. Small bridges, bluestone roads, rivers and lovely townspeople can be seen everywhere. These common elements make Zhouzhuang a moving picture.

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Transportation: To get to Zhouzhuang, you can choose to take the tourist line or ordinary shuttle bus to Zhouzhuang from Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Kunshan, Zhejiang and other places.

Food: Zhouzhuang, a water town, has an endless supply of delicacies and aquatic products, the most famous of which are the "three delicacies of the Clam River": sea bass, white clams, and whitebait.

Zhouzhuang also produces eels, and everyone knows the local proverb "Eels cooked with rice are as good as ginseng." In addition, there are soft-shell turtles, river shrimps, etc. Zhouzhuang's delicacies don't stop there. Jiangnan specialties such as pickled amaranth and green dumplings are also popular among tourists. Countless pastries and cooked foods are like an ever-lasting flower market: support cakes, Wansan cakes (sesame cake, peanut cake, walnut cake, salt and pepper cake, green cake), etc.

Accommodation: Zhouzhuang is close to Shanghai and Suzhou. Tourists can go back and forth on the same day, or stay one night to fully appreciate the ancient charm. The local accommodation facilities are relatively complete. If you choose to stay in the new area, you can go through the relevant procedures at the centralized ticket office in the scenic area and keep the ticket stub, so that you can visit Zhouzhuang again the next day. 4. Mudu Ancient Town

The beauty of landscapes and gardens

Mudu is an ancient water town of the same age as Suzhou City, with a history of more than 2,500 years. According to legend, in the late Spring and Autumn Period, King Wu Fu Chai built the Guanwa Palace on the top of Lingyan Mountain in order to please Xi Shi, and also built the Gusu Terrace on Zishi Mountain. The wood from a steady stream blocked the rivers and harbors at the foot of the mountain, which can be described as "blocks blocking the rivers". Mudu got its name from this.

The biggest difference between Mudu and other ancient towns is that it has gardens to see. At the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, there were more than 30 private gardens here. The Yan Family Garden is extraordinary, and Qianlong visited the south of the Yangtze River six times, all of which went to the Hongyin Shanfang Garden to watch plays. The wooden covered bridge is one of the most distinctive buildings in Mudu. The view of the inclined bridge at the intersection of Xiangxi River and Xujiang River is particularly special. Xiangxi River is clear and Xujiang River is turbid. When the two waters merge, a clear and turbid water dividing line appears. Therefore, this place is also called "Xieqiao Water Dividing" and is one of the ten ancient sceneries in Mudu. To enjoy all the spring scenery in Mudu, you can also go to the foot of Lingyan Mountain to enjoy peonies.

Tips

Transportation: Both Shanghai and Suzhou have special tourist buses to Mudu. The starting price of human-powered sightseeing tricycles in Mudu Ancient Town is 2 yuan.

Food: Shijia Restaurant’s Fei Soup and Qian Shengyuan’s Jujube Sesame Cake. Black rice is “cooked by every family and eaten by every household” and was once featured in “A Bite of China”.

Accommodation: ranging from five-star to economical chains, with prices ranging from 100 yuan to 800 yuan. 5. _Zhi Ancient Town

It is simple and quiet and densely covered with bridges

_Zhi was called "Fuli" in ancient times, also known as "Liuzhi". In 1974, more than 1,200 cultural relics from the Neolithic Age to the Song Dynasty were unearthed, and many ancient wells were found at the bottom of the lake, which may be the "Shaking City" site of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.

Those who love taking pictures are best to take pictures of Zhizhi Bridge first. Known as the "Three Steps and Two Bridges", Zhizhi's 41 ancient bridges have different shapes and are antique. The best time to take pictures is at dusk. There are many bridges and natural waterways. Although the boat girls rowing the oars are not the girls you imagined, they are uniformly dressed in blue clothes and have white scarves on their heads, which still has the charm of a water town. There are two rich mansions in the town worth seeing, one is the Shen House on Shangtang Street in Xihui, and the other is the Xiao House on Zhongshi Street. Although the two houses are both Qing Dynasty buildings, they have different styles.

There are 69 ancient streets and lanes in Zhizhi, among which the most distinctive one is the water lane. On the front street and behind the river, people live along the river. Boats carrying melons, fruits, and lotus roots can be seen slowly passing by at the back door. As long as you say hello, people on the riverside will open the back door and step off the boat from the stone pier. The housewife’s vegetable basket is not enough. You will feel much richer when you leave home.

Tips

Transportation: There is a direct tourist bus from Suzhou to _, leaving every half an hour.

Food: Star anise and red water chestnut are a special product of Zhejiang. River crab tastes good. There is a couple in "Chunxiangzhai" who make and sell green dumplings and pumpkin cakes. In addition, there are Fuli Duck, Turtle Meng Hoo, etc.

Accommodation: The ancient town is not big, and you can return to Suzhou on the same day. There are guesthouses and hotels near the entrance of the ancient town, but there are no B&Bs inside the ancient town. There are many private hotels all over the country, all with standard rooms and relatively average conditions, but the prices are also relatively cheap.