I am a person who likes ancient towns. I have been to most of the ancient towns in the south of the Yangtze River. There is one that has won my heart, and it is Nanxun.

Compared with Wuzhen Xitang, Nanxun is less famous, but this weakness gives Nanxun its original Jiangnan flavor, which combines the elegance of Wuzhen and the elegance of Xitang with its unique The thickness and richness.

Nanxun was founded in the Southern Song Dynasty and developed into a famous silk town in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The rise of the ancient town in the south of the Yangtze River is half due to water transportation and half to raw silk. Nanxun is responsible for both. Nanxun is located on the south bank of Taihu Lake. It is a typical river-type lowland settlement. With the advantage of being a "critical place on land and water", it has become a gathering place for business travelers, with a scene of "busy markets and convergence of merchants".

The local area is rich in Jili silk, which is a treasure among silks. The reason for its high quality lies in the "Xedang River" in Qili Village. Because special attention is paid to water quality during the silk reeling process, the Xuedang River has been clarified after many twists and turns. The water is as clear as a mirror, and the silk reeled with it can be "glossy and lovely". In addition, the people of Qili Village have improved the production technology and formed eight characteristics: "thin, round, even, strong, white, clean, soft and tough", making Jili silk very popular.

Whenever silk entered the market, silk merchants from all over the country came in droves, especially during the Qing Dynasty, and a grand commercial market was formed at Tongjin Bridge in the ancient town. "Chengnan Song" writes: "The white silk reels are brightly colored and sold on the Nanxun Jia Passenger Ship; they are taken to Suzhou to dye vermilion, which is woven into wedding dresses; the silk price is good this year, and it is sold at Tongjin Bridge. There are many ships."

What is even more rare is that this kind of prosperity has survived for hundreds of years and has been preserved to this day. There are several private residences and compounds in Nanxun, all built by the wealthy in the late Qing Dynasty.

There are so many wealthy businessmen that Nanxun people have a special name: "Four Elephants, Eight Oxen and Seventy-Two Golden Dogs", which is ranked according to the worth of the wealthy businessmen, using animal bodies as a metaphor. Those with a fortune of more than ten million taels of silver are called "elephant"; those with a fortune of five to ten million taels are called "cows"; those with a fortune of one million to five million are called "dogs".

Nanxun is known as the "City of Culture" and the "Hometown of Poems and Books", so these houses are essentially Chinese-style courtyards with rigorous layouts, small windows and red doors, giving them the style of a wealthy family. Local silk merchants boldly innovated, pursued Western culture, and added Western elements, such as the red house and tennis court in Liu's Ladder House, and the Western-style dance hall in Zhang Shiming's former residence, making Nanxun a rare ancient town that combines Chinese and Western styles.

The tickets for Nanxun are to see these scenic spots. If you don’t see the private houses and courtyards, the ancient town is actually free of charge.

The ancient town can be simply divided into two parts, the north and the south, with Convenience Road as the boundary. The north area is open to the public for free, and you can visit it at will, including Baijianlou and other attractions. You need to buy tickets to enter the Southern District during the day, mainly to visit major internal attractions. After 5 pm, the internal attractions are closed and you can come and go freely without charging tickets.

Therefore, although Nanxun is an expensive 5A scenic spot, at least half of it is free, which is much more conscientious than ancient towns of the same level.

Compared with the private houses of wealthy businessmen, I prefer the simplicity and elegance of Baijianlou. The aura of wealth is too far away. The vicissitudes of ancient streets and houses with mottled old walls are more arousing to me* **Ming.

The appearance of Baijian Building is the highest in the entire ancient town. It was built by Dong Fen, the Minister of Rites in the Ming Dynasty, for his son’s marriage. It was a place for slaves and servants to live, because it has more than 100 terraced rooms. And got its name. This is one of the few well-preserved large-scale riverside dwellings in the south of the Yangtze River. It has both the architectural style of the Ming Dynasty and the architectural charm of the Qing Dynasty.

A show of strength by the officials left people with the most poetic ink painting of Jiangnan.

"Xunxi Fishing Sing" written during the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty wrote: "Bai Jian's upstairs is leaning against the Chan Juan, and Bai Jian's downstairs is full of clear water; every time it gets late in Xieyang Village, flower boats are sold in the east of Banqiao." The rows of eaves along the river, the stone steps of the river port, the wooden grille windows, and the layers of old wind and fire walls are all well-proportioned and integrated with each other, forming an exquisite picture of the Jiangnan water town.

The banks of the Xunxi River are covered with mulberry and hemp, and the houses on the stream are near the water end. There are river ports along both sides of the river to facilitate people to get on and off boats. Sometimes you can see grandma washing clothes in the river and squatting on the stone steps to knock, which is full of life.

There was once a "Powder Washing Pocket" in the Baijianlou area. According to legend, when Fan Li led Xi Shi through Nanxun during the Warring States Period, he saw the clear water here and washed the powder off his face here, but it has disappeared now.

There are long corridor bridges on both sides of the river, connected at the bottom, curving and extending into the distance, forming a deep and quiet space. Compared with the South District, there are fewer tourists in the Baijianlou area. I walked alone under the covered bridge and accidentally booked a spot to enjoy the sparse and quiet scenery.

Baijianlou is the most beautiful in the morning and at sunset. The sunlight shines through the corridor onto the stone road. The light and shadow are virtual and transparent, and the distant houses are reflected on the river. The water waves are rippling, the shadows are blurred, and there are occasional blackbirds. The tented boat rowed slowly, leaving ripples like fish scales. This beauty made me intoxicated for a long time.

There are very few shops on both sides of Baijianlou, and most of them are residential houses with half-open doors. Occasionally, a little teddy will come curiously and stare at you for a long time, as if asking why he came to my house. There will be bacon hanging on the eaves of the porch, golden and attractive, unattended, and the uncle will sit leisurely in front of the door and bask in the sun, with electric cars riding by from time to time.

This place is not commercial. It is a return to nature, retaining the traditional residential life. Brick by brick, the bluestone waterfront exudes the charm of an ancient water town.

Writer Xu Chi described his hometown as "Crystal Nanxun" in "Jiangnan Town". At first, I didn't understand why the ancient town was crystal clear? It wasn't until I looked back at Baijianlou that I saw the setting sun spreading golden light over the river, giving it a crystal-like luster. I suddenly understood the crystal-clear beauty of Nanxun.

Nanxun is located at the junction of Zhejiang and Jiangsu, and is also very close to Shanghai, making it suitable for self-driving. It only takes one and a half hours to drive from Shanghai and Hangzhou, and one hour from Suzhou. For tourists from Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, it is no problem to go back and forth in one day. If you want to see the night view, you can come a day in advance to feel the crystal clear lights of Nanxun.

The East-West Shuizha City is noisy, and thousands of families in the small town embrace the water. The sparseness and elegance of Xiaolianzhuang, the grandeur of Zhang's old house, the combination of Chinese and Western styles of Liu's Ladder, the simplicity and tranquility of Xiatang East Street, the stacking of hundreds of buildings, the prosperity of Tongjin Bridge, Nanxun is like a scene A hazy dream that makes people reluctant to wake up. # Crystal Crystal Nanxun Crystal Crystal Girl#

Address: Nanxun Ancient Town, Nanxun District, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province. The ancient town has multiple entrances, all of which can be entered. The North District is open to the public for free, and the South District is free to enter after 5 p.m., but the internal attractions are closed.

Food: Winter is the off-season. Except for some noodle restaurants that open early, most pastry shops often open after noon, so tourists can visit in the morning and eat delicious food in the afternoon.

Author: Lin Qinglu, a travel blogger who practices life in mountains and rivers