Venice of the East (Shanghai, China 04/10/2019)

Since we’d been to Shanghai just two years ago and saw most of the city’s highlights then, we opted for something a little different this visit. Zhouzhuang Water Town is an ancient town about 20 miles southeast of Shanghai. It is one of the most famous water townships in Shanghai, a cluster of ancient towns dating back more than 900 years. Originally developed during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911), the town still has its original layout with narrow flagstone roadways leading to tranquil shady areas where cozy lanes weave their way through more than 60 brick-covered gateways. A total of 14 arched bridges of various styles connect one side of the canal to the other. Sixty percent of the buildings are original.

Six-person gondolas ferried us from the entry of the Town about midway down the canal. The clouds in the sky did nothing to diminish the allure of the quaint villages, as we traveled under Cherry Blossom canapies and observed the quiet stirrings of locals just beginning their day.

Exiting the gondolas we began the return journey on foot, meandering through shops offering hand-made musical instrument, silk-embroidered artwork, hand-painted parasols, hand-crafted jewelry, clothing, etc. We passed unique tea houses with extravagant seating areas that hung out just over the canals. Each business was housed in brick enclaves probably taking up less than 300 square feel of space. We stopped by the Great Qing Post Office, founded in 1903, and home now to a museum that traces recounts the history of China’s mail system, dating back more than 3,000 years. Inside is a series of paintings that depict the Chinese version of the Pony Express. We also stopped by a Chinese Medicine store, where more than 1,000 herbal remedies fill the shelves. We wondered past food vendors selling smoked pork, pigs’ feet, quail that looked like tiny birds, and many more unidentifiable items.

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