Water Towns
The ancient river settlements to the south of the Yangtze river is home to some of the most picturesque bridges, rivers, canals and waterways which had since earned the Eastern China a nickname as Venice of the East.
Many of these rural water towns have since been listed under the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the quaint Wuzhen with its intricate handicraft history, Zhouzhuang along the basin of the Grand Canal, Nanxun with its authentic atmosphere away from the standard tourist trail, and Zhujiajiao at the outskirts of Shanghai. History lovers will also be intrigued by Shaoxing, which had a well-preserved historic center connected to the iconic writer Lu Xun.
