The Most Charming Ancient Town in March: The Lowest-Key Luxury in Jiangnan Water Town, A Different Kind of Water Town
The ancient towns in the Jiang Zhejiang area have diminished a lot, and my favorite is Nanxun. Nanxun has a kind of elegance in quietness, without being so noisy and without special commercial atmosphere, it has the original and authentic water town atmosphere, it seems to have a charm, quietly beautifying, can attract the attention of the world. 'Jiangnan's ninety-nine ancient towns are not as good as Nanxun' – is the most wonderful praise of this Jiangnan prosperous land.
Nanxun Ancient Town is located in Nanxun District, Huzhou, at the junction of the Yangtze River Delta and Zhejiang Province. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was a famous silk town in Jiangnan, and it is a town with abundant human resources and a combination of Chinese and Western architecture. Nanxun Ancient Town developed from a small fishing village into an economic stronghold in history relying on the Grand Canal. Nowadays, the Nanxun Historical Cultural Block still retains a relatively complete historical style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Transportation to Nanxun from Huzhou is not particularly convenient, there is no direct high-speed railway, coming out of Huzhou Railway Station, it takes about an hour by taxi, taking a tourist bus from Huzhou Railway Station to Nanxun Automobile Station, and then finding out that it is about 2 kilometers away from the town, and many small electric vehicles that take people are available at the entrance, 5 yuan per person, and those with good physical strength can walk to the town themselves.
Every ancient town has its own unique flavor—either soft, either quiet, either light, either rustic, or ancient. Nanxun offers a lifestyle that is extremely relaxed, a state of freedom beyond the outside world, and a sense of freedom wandering in spiritual energy. Nanxun Ancient Town has a typical Jiangnan water town structure. It's like a Chinese ink painting, hazy and picturesque, filled with the poetry of spirit. When you stroll on the stone bridge, let go of your mind, gently touch the brick-bearing stone at the bridgehead, listen to the water babbling, it's like finding the original purity. Pick a tea, pick a piece of pottery, and enjoy it alone, sit in the corridor by the bridge, and wait for the spring flowers to bloom.
Nanxun Ancient Town is quieter than Wuzhen, the buildings are preserved more intact, and there is less noise, with a strong life atmosphere. The town is not very big, the scenic area is divided into three main blocks: the first block is the Nanxun scenic spot concentrated area, including Zhang Shiming's Residence, Liu Family Ladder Boat, and so on; the second block is the Xia Lian Zhuang, Jia Yi Tang, Wen Yuan area, and so on; the third block is the northeastern block east of Dongdachi with Zhang Jingjiang's Residence and Bainian Lou as the main attractions. The lotus pond in Xia Lian Zhuang is really great, and it's very pleasant to sit by the lotus pond and blow the wind. Zhang Shiming's old house is well preserved, combining Chinese and Western styles, which is amazing; Bainian Lou is very magnificent, walking along the river, all are ancient and beautiful buildings, it takes about three hours to stroll through,
In Nanxun, you can see the common transportation tools of Jiangnan water towns— (Wugpengchuan - willow-pole boats), Nanxun Ancient Town's waterways are not wide, willow-pole boats are no longer the most commonly used transportation tools, occasionally there are villagers transporting goods, now it is mainly developed into a tourism project, take a ride on a rocking boat, lazily lying on the boat's tail, listening to the rocking sound of the dockworker, and watching the ancient houses and willows along the waterway gradually receding in the distance, this is also a great way to experience the charm and water town atmosphere of Nanxun Ancient Town,
When coming to Nanxun, it's best to stay for a night. At night, Nanxun Ancient Town is even more charming, with the illumination of lights, the ancient town is also very beautiful, red lanterns, stone roads, stone bridges, at this time the ancient town has no noise during the day, it is quiet and beautiful, and there are not many tourists at night, it is very quiet. In the morning, while tourists are few, walk and browse along the river, enjoy this time for yourself, a relaxed and quiet time. Dogs barking, birds singing, awakening the sleeping ancient town, hungry, sit down at will, under the Huahu tree, beside the wharf, a simple breakfast made by local aunties has a rustic flavor.
Nanxun's four seasons each have its own beauty, but only spring Nanxun is unforgettable. In spring, the water is warm and flowers bloom, the sun is bright and sunny, the new green willows along the river are particularly charming, which is the best time for water town sightseeing.
