Zhouzhuang

 

Facts to Know about Zhouzhuang

Chinese Name: 周庄 Pronunciation: Zhōu Zhuāng

Building Time: 1086

Suggested Visiting Hours: 4-8 Hours

Occupied Area: 36.05 square kilometers

Best Visiting Time: All year round

Address: In the southwest of Kunshan, Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China

Popular Activities: Exploring the old architectures of the Ming and Qing Dynasty, buying some local hand-making artifacts and special snacks and dishes, and taking a gondola to look around the water town along the old canal.

 

Admission Ticket Fare

Admission Fee	100 yuan
Joint Ticket (Admission Fee+ Bout tour)	160 yuan
Joint Ticket (Admission Fee+ Four Seasons of Zhouzhuang)	230 yuan
Aquatic Tour Around Zhouzhuang	80 yuan
Four Seasons of Zhouzhuang	150 yuan

• Ticket Free of Charge or Discount Policy

a. Free Access for ancient town tour (valid ID cards required): seniors over 70 years old; children under 6 years old or less than 1.4 meters in height; A1 drivers guiding a group and certified tour guides; journalists certified by the national press agency; Chinese servicemen (including faculty members and students of military academies); physically challenged people; one person accompanying a seriously disabled visitor as an escort.

b. Half-priced Access for ancient town tour (certificates required): minors between 6 and 18, full-time university undergraduates and school students, and elder people aged between 60 and 69.

 

Opening Hours

Attractions	Opening Hours
Town Opening Hours	7:15-20:00 (Mar. 1st to Nov. 31st)
	7:15-19:00 (Dec. 1st to Feb. 28th )
Shen’s House, Zhang’s House, Zhouzhuang Museum, Yifei Museum, Ancient Opera Stone	7:15-20:00 (Mar. 1st to Nov. 31st)
	7:15-19:00 (Dec. 1st to Feb. 28th )
Chengxu Taoist Temple, Milou Building, Ruan Yisan Studio, Former Residence of Ye Chucang	8:00-16:30
Aquatic Tour around Zhouzhuang	Day Tour: 08:00-18:30 Night Tour:18:30-21:30
Four Seasons of Zhouzhuang	19:00-20:00 Apr. 1st to Jun.30th, Sep. 1st to Nov. 20th
	19:30-20:30 Jul. 1st to Aug. 30th

 

Overview of Zhouzhuang

Located in the southwest of Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province, Zhouzhuang is a small water town in the south of the Yangtze River. Known as "the first water town in China", Zhouzhuang is one of the first batch of 5A level scenic spots in China.
 

Zhouzhuang was founded in 1086 (the first year of Yuanyou in the Northern Song Dynasty), which was named Zeguo or Zhenfengli in history. A person named Zhou Digonglang lived here and donated land to build a temple called the Quanfu Temple. The local people were grateful for what Mr. Zhou did, so they took the family name of Zhou Digonglang and named the field “Zhouzhuang” thereafter.
 

Zhouzhuang is one of the top six ancient towns in the south of the Yangtze River, which won the title of Famous Historical and Cultural Town in China in 2003. With a unique cultural landscape and a long history, this typical water town in the south is famous at home and abroad.
 

More than 60 percent of the residential buildings in Zhouzhuang Town were built in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. There are nearly 100 classical domestic architectures, more than 60 brick gate towers, and 14 ancient bridges in this ancient town. The main scenic spots are Shen’s House, Shen Wansan's Residence, Zhang’s House, Twin Bridges (Shuangqiao), Fu'an Bridge, Strange Building, Quanfujiang Temple, Chengxu Taoist Temple, Milou Building, Ruan Yisan Studio, and Former Residence of Ye Chucang.

 

History of Zhouzhuang

It is said the region of Zhouzhuang was called “ Yaocheng” during the Spring and Autumn Period, because it was the fief of the youngest son of the King of Wu, and the name of his son was ”Yao” in the Spring and Autumn Period. The famous writer Zhanghan in the Western Jin Dynasty, and the well-known poet Liu Yuxi and Lu Guimeng of the Tang Dynasty once made their home here. During the Sui Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty, the area was called "Zhenfengli".
 

According to historical records, during the Yuanyou years of the Northern Song Dynasty (1086), an official whose family name was Zhou with official opposition of Di Gong Lang (the ninth grades of rank in the feudal regimes) moved here. Mr. Zhou believed in Buddhism and he donated a field of more than 13 hectares (about 32 acres) to Quanfu Temple as a temple property. In order to express their gratefulness to him, the local people took Mr. Zhou’s family name and called the field “Zhouzhuang” thereafter.
 

In 1127, a high official whose family name is Jin, chose to stay in Zhouzhuang when he followed the Emperor Song Gaozong moved southwards. After official Jin’s setting down here, Zhouzhuang’s population gradually grew up.
 

In the middle of Yuan Dynasty, Shen You, the father of Shen Wansan, the legendary richest man of the south of the Yangtze River, moved from Nanxun, Huzhou, to Dongzhai Village, at the east of Zhouzhuang. In the wake of the coming of Shen’s family, Zhouzhuang developed and became a prosperous commercial market town.
 

In the Ming Dynasty, the town expanded to the west to Fuhong Bridge in Hougang Street and Puqing Bridge in Zhongshi Street, and moved the market to Hougang Street. In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, Zhouzhuang belonged to Songjiang Prefecture, Huating County.
 

In the early of the Qing Dynasty, Zhouzhuang was returned to Changzhou County, with more dense residents. The West Chateau area became lines of shops, the commercial centre was moved from Hougang Street back to Zhongshi Street.

 

Zhouzhuang Top Sights You Should Not Miss

Shen’s House

With a history of nearly 300-hundred years, Shen’s House was built in the seventh year of Qianlong Period in the Qing Dynasty (1742). The house covers a total area of 2,000 square meters (nearly half an acre), with seven yards and more than 100 rooms distributed on both sides of the 100m long axis.
 

Shen’s house is composed of three parts, the front part, the middle part, and the rear part. The front part contains the water wall gate for washing clothes. The middle part includes the wall gate, the teahouse, and the main hall, which was used to receive guests, to handle the marriage and funeral events. The rear part contains the lobby building, the small hall building, and the rear hall house, which was the living area.
 

The front and rear rooms are connected by the street crossing and pavilions. The main hall is called "Songmao Tang ", covering an area of 170 square meters, surrounded by carved characters, animals and pavilions, opera stories, etc.
 

Shen Wansan's Residence

Located at the east of Zhouzhuang, Shen Wansan's former residence is a Ming-style pseudo-classic architecture, which was carefully designed and seriously built based on Shen Wanshan’s legendary life. The living condition of Shen Wansan was displayed through bronze statues, brick carvings, lacquer carvings, real scene models, layout, set boxes, clay sculptures, paintings and other artistic techniques.
 

Zhang’s House

Zhang’s House, formerly known as Yishuntang, which is said to be built by the descendants of Xu Kui (the younger brother of the King of Zhongshan Xu Da) during Zhengtong period (1436-1449) in the Ming Dynasty. In the early year of the Qing Dynasty, Yishuangtang was sold to a rich family-Zhang’s family, and it was renamed Yuyantang, commonly known as Zhang’s House. Zhang’s House has a history of more than 500 years and is well-preserved.
 

The house covers a total area of 1,800 square meters (about 0.45 acre), with seven yards and more than seventy rooms, which are in typical Ming Dynasty architecture style, and the halls are also furnished with Ming style mahogany furniture.
 

Shuangqiao (Twin Bridges)

Seating in the center area of Zhouzhuang, Shuangqiao refers to the two connected bridges of Shide and Yong'an, both of which were built in the Ming Dynasty. One of the two connected bridges is a circle arch bridge, and the other is a square arch bridge, and the two bridges are like an ancient key, so the bridges are also known as Key Bridge.
 

Both Shide Bridge and Yong'an Bridge were built during the Wanli Period (1573-1619) in the Ming Dynasty, which have a history of more than 400 years and are well-preserved.
 

Shuangqiao became famous for an oil painting "Memories of Hometown" created by well-known painter Chen Yifei in 1984. The painting was given to Deng Xiaoping as a present by Mr. Armand Hammer when he visited China in 1985.
 

The painting was second processed by Chen Yifei and become the first-day cover of the United Nations in 1985, which was favored by philatelic enthusiasts. Through a series of propaganda by the news media, Zhouzhuang Ancient Town rose to fame.
 

Quanfujiang Temple

Located on the bank of Baixian Lake, Quanfujiang Temple was first built in 1086 in the Song Dynasty, which was donated by an officer Digonglang of Mr. Zhou. It is well-known as a "Buddhist Kingdom in the water". The temple was destroyed in the 1950s and rebuilt in 1995.
 

Chengxu Taoist Temple

Located at No. 82, Zhongshi Street, Zhouzhuang Town, Kunshan City, Suzhou City, Chengxu Taoist Temple was built between 1086 and 1093 during the Tianyou Period in the Song Dynasty. The scale of the temple was extended since the middle of the Ming Dynasty, and continued during Qianlong Period in the Qing Dynasty. The temple covers an area of 1,500 square meters (about 1,800 square yards), which is one of the well-known Taoist temples in Wuzhong area.

 

Recommended Travel Route

1. Western Route
Gupailou (Zhengfeng Ancient Memorial Archway) → Zhouzhuang Museum → Xianjiang Fishery Hall →Milou Building → Folk Culture Street (Zhengfeng Street) → Former Residence of Ye Chucang → Stone Balustrades → Fu'an Bridge → Shen’s House → Zhang’s House → Shuangqiao (Twin Bridges) → Ancient Stage
 

2. Regular Route
Gupailou (The Ancient Memorial Archway) → Zhenggutang →Yifei Museum → Shuangqiao (Twin Bridges) → Ancient Stage → Zhang’s House → Shen’s House → Quanfujiang Temple → Milou Building → Xianjiang Fishery Hall → Folk Culture Street (Zhenfeng Street) → Zhenfeng Ancient Memorial Archway

 

Ways to Get to Zhouzhuang

By Bus/Coach

a. Suzhou North Bus Station - Zhouzhuang Bus Station

Service Time	Interval	Duration	Ticket Fare
07:05-17:05	30 minutes	1.5 hours	17.5 yuan

b. Kunshan Bus Station - Zhouzhuang Bus Station

	Departure Time	Duration	Ticket Fare
Bus No.130	Every 15 minutes between 5:45-20:00	1.5 hours	7 yuan
Express Line	6:30 ,7:15, 8:00	1 hour	10 yuan

 

By Taxi

Chinese: 请带我去周庄。English: Please take me to Zhouzhuang.

If you go to the Zhouzhuang from Kunshan Railway Station, it takes about 50 minutes (110 yuan).

If you go to the Zhouzhuang from Kunshan South Railway Station, it takes about 50 minutes (105 yuan).

If you go to the Zhouzhuang from Kunshan South Bus Station, it takes about 45 minutes (100 yuan).

If you go to the Zhouzhuang from the Shanghai International Airport, it takes about 1 hour (150 yuan).

If you go to the Zhouzhuang from the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, it takes about 1.2 hour (190 yuan).