Updated July 30, 2020
After a long period of COVID-19 pandemic isolation, finally, a few days ago (July 2020), I was out travelling. Woo-hoo! I visited Zhouzhuang (周庄), a beautiful Chinese water town. Presenting a brief Zhouzhuang travel review in the public interest (click on the images to enlarge them). 🙂
Why Zhouzhuang?
In the Yangtze River delta, there are so many old water towns, such as Zhouzhuang, Tongli (同理), etc. They all share a great amount of similarity. If you visit any one of them, you’ll know how a typical Chinese water town looks like. Basically, you explore the alleys by walking/boat rides. Along the way, you will be exploring temples, historical buildings, museums, and shopping options (too many shops, though).
Zhouzhuang is certainly one of the most famous, scenic and historical water townships in China. That’s why I think Zhouzhuang is a model example of a typical Chinese water town. No wonder, Zhouzhuang is officially designated as China’s number 1 water town.
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How To Say Zhouzhuang In Chinese?
Depending on how you feel comfortable, Zhouzhuang could be referred as:
- Pinyin: 周庄, Zhōuzhuāng
- Zhouzhuang Water Town: 周庄水乡, Zhōuzhuāng shuǐxiāng
- Watertown:水乡, shuǐxiāng
- Jiangnan Watertown: 江南水乡, Jiāngnán shuǐxiāng
- China’s number 1 water town Zhouzhuang: 中国第一水乡周庄, Zhōngguó dì yī shuǐxiāng zhōuzhuāng
Where Is Zhouzhuang?
Zhouzhuang is administratively part of Kunshan (昆山, Kūnshān), a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Suzhou (Jiangsu province of China, 中国江苏苏州昆山周庄). The water town is very close to Shanghai. Nanjing and Hangzhou are just a few train stations away.
Zhouzhuang Population
About 2000. They live in the old houses built during the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing dynasties (1644–1911). Most of these houses have been preserved to date. Visiting Zhouzhuang is like exploring Chinese architectures, as it existed hundreds of years ago. There are quite a few historical buildings worth exploring by.
How To Get To Zhouzhuang?
It depends which part of China you are coming from. Some of Zhouzhuang’s closely located railways stations are:
- Suzhou Railway Station
- Kunshan South Railway Station
- Shanghai South Railway Station
You can also get to Zhouzhuang by bus. There are direct buses from Shanghai and Suzhou.
During my trip, I first came to the Suzhou Railway Station, then took a minivan (air-conditioned and free water bottle) to Zhouzhuang. The exact name of the bus stations is Suzhou North Plaza Bus Station (苏州北广场汽车客运站, Sūzhōu běi guǎngchǎng qìchē kèyùn zhàn). First minivan departs at 8.30am. Then onwards, one van departs every hour. Ticket booking starts at 8am (I reached the bus station at 7.15am, and waited 45 minutes to buy a ticket).
The minivan fare from Suzhou North Plaza Bus Station is fixed at RMB 40/person (July 2020). Van seating capacity: 8 person. It takes about 1 hour to get to Zhouzhuang. Moreover, the van would directly drop me about 300m away from the gate of Zhouzhuang water town. Same while returning.
Best Time To Travel To Zhouzhuang?
Zhouzhuang (Suzhou/Shanghai) has 4 distinct seasons:
- Winters: December – February
- Spring: March – May
- Summer: June – September
- Autumn: October – November
I am sure travelling to Zhouzhuang during the spring or autumn would be just perfect. I was obviously travelling in the summer, and it was quite hot. I felt tired after walking for a few hours.
Zhouzhuang Entry Ticket Fee
RMB 100. The non-residents (foreigners/Chinese) must pay a fee to enter Zhouzhuang water town.
How Much Time To Spend In Zhouzhuang?
Well, about a half day would be sufficient. However, Zhouzhuang night scenery looks very beautiful. You can probably visit Zhouzhuang in the afternoon, stay overnight and leave the next day, after breakfast.
Zhouzhuang Food
You will see all types of Chinese food in the scenic area (and outside as well). The traditional food in the eastern part of China is sweet. There are also a couple of western food outlets. KFC is located at about 2 minutes walking distance from the main entrance gate (outside the water town).
Get Around Zhouzhuang Water Town
You should walk within the scenic area. Walking is the best way to explore Zhouzhuang. A boat ride is also recommended, though.
Famous Zhouzhuang Activities
- Walking around the scenic town
- Explore the historical art and architecture
- Click photos
- Explore water town with boat rides (canals/lakes)
- Drink traditional Chinese tea
- Shopping
List Of Zhouzhuang Travel Attractions
Let me give you a simple route overview (路线概览) of the Zhouzhuang travel attractions. Here is the list of top things to do and places worth looking for in Zhouzhuang:
- Zhouzhuang Museum (周庄博物馆)
- Quanfujiang Temple (全福讲寺)
- South Lake Qiuyue Garden (南湖秋月园)
- The Twin Bridges (双桥). There are two famous bridges in Zhouzhuang (built in the late 1500s). They are located nearby:
- Shide Bridge (世德桥) and
- Yong’an Bridge (永安桥)
- Fu’an Bridge (富安桥): built 1355 (Yuan Dynasty)
- Zhenfeng Bridge (贞丰桥)
- Shen’s House (周庄沈厅)
- Zhang’s House (周庄张厅)
- Ye Chucang’s Residence (叶楚伧故居)
Shopping In Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang offers plenty for shopping. If you are into shopping, you should in particular look for Zhenfeng Street (贞丰街). There are nice tea houses in this old street. You can also buy wine, handicrafts, etc.
Caution: Often, certain items are overpriced. For example, I went to buy a water bottle (500ml, usual price RMB 2), and the shopkeeper (an old woman) asked me for RMB 5. As I started walking, she kept calling me. Then, I bought it for RMB 3, at another shop. Seriously!
Zhouzhuang Water Town Travel Map?
Here is a simple Baidu map of Zhouzhuang (click for a full image):
Is It Worth To Go Zhouzhuang?
If you are into discovering history and culture, you will love Zhouzhuang. Yes, an overnight stay is certainly recommended. There are a good number of hotels nearby.
Give me a shout if you have any questions about travelling to Zhouzhuang!