Jiaxing's Chinese Water Town Xitang

Xitang is a famous town with thousands of years of history, lying in Jiashan County in Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province. 9 rivers converge in this town,dividing it into 8 sections,but many bridges link this water town together(anciently called as “nine dragon old pearl”and“wind from 8 sides”). People there, whether local residents or visitors, feel that this is fairyland. They even have no idea as to whether people are wandering in the picture or the picture is moving in their hearts.




It dates back to the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC-476 BC) and the Warring States Period (476 BC-221 BC). The town was a place of strategic importance on the boundary of the Wu and Yue states. Its flat terrain is marked by a quiet, natural environment with rivers running through it. From a bird's-eye view of the whole town, one sees blue water sparkling almost in every point the eyes touch and reflections of the houses in the water. The quiet water, handsome bridges, and the reflections in the early morning and the rosy sunset, fishing boats and the glistening lights in the evening, form an amazing picture full of a sense of poetry which can only be seen in the south lower reaches of the Yangtze River.



In the town, there are well-preserved groups of buildings of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) with relatively high artistic quality and research value. It is famous for its large number of covered corridors, lanes and bridges,which boast a higher artistry and study value, thus being highlighted by the experts at home and abroad studying antique buildings.Through a bird's-eye view of the whole town,green waves ripple everywhere and every family resides near water. In the morning,water flows beneath bridges,thin mist is like silk,pinkish walls on both banks stand tall and erect and tiled houses are reflected inversely in the water.In the evening,the setting sun shines slantwise,songs come from fishing boats,lamps flicker and the fragrance of wine drifts.The whole old town is like a poem and a picture.
The covered corridor is the most well known scene in this town. It is also the most distinctive feature historic it offers compared with other water towns. Consisting of many sections, the whole covered corridor is more than 1,000 meters (about 1094 yards) long, attracting visitors from all over the world with its particular charm.



Mostly, it is tile-roofed and built along the riverside, providing shelter for people to avoid either the baking hot sun or the rain. So, while visiting the town, you can never be caught in the rain or exposed to the searing sun.

The town keeps a tranquil ambience and scenic beauty, making it a very popular tourist attraction. It is frequently depicted in Chinese landscape painting. In this town,people will feel that they are seemingly in an earthly paradise.It is hard to know that people exist in the picture or picture exists in the heart of people.