Global-Mariner

                                                            ZHOUZHUANG

                                                           - a watertown -

2021-12-11  - Page completed

Zhouzhuang is another one of China's water-towns that has been around for a very long time, - and where time seems to have stopped for several hundred years ago.

Zhouzhuang has more canals criss-crossing the city center, - and has more bridges than Wuzhen.

The bad news is, that it appears to be much more commercialized to an extend that spoils a lot of the original atmosphere.

Tourist groups are absolutely everywhere and crowd the narrow streets behind- and along the canals, - each group with it's own fast talking guide heavily armed with loudspeakers - (VERY LOUD) - and waving a little flag, so that the tourists don't get lost.

Around the old town center, a lot of new structures have been built, and they really do not fit in although they are built in the original style.

There is even a Buddhist Temple, but only as a setting for the show!

There are no monks there, - no Master - no life-, and no teaching of the "Diamond Way " - or of any other further development of the human mind with the Buddha's 2500 years old wisdom - all is sterile and "dead" and there is no atmosphere or "feeling" in the building!  I wonder if the tourists really "buy" that, - but for a the serious traveller it is indeed a shame to commercialize something that important.

So - how did Kit Yu and I manage this tourist nightmare????  Well, - we simply gave up exploring until next morning when we got up early and explored the streets and canals again, but BEFORE the tourist buses came rolling in - one after the other - in an endless flow - - -

That way we had it all to ourselves, - and finished our exploration BEFORE the tourist busses came.  - And therefore you see NO tourists in the folowing pictures, - only the locals - and that is GREAT - - -

Therefore I will strongly recommend, that if you plan to visit Zhouzhuang, then do it, - but NOT in the holiday season, - NOT in the week-ends -  and most important:  Come early - BEFORE the tourist buses arrive - - -  Then you will have a great time!

You will be rewarded with some highly delightful and beautiful sights and some unique impressions of a genuine, old, Chinese water-town, - because Zhouzhuang IS beautiful and it IS worth it to visit if you are in the neighbourhood - but:  Come BEFORE the tourists - and you will have a great experience - - -

As mentioned - the pictures displayed here are taken in the morning - before the tourist buses and tourist groups arrive, - and that explains why it looks so quiet and beautiful, - very different from what it would look like a few hours later - - -

Also I had a chance to go close to some details and local people, - so that my Zhouzhuang experience is somewhat similar to my Wuzhen experience.  And I like that!

But for now, - please my impressions from a more than 900 years old Chinese water-town - Zhouzhuang -