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June 22, 2016

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Home » City specials » Hangzhou

Country roads take tourists to historic towns

By Wu Huixin | June 22, 2016, Wednesday | Print Edition

ZHEJIANG Province used to be dotted with traditional watertowns that featured black-roofed and white-walled folk houses that lined its waterways. However, these antiqued towns gradually declined with industrial development and the province’s historic appearance has faded.

Although towns like Wuzhen, Nanxun and Xitang in northern Zhejiang escaped the industrial tide and were protected as popular tourism spots, their over-commercialized mode spoiled the original ambience, making them less attractive to tourists.

Some of the ancient towns were revamped into a cookie-cutter style without any distinctive characteristics.

Now, local governments are trying to draw from this experience as they aim to figure out custom-tailored protection methods for the towns that remain.

Zhuji and Chuan’an counties applied a “road town” mode. Nestled on valleys and hill slopes, many towns here are hard to access for tourists, although the picturesque landscapes add natural charm.

Roads have been repaved as more and more people own cars. The area has also become popular among mountain bikers.

Chun’an has already finished Chunyang Road, which stretches from Jiangbu Bridge to Fenkou Town. It traces the Thousand Islands Lake and is equipped with a bikeway on the side facing the lake. The local government invested more than 500 million yuan (US$76 million) on construction, and a large number of bike riders have since hit the road.

In addition to the gorgeous lake view, the road also helps bring visitors to ancient villages and towns. Qinchuan Village used to be secluded from the outside world, but now welcomes visitors thanks to improved road access.

It is about three hours from the Thousand Islands Lake. A creek that runs through the middle of the village is so clean that visitors wade barefoot in the water. Stone bridges cross the creek, and willows and camphor trees grow nearby. The oldest camphor tree is 800 years old. Residents can often be spotted sitting in the shade chatting or washing clothes and vegetables in the creek. Some 60 percent of the village’s buildings have upturned eaves, carved beams and painted rafters in the style of Hui buildings erected in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties.

Another ancient village, Xiajiang, is also benefitting from the Chunyang Road. This now idyllic village used to be poverty-stricken due to its remote location and bad infrastructure. Today, the asphalt road gives tourists an easier access.

Local authorities ordered villagers to take advantage of the mountainous geography and seasonal weather conditions, which make it an ideal place to plant grapes in the summer and strawberries in the winter. Next month will be the prime time for grape picking.

As for Zhuji County, the “road town” mode focuses on the town’s cultural appeal. Xishi, one of the renowned “Four Beauties” of ancient China, immediately comes to mind when Zhuji is mentioned. Xishi was said to have lived in Yue Kingdom (today’s Zhuji) during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC).

The local government built four roads themed on Xishi and the ancient culture of the Yue Kingdom that allow visitors to see her former residence and see old relics and traditional architecture.

According to official statistics, more than 4,000 kilometers of country roads have been revamped since the Zhejiang government launched the “road-town” project to promote some hidden ancient villages. In the first four months this year, more than 5,820,000 tourists flocked to Zhuji, up 17 percent year-on-year.

Nonetheless, this “road-town” mode is not suitable for all towns. For Xinshi Town, which is located in the Hangzhou-Jiaxing-Huzhou Plain, its simple paddy fields aren’t a big draw, but its traditional houses along the rivers remain a big attraction.

In order to keep the town’s original appeal, the government didn’t relocated residents and is not charging any fees. Many of the households that used to sell silk, tea or porcelain during late Qing Dynasty and Republic of China (1911-1949) are still open today.

Hangzhou


 

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