AN important part of the Shanghai-Suzhou-Jiaxing Intercity Railway, the Jiangsu section of the Watertown Tourism Line started construction recently, stringing a cluster of Jiangnan watertowns.

Jiangnan refers to regions south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

The intercity railway, a landmark project to promote the interconnection of infrastructure in the Yangtze River Delta Ecology and Greenery Integration Demonstration Zone, also includes the Shanghai Demonstration Line in Shanghai and the Jiashan-Xitang Line and Jiaxing-Fengnan Line in Zhejiang Province.

The watertown line is an important cross-provincial transportation infrastructure project connecting Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. The 132-kilometer line starts from the Watertown Parlor Station in the demonstration zone, passes through Wujiang, Huzhou, Wuzhen and Yanguan, and finally reaches Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport.

It strings a cluster of Jiangnan watertowns such as Tongli, Wuzhen and Nanxun. It covers more than 20 scenic spots above 4A level along the way, connecting many important cities in the region.

The designed speed of the tourism line is 160km per hour.

The Jiangsu section of the project starts from the Shanghai-Jiangsu boundary and ends at Bache Station, with a total length of 27.3 kilometers. It sets up three stations — Fenhu Station, Suzhou South Station and Bache Station — with a total construction period of four years.

Already expecting the operation of the Watertown Tourism Line? We preview some watertowns dotted along the line and their tourism splendor.

ZHENZE  震泽

ZHENZE Town, bordering Nanxun to the west and leaning against Taihu Lake to the north, is a renowned silk town in Wujiang District of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province. Zhenze is one of the five major mulberry towns in Jiangnan.

With a branch of the Grand Canal flowing through it, the ancient town boasts enchanting scenery and has numerous attractions such as Yuji Bridge built to commemorate Dayu’s flood control, Ciyun Temple, Ciyun Pagoda, the Qing Dynasty Shijian Hall, Wenchang Pavilion and Folk Custom Exhibition Hall.

Ciyun Temple, formerly known as Guangji Temple, was built during the late Song Dynasty (960-1279). From the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), halls and buildings were repeatedly expanded, making it a large Buddhist temple in Wujiang with many eminent monks in history. The Ciyun Temple Pagoda is a landmark of the temple.

TONGLI  同里

TONGLI was founded in the Song Dynasty. It has a profound cultural heritage and is known as a place of elegance and talent.

The scenic area is divided into seven islets by 15 criss-crossing small rivers, while 49 ancient bridges connect these islets into an integrated whole.

The watertown is famous for the Tuisi Retreat and Meditation Garden — a World Cultural Heritage Site — the Mingqing Street, and Tongli National Wetland Park.

The Tuisi Retreat and Meditation Garden boasts a complete range of pavilions, terraces, towers, halls, corridors, bridges and other structures, with a pond at its center, making the buildings appear to float on water.

Tongli National Wetland Park, known as a biological paradise, has a forest area of about 4,000 acres. The park integrates forest landscape, pastoral landscape and water network landscape.

Mingqing Street is one of the ancient town’s commercial streets, about 160 meters long. In the architectural style of the Ming and Qing dynasties, it preserves the unique pattern of parallel upper and lower streets in Jiangnan.

YANGUAN  盐官

YANGUAN ancient town, 50 kilometers from Hangzhou, is closely connected with the tide. Every year on the 18th day of the eighth month on the lunar calendar, the tide is surfing here, galloping like thousands of horses. The scene is spectacular.

However, the town’s charm goes far beyond that.

It is a famous historical and cultural town in China. In the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 25), Liu Bi, the King of Wu, appointed an official in charge of salt, and the place was named after the official.

Combining natural scenery and historical and cultural landscapes, Yanguan attracts many tourists.

The ancient buildings of the Ming and Qing Dynasties are hidden surprises. The former residence of Chen Yuanlong, governor of Guangxi in the Qing Dynasty, which received Emperor Qianlong four times, still exudes the noble atmosphere of a big family in the past.

The former residence of Li Shishi, a courtesan in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), is a silent witness to history. Between the blue bricks and black tiles, it seems that one can hear the breath of history, telling those past stories of elegance and uniqueness.

LILI  黎里

LILI in Suzhou is a well-preserved ancient town next to Shanghai’s Qingpu District, with a history going back 2,500 years and still retaining the charm of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Lili is one of the towns which keep the authentic Jiangnan alleys, especially the “dark alleys” — as narrow as less than 1 meter wide with a roof on top and quite dark inside.

There are 115 alleys in Lili, of which 90 are “dark.” In the past, the dark alleys were used as a hallway for important families. It is said Lili had eight major families during the reigns of Emperor Qianlong and Jiaqing in the 18th and 19th centuries, each of which had at least one alley named for them.

Over 200 years later, descendants of the families still live in these alleys.

Walking along the over 4,000-meter-long historical river bank left by the Ming and Qing dynasties, the 256 wharves and 352 carved stones used to rope the boat cable tell the stories of a once thriving watertown.

NANXUN  南浔

NANXUN is like a long scroll slowly unfolding, blending the poetry of blue bricks, black tiles, stone bridges, flowing water and sculling boats into time, fulfilling all dreams of a Jiangnan watertown.

A hidden gem from China’s past, Nanxun is often called the “silk town of the Jiangnan region.” This charming town, dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties, is the first of its kind in the Jiangnan region to be included in the World Cultural Heritage List.

Picture-perfect spots like Xiaolian Garden, Cangshu Lou and Baijian Lou create a dreamy, watercolor-like scene. It’s also a popular place for traditional-style photoshoots.

Xiaolian Garden is located southwest of Wangu Bridge in Nanxun. It is a private garden founded in 1885, and named Xiaolian in admiration of Lianhua Zhuang built by Zhao Mengfu, a great calligrapher and painter from Huzhou in the late Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).

Baijian Lou stretches about 400 meters from Dongdiao Bridge in the east to Shanzhuang Bridge in the north. Built along a river during the late Ming Dynasty by Dong Fen, a Nanxun native and Minister of Rites, it got its name from the hundred houses on the both banks of the river and the stone bridge connecting the two sides.

WUZHEN  乌镇

THE cross-shaped inland water system divides Wuzhen, with a total area of 79 square kilometers, into four blocks: east, south, west and north, known as Dongzha, Nanzha, Xizha and Beizha.

It is a typical Jiangnan watertown, known as the “land of fish and rice and home of silk.” Wuzhen features streets along rivers — connected by bridges — houses built by the water, bamboo-stone railings and riverside pavilions.

It preserves a large number of watertown dwellings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, such as the Jiangnan Woodcarving Exhibition Hall, Xiuzhen Temple Ancient Stage, Huiyuan Pawnshop and Zhaoming Academy. Other attractions like the Wuzhen Folk Custom Hall and Fengyuan Twin Bridges also retain the original style and pattern of a watertown.

The Dongzha scenic area is large, with a tour route of about 2 kilometers, consisting of Dongzha Old Street, Guanqian Street, riverside pavilions and corridor sheds, allowing visitors to experience the quiet and graceful atmosphere unique to Jiangnan watertowns.

It includes more than 20 attractions, such as Huiyuan Pawnshop, Fanglu Pavilion, Shadow Puppetry Hall, Mao Dun’s Former Residence, Woodcarving Museum and Blue Calico Dye Workshop.

Xizha mainly serves business tourism and leisure vacations. With criss-crossing rivers, Xizha has 72 ancient bridges. Its main attractions include Zhaoming Academy, Dingsheng Bridge, North Wetland and Yuanbao Lake.

LIANSHI  练市

IF you are looking for a tranquil place away from the urban treadmill, Lianshi is exactly the place. It’s 130 kilometers from Shanghai, 60km from Hangzhou and 80km from Suzhou — a paradise for self-driving travelers.

Lianshi is like a poem without flashy words. It lacks the commercial atmosphere of some other ancient towns, retaining only the purest image of a Jiangnan watertown. Here, you can slow down, listen to the whispers of the cobblestone streets, and experience a unique, slow-paced life.

Lianshi features small bridges and beautiful landscapes. The town is surrounded by an 18.6km ancient canal like a jade belt. With a history of over 2,000 years, it formed a market as early as the Qin (221-206 BC) and Han (206 BC-AD 220) dynasties. Jiutian Pavilion, Wenxing Bridge and Shujie (Book Street) are like living history textbooks.

The mutton here is incredibly tender and juicy. Many foodies visit the town just to have a bite of this local delicacy.