It could be debated as to whether Su Zhou or Zhou Zhuang holds the title of the Venice of the East, but both could certainly qualify. Each have canals, bridges, Ming dynasty architecture and gardens, but Zhou Zhuang has a quaintness that is unmatched! It’s easy to understand why residents of Shanghai enjoy taking weekend getaways to this village as it has an ancient resort feel.
The most famous site in the village being the Twin Bridges of Shide Bridge and Yongan Bridge. The Chinese painter Chen Yifei painted these two bridges and it ended up being purchased by an American business man who later presented it to the President of China as a gift. The business man chose the painting because bridges represent friendship so it made for a very meaningful gift in that regard. But when the President received it he asked where it was and that he wanted to go. That began the “fame” of Zhou Zhuang and it has evolved into the tourist destination that it is today.
There is a nominal cost to go into the old city portion of the village as it is classified as a AAAAA scenic area by the Chinese National Tourism Administration and requires maintenance due to the volume of tourists it draws. Zhou Zhuang makes for wonderful day trip from Shanghai!