Shanghai, ChinaTravel Article
Shanghai River Town Cruise - Asia's Venice
Towards the northern plains of China is the City of
Shanghai, literally meaning "up the sea", there is a
quaint river town called Zhujiajiao translated as
"family bridge".
Zhujiajiao, sometimes dubbed as the Venice
of Shanghai is is an ancient
water town well-known throughout the China, with a
history of more than 1700 years. Spanning an area of
about 47 sq km, lay snuggled in a landscape of beautiful
lakes and majestic mountains.
Zhujiajiao is abound with quaint ancient bridges across
bubbling streams and small rivers shaded by weeping
willow trees. Houses with traditional Chinese cultural
courtyards fringes along these waterways with the
atmosphere of antiquity, leisure and tranquillity.
Bridges in Zhujiajiao are distinctive and ancient,
mostly built during Ming and Qing dynasty era. The old
town sector of Zhujiajiao is well connected by 36
bridges in different shapes, sizes and styles.
Fangsheng Bridge (Set animals free bridge) is the
longest, largest and the tallest stone bridge with five
openings both in Zhujiajiao and in the Shanghai region.
Fangsheng Bridge is almost 500 years old. There is a
stone tablet on the bridge called The Dragon Gate Stone,
which is engraved with 8 beautiful Chinese dragons
encircling a shining pearl. Perched at top of the bridge
are 4 lifelike stone lions purportedly to be guarding
the bridge against any evil intruders.
Lang Bridge (Veranda Bridge) or the Huimin Bridge, is
the only wooden bridge and the most famous bridge of
Zhujiajiao. It has wooden bars on the two sides and
upturned eaves, just like a narrow corridor. Tourists to
Zhujiajiao very often book river cruises to veiw these
bridges just like in Vienna.
Besides the bridges, there are ancient streets with
ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing Dynasties,
attracting great numbers tourists from all over the
world. The North Street, which is perhaps the best
preserved ancient street is only one km long. The street
is primitively simple yet very elegant. You can
appreciate the historic buildings, long-established
shops and old bridges as well as the many narrow lanes
along this street.
Ke Zhi Yuan (Good Manners Garden) boasts impressive
Chinese gardens as well as ancient dwellings built
during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. This garden is
commonly named 'Ma Family Garden' after a former owner
named Ma Wenqin.
If you are vacationing in Shanghai or China, do take a
river cruise to Zhujiajiao to experience an Asian
Venice. Try the Viking floating hotel river cruise if
you are touring the Yangtze.
article source: http://add-articles.com