Wuzhen

Author: Ruan Yisan
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-01-01
Features: Wuzhen, under the jurisdiction of Tongxiang City, Zhejiang Province, is located north of Wujiang in southern Jiangsu. With a long history, it is known as a thousand-year-old ancient town. It was an ancient water transport hub, and by the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was already a bustling town with "tens of thousands of households." Silk, cloth, and grain trades flourished here, with busy merchants and travelers. In the renovation of Wuzhen Ancient Town, efforts were made to authentically recreate its historical appearance. The old wooden pillars and window frames of the old houses, as well as the tiles on the roofs, were all collected from nearby villages. Instead of large-scale demolition and reconstruction, a method of repairing only what was damaged was adopted, following the principle of "preserving the old as it is, to retain its authenticity." This allowed the town to regain its former charm.
The content of this book includes the inspiration from Wuzhen, tracing the ancient history of Wuzhen, Wuzhen's workshops, Wuzhen's dyeing and winemaking workshops, Wuzhen's sericulture, the old national pharmacy, the Huoyuan pawn shop, the Lu Pavilion teahouse, the rebirth of Yingjia Bridge, the Xiu Zhen Temple and its restoration, the Hanlin Academy of Xia Tongshan, the water pavilions, Mr. Mao Dun and Wuzhen, and a detailed account of the winding story of Wuzhen Ancient Town's protection and tourism development.