Historical and Cultural Tourist Site in Nanxun
2 min readNanxun is a typical ancient town of rivers and lakes in the south of the Yangtze River. It has a history of more than 750 years and ranks among the top six famous ancient towns in southern China. The clean and exquisite small town is characterized by rivers and bridges. Nanxun is called a town of rivers and lakes for”one archway every step and one bridge every five steps”. Small stone bridges over the leisurely flowing river and attached row houses along the riversides highlight the civilization of long standing.A river bordered by two streets with slabstones, the riverside streets punctuated with arch gates, fire proof walls and suspended buildings leave a deep visual impression on visitors. As the saying goes,”It would be better to take a tour in Nanxun than to make 99 trips over other places in the south of Yangtze River.”
Within this two-square-kilometer area there are decades of historical and cultural heritages. Many of them belong to the national, provincial, orlocal key protections. Baijian Lou, one hundred attached row houses, is the most perfectly preserved ancient building complex in Nanxun. It represents the gentle and simple life of the inhabitants near the river from generation to generation. Little Lotus Manor, which was constructed on literary mood of the poem”Walking in Mountain”composed by Du Mu in the Tang Dynasty,consists of a family temple,a charity chamber, and gardens. The distinguished plants, zigzagging galleries, fine pavilions, and the mix of French and European architecture create an intoxicating atmosphere. Thegardens in Little Lotus Manor even rival those gardens in Suzhou. Jiaye Tang, the Book Collection Library, used to be a private book house and now it has become a national key protected cultural unit. The design of the building is the traditional Chinese style blended with a distinct western flavor. Many of the book collections within its walls are historic, valuable and rare. The Former Residence of Zhang Jinjiang, Yide Hall, the Red House, the Temple of Guanghui, and the Hall of the Silk Guild all pass on their owners’ legendary stories.
Nanxun is an excellent tourist site with impressive ancient architecture, profound Chinese culture mixed with Westen culture. More cultural relics and historical interests are currently being protected. When you walk along the paths paved with slabstones and step on the age-old bridges, you seem to be truly transported back in time and a feeling of returning to the past rises spontaneously.
