Nanxun Ancient Town

Nanxun Ancient Town, in Huzhou's Nanxun District, grew wealthy in the late Qing and early Republican era as a center of the silk trade, and its old quarter reflects that wealth in a way distinct from Zhejiang's more rustic water towns. Visitors walk along canal-side lanes past the Zhang family compound, Baijianlou (a row of over 100 waterfront houses built by a silk merchant family), and the Xiaolianzhuang garden estate, whose lotus ponds and stone pavilions were designed in the late 19th century. A standout feature is Jiayetang Library, a private book collection hall built by silk magnate Liu Chenggan, whose courtyards and rare-book stacks are unusual among Jiangnan water towns, most of which lack a comparable literary institution. The old town blends Chinese courtyard architecture with occasional Western-influenced facades and stained glass, a legacy of the merchant families' contact with Shanghai's treaty-port culture. A visit of three to four hours covers the main canal-front lanes, one or two of the merchant residences, and the Baijianlou row; a boat ride along the central canal offers a slower alternative view of the waterfront houses. The town is quieter than Wuzhen or Xitang, with day-trip crowds concentrated around midday on weekends; weekday mornings offer largely empty lanes. The best photo vantage points are the small stone bridges crossing the canal near Baijianlou and the entrance courtyard of Xiaolianzhuang.