Wuzhen lies in the far north-east of Zhejiang province, about 90 minutes byroad from Shanghai. The name "water town" is especially apt; besides lying onthe Grand Canal, the settlement is completely encircled by two rivers - the DongShi and a smaller tributary, which meet at a T-junction. No matter where youstand, water provides the backdrop, the raison d锚tre of the whole town.
About 250 families used to live in the old quarter of Wuzhen. However,following the "restoration" of the town, many townsfolk have been moved out tothe "new" Wuzhen, an attractively landscaped but otherwise characterleapartmentblock 15 km down the road towards Shanghai. Those who remain are mainly theelderly and craftspeople. While I was assured that there is nothing to stop newresidents moving into the old town, young people nowadays seem strangelyabsent.
The old wooden shops of Wuzhen look ageleand immovable, as though theirtimbers have totally defied the ravages of time. At first, one suspects that thecustodians of the town have tried to cover up the decomposing processes ofnature. But look more closely and you find slow rot setting in around the basesof the doorframes, and splinters breaking away from the lintels. What littlerestoration has been done is so inconspicuous as to be totally indistinguishablefrom the original.
All the buildings in Wuzhen are in Ming or Qing Dynasty style. One palatialestablishment is the "Double Happiness" Marriage Shrine. Twin hearts are joinedin a nouveau-Chinese character in gilt upon a flaming crimson background,presumably depicting the inseparability of marriage - perhaps the Chinese knowsomething that we Westerners dont.
Wuzhen also has some unique attractions, including Yu Liuliangs Coin andPaper Money Exhibition. Nearby (would you believe) stands a Pawnshop Museum, asif to prove that usury is universal. (Maybe fortunately, Wuzhen has the onlysuch establishment Ive ever come across). I tried looking for a Qing Dynasty DVDplayer in the pawnshop, but was sadly disappointed.
No fewer than eight stone bridges crothe Dong Shi River, the grandest ofthem being the Fengyuan Double Bridge. The bridge is separated into two parts bya wooden sluice gate. Cyclists carry their bikes acrothe high arches of thebridges, which are designed to let boats paunderneath without difficulty.
Back in the main square, the elders are still hanging out. On the villagestage, a performance of Peking Opera is underway. Acrothe square, a masterpuppeteer entertains visitors with a shadow-play of the type known in Java aswayang kulit. But while the Javanese version of shadow puppetry is subtle andrefined, the Wuzhen style has the protagonists attacking each other with theferocity of tigers.
Whether by accident or design, this town seems to have been dropped intoits watery setting by a master town planner from another galaxy. A more perfectlocation for a settlement would be difficult to find. It is fervently to behoped that tourism will augment rather than destroy the unique ambiance ofWuzhen.