Introduction

Nanxun Ancient Town, located on the center of the Hangzhou-Jiaxing-Huzhou Plain of the Yangtze River Delta, to the east of Huzhou City in north and adjacent to Suzhou, is a famous historically town, with a 750-year-old history, and boasts of numerous historic sites and natural landscapes. Known as the land of fish and rice and silk market, Nanxun is a charming tourist destination for visitors. It has the most distinctive and definitive scenic spots in south China, with a large number of well-preserved ancient houses, gardens and picturesque water town scenery. Nanxun is also the only town which contains a total of five large gardens. It has been listed as one of the Top Ten Most Charming Towns in China and one of the Historic Towns of China. The Chang-hu-sheng (Changxing-Huzhou-Shanghai) Channel, the so called "Oriental Rhine" runs through the town, which makes transportation convenient. For this reason, the town is also praised as the garden of these big cities. 　　The ancient town is also renowned for its elegant and exquisite gardens harmoniously combine elements of western and Chinese cultures. The famous Little Lotus Garden is famous for its special rocks, fan pavilions, stone arches, rockery, bamboo, and has been listed as one of the national protected key units of historic heritage. The most popular spot is the collection of lotus pools around the garden that cover an area of 10 acres (5,400 square feet).

Jia Ye Tang Library is one of the three most important private libraries in Zhejiang province, with the largest scale and the richest collection containing 600,000 rolls of books, a total of 160,000 volumes. Jia Ye Tang Library is also a garden which features the typical style of private gardens in south China.

Chongde House, also known as the Red House, is one of the old houses of Liu An. The entire structure consists of three wings- south, central and north. The design theory of the central wing is in accordance with traditional Confucian ideals while the other two parts combine Chinese and Roman architecture styles.

Qiushuli Villa was built by the owner of Jia Ye Tang Library, and functioned as a temporary residence as well as the library management office. Now the villa is used as a photography exhibition hall by Liu Xucang, a modern photographer.　　Zhang Jingjiang’s former residence is a typical traditional Chinese building complex, with tall walls and deep courtyards. Zhang Jingjiang was one of the founding members of the Chinese National Party who made great contribution to the Revolution of 1911.

Baijian Lou is the most famous structure in the town, and is also the best preserved traditional building group in southern China. The 400-year-old Baijian Lou is said to have been built by Dongbin, the minister of Cultural and Education Bureau in Ming Dynasty. The building group features white walls and black tiles along the river.The well-preserved traditional buildings and picturesque scenery of old houses, corridors, stone bridges and deep lanes all make the ancient water town of Nanxun special and enchanting. The ancient town is still inhabited and is closed for tourist admission after 5 pm every day.  After the daytime’s flurry of tourist activity, the evenings are the time when local people get to enjoy the beauty of the ancient quiet town. The harmony and unity between culture and natural scenery make the town fascinating, while presenting tourists with a chance to observe authentic local life by taking a stroll in the town.