Jiangnan, the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, includes some regions of Anhui, Jiangxi and Zhejiang Provinces, with the area from Nanjing to Suzhou as the center. Located in the Taihu Basin close to the East China Sea, the region is abundant in water resources and featured by mild weather and developed agriculture.

Introduction

In the mind of the Chinese, Jiangnan is a region beautified by the literati of all generations. The region, known for its rich and prosperous land as well as its diligent and intelligent people, has been extolled and admired for thousands of years. The mist-covered green hills, the lakes brimming with glistening water, the delicate and serene gardens, the folk houses of black tiles and white walls, and the numerous pavilions, bridges, and riversWhen in Jiangnan, wherever you are, be it a city, a town, or a village, you would feel like being in a scroll painting. This is Jiangnan, the embodiment of beauty, smartness, quietness and elegance.


	Famous Cities of Jiangnan
	Nanjing Nanjing is a famous historical and cultural city. It is dominated by low hilly areas. There are dozens of hills of different sizes in Nanjing, forming a land pattern like a coiling dragon and a crouching tiger. The Yangtze River meanders from the northwest to the southeast of Nanjing before ntering Zhenjiang, with major islets like Bagua Islet, Jiangxin Islet, Qianzhou Islet etc.		The Qinhuai River of Nanjing The Qinhuai River is the most important regional river, divided into inner and outer tributaries outside Tongji Gate (Dongshui Pass) of Nanjing. The inner Qinhuai River passes through south Nanjing, with Confucius temples on the bank, where people from all walks of life are gathered. It is a historically renowned prosperous place along the ?0-mile Qinhuai River?

Suzhou

Suzhou, a beautiful city with a long history, is widely known in China for the saying In heaven there is the paradise; on earth there are Suzhou and Hangzhou? Located on the Yangtze delta plain in the southeast of Jiangsu Province with Shanghai as its east neighbor, Suzhou is a well-known cultural and tourist city with mild and humid climate and onvenient transportation. etc.

The Humble Administrator's Garden

As the most well-known one of classical gardens in Suzhou and one of the four most famous gardens (the other three being the Summer Palace in Beijing, the Chengde Imperial Mountain Resort in Hebei, and the Geyuan Garden in Yangzhou) in China, the Humble Administrator's Garden is built in the early 16th Century in the Ming Dynasty by a retired officer. The name of the garden, with special meaning in traditional Chinese culture, suggests the retiree's dissatisfaction towards the administration of the government and his longing for simple and natural life.

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Hangzhou

Hangzhou lies in the southeast coast of China. Located at the southern end of Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, t is widely known for the beautiful scenery of its West Lake. In the saying In heaven there is the paradise; on earth there are Suzhou and Hangzhou? is expressed ancient and modern people's heartfelt admiration for this beautiful city.

The West Lake

Located in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, the West Lake is also known as Qiantanghu Lake in ancient times and as Xizi Lake?and Wulin Water?currently. It was formed under the effect of silt deposition in the Qiantang River. The West Lake covers an area of 5.64 square kilometers and has a perimeter as long as approx. 15 kilometers. The lake surface is divided by Gushan Mountain and two artificial causeways (Su Causeway and Bai Causeway) into five sub-lake regions: Inner Lake, Outer Lake, Yuehu Lake, Xili Lake and Xiaonanhu Lake, all being connected by bridges.

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	Yangzhou Although Yangzhou is located in the north of the Yangtze River, its economic and cultural forms are similar to those of Jiangnan. Therefore, it is normally regarded as part of the Jiangnan region in the culture sense. Yangzhou enjoys a history of about 2500 years. Due to its long history, the old town of Yangzhou with an area of 5.09 square kilometers is one of the well preserved ancient historic cities in China. There are many historic sites and cultural relics, among which 148 are of Cultural Relic Protection units located in the city zone.		The Geyuan Garden Located in the northern part of the ancient city, the Geyuan Garden is the private residential garden in Yangzhou classic gardens with the longest history, the most complete preservation and the highest artistic value. Bamboos can be seen everywhere in the Garden. As the bamboo leaf resembles the Chinese character "Ge", it is named "Geyuan Garden".

Ancient Water Towns of Jiangnan

Impressions on Jiangnan

Tea-picking girl	Lotus pond

Picking water chestnut	Appreciating plum-blossoms in the snow white world

Fishermen returning home	Bridge, meandering water folk houses

Tea house	Alley in the rain

Water town girl	Black awning boat

The Ancient Town of Zhouzhuang

Zhouzhuang is an ancient town in the south of the Yangtze River of China. Located in the southeast of Suzhou City, the town is a peaceful and secluded place, filled with ancient style buildings. After over 900 years of ups and downs, the architectural styles of the water town are pretty much the same as they were in the past. Zhouzhuang is honored as the No. 1 Water Town in China?

Wuzhen

Wuzhen is an old town in the south of the Yangtze River Delta in China with a history of more than 1300 years. It is located in the north of Tongxiang City, Zhejiang Province, with Huzhou City to the west and close to Wujiang County of Jiangsu Province to its north.

Folk Houses in Jiangnan

The folk house in Jiangnan has been built by the ingenious local people on open spaces which are surrounded by flowing water. The vivid folk architectures are fitted with white walls and black tiles and are decorated by little bridges over brimming water. All these jointly present peculiar scenery.

Famous Cities of Jiangnan

Ancient Water Towns of Jiangnan

Impressions on Jiangnan