中国范儿 67 乌镇：千年水乡 “网罗”未来

　　In the south of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River lies Jiangnan, a place dotted by a list of bountiful water towns. Since the ancient era, Jiangnan has been renowned for its misty rain, waterside residence, tranquility, simplicity, and untold stories. It is a place that leaves lingering memories for all visitors.

　　Located in northern Tongxiang City, Zhejiang Province, Wuzhen is one of the most famous old style towns in the Jiangnan area. Wuzhen has a history of over 6000 years. The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal flows through Wuzhen, and a sophisticated waterway system connects its different parts. The locals built their houses along the river and established markets around bridges. Old streets here are narrow and long, surrounded by high walls on both sides. Local architects were very skillful. They adapted the changing terrains to the river so that it can flow by all the nearby houses. You cannot see too many colors here. Sophisticated sculptures decorate every building. Here, white walls and blue tiles meet small bridges and the flowing water. Bridges and corridors silently extend beyond sight. Often shrouded by fogs, Wuzhen always looks so misty and tranquil.

　　Wuzhen has been a bustling place since the ancient era. With a reputation for its down-to-earth people, Wuzhen prospered as early as in the South Song Dynasty and reached its heyday in early Ming Dynasty. At the time, handicraft industry, silk making industry, metallurgical industry, and agriculture prospered in Wuzhen, which hosted a large number of businessmen. It thus gained its fame of the land of plenty and the harbor ofsilk fabrics.

　　Walking on the green slate-paved road, you will not miss the shuttle boats in the nearby river. At the watersides stand various types of shops, bars, tea houses, workshops, and hotels. Street cries are omnipresent. You can have a taste of the local crispy pancake or take one sip of Sanbaijiu, a fragrant local wine made through time-honored procedures. You can also buy batik,a distinctive Jiangnan style of dyed fabric dotted with blue and whiter colors.

　　Wuzhan is also renowned for its scholars. Local stories about diligent and intelligent scholars and love stories between beautiful women and talented scholars are enormous here. Distinctive local customs like Tongxiang Quan Boat, Flower Drum Opera, and Incense Fair further accentuate the charm of Wuzhen. As the epitome of Jiangnan, Wuzhen witnessed the birth, communication, integration, and inheritance of cultures in thousands of years.

　　Today, the internet has turned Wuzhen, a time-honored old style town, into a distinctive internet harbor. Wuzhen is the permanent host place of the World Internet Conference since 2014. Resources for internet innovation and development increasingly poured in Wuzhen, from where internet gurus solicit good solutions and young talents seek opportunities to start up their businesses. Wuzhen is the place that the tradition collides and integrates with the modern.

　 The advent of the internet age turned Wuzhen into a more open, fashionable and tolerant place. This time-honored old style town is now embracing its renewed vigor.

来源：中国网

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