The Water Margin

How a Man Made His Stand at Zhouzhuang

But few know the secret of it success stems from the peculiar devotion of one stubborn scholar. Ruan Yisan was dean of the city planning department of Tongji University at the beginning of the 1980s, when China began its headlong modernization rush.

"Drastic changes were then taking place in the countryside of South China. Factories were erected in villages, and millennia-old neighborhoods were being razed in days. Ruan grew upset by what he perceived as unchecked vandalism going on all around him. I used to spend most of my spare time running across the ancient towns of China for my research work on Chinese architecture and city planning," says Ruan, 65, in a telephone interview with Beijing This Month. he economy was just about to take off, and I could already see the immediate cost to the cultural heritage, reflected in the vanishing architecture. "I started talking to local governments in Jiangsu Province, where most of the best ancient southern Chinese style architecture was located. Few would listen," Ruan said, unable to hide a hint of melancholy in his voice.

Ruan cites the example of a Li Li, a town where he was chased out by the local chief. "You intellectuals only talk!" the chief shouted at him. "How annoying you are! Don't interfere with our work!"

So angry was the town chief with Ruan he told the dining hall not to give his guest anything to eat. Ruan was forced to buy snacks outside the building for his lunch (restaurants were very scarce back then). Ruan today has lost count of the lost battles, lost towns and lost heritage erased by town developers. "In those days, you just got used to it," says Ruan.

Then some artist friends told Ruan that 60 kilometers from Shanghai was a beautiful town that had so far survived untouched. Ruan set out for Zhouzhuang immediately. He caught the only bus, a two-hour ride from Shanghai north station 7a.m. to a town called Luxu. He had to stay in Luxu overnight. The next noontime he took a six-hour boat to Zhouzhuang.

After disembarking at a small inn outside of Zhouzhuang, he finally caught a boat heading the water village the next morning. To Ruan, Zhouzhuang back then resembled "paradise on earth".

He found that all was not well in paradise, the ancient Palace of Shen was acting as mechanism processing factory and the Palace of Zhang was occupied by 17 families. Ancient bridges stood on the verge of total collapse. Ruan grew more anxious when he found the evidence of systematic pollution of which nobody seemed aware.

Zhouzhuang major sites:

Shen Ting

Zhang Ting

Mi Lou

Chess Museum

Quan Fu Si

Daoist Temple

Yechucang Former Residence

Zhouzhuang Museum

Fu'an Bridge

Shuang Qiao

Transport:

There are 45 flights from Beijing to Shanghai between 8a.m. and 8:40p.m.

Overnight trains to Shanghai: 461, leaving 4:04p.m. hard sleeper(middle berth) 185 yuan.

Z21, leaving 6p.m. hard sleeper(middle berth) 317 yuan.

Z13, leaving 8p.m. hard sleeper(middle berth) 317 yuan.

From Shanghai by tourism bus:

Shanghai Stadium: 7a.m., 9a.m., 12a.m., 2p.m.

Hongkou Park: 2p.m.

Admission:

Entrance ticket: 35 yuan/person (for entrance to Shuangqiao, Fun Qiao, Zhang Ting, Shen Ting, Quanfu Si, Mi Lou, Qi Yuan, Cheng Xu Dao Yuan, Ye Chu Cang Gu Ju, Zhouzhuang Museum)

Boating tour in Zhouzhuang: 80 yuan/boat (8 persons/boat)

Hotels:

Shenjiang Hotel , 220 yuan/night

Zhengutang , 280 yuan/night

Zhongfang Hotel, 220 yuan/night

Yunhai Du Jia Cun, 220 yuan/night

Fengdan Holiday Resort, 220 yuan/ night

Travel Tips:

1. Take an umbrella as rain might come any time.

2. Rainy days always offer better views of Zhouzhuang.

3. Photography lovers might bring a tripod, as there is little light at night.

4. Best time to visit: April-November