Luzhi Water Town - Quiet Ancient Village in Suzhou Suburb

Luzhi Water Town located in southeastern Suzhou is an ancient water town that is not known to many tourists. Actually, it is as old as Suzhou (2500 years old) and has a longer history than Zhouzhuang and Tongli.

Luzhi was originally named Fuli because of the Fuli Pond in the west of the town. Later, there was Zhigang in the east of the town, which led to six streams. The shape of the water flow was similar to the Chinese word "甪Lu", so it was renamed "Luzhi". Its ancient culture, historic sites, time-honored bridges, streets, houses and the ginkgo trees with a history of more than 1300 years are amazing. It is a watery town with Yangcheng Lake in the north, Dianshan Lake and Chenghu Lake in the south, Jinji Lake and Dushu Lake in the west. If you are looking for a quiet ancient town near Suzhou, Luzhi Water Town is a good choice.

The 41 ancient bridges is definitely a highlight of Luzhi Water Town. They are built in different dynasties with their own characteristics. You may have heard of the Double Bridge which Zhouzhuang is proud of, here you can find 5 bridges in the same structure as Double Bridge. As the bridges are large in number and centralized in location, it is said you can meet two bridges in every three steps in Luzhi. Among them, you can see Fengyang Bridge built in the 8th century of the Tang Dynasty, Guangji Bridge built in the 9th century of the Tang Dynasty, Zhongmei Bridge built in the 11th century of the Song Dynasty, Dongmei Bridge built in the 15th century of the Ming Dynasty, Jinyang Bridge, Wan’an Bridge and Sanyuan Bridge built in the 17th century of the Ming Dynasty. All the bridges not only add classic charm to Luzhi but also form a distinctive water town.

Exploring Historic Buildings in Luzhi Water Town

With a history of over 2500 years, many historic buildings remain in this ancient town, which give us a glimpse of what the architecture is like in the old times.

Baosheng Temple (保圣寺) was built in A.D. 503, the second year of Tianjian period in the Liang Dynasty, and has a history of more than 1500 years. The nine clay sculptures of Arhats made by famous masters of Tang Dynasty in the temple are very precious. Unlike the Arhats in other temples who are listlessly listed on both sides of the main hall, the lifelike Arhats here look like they are busy doing their own things in front of the landscape carving background.

Shen’s Mansion (沈宅) is a well preserved luxury residence in Luzhi. It is the former residence of educator Mr. Shen Baihan (A.D. 1884-1953). The former part is a store while the latter part is for living. The original building covers more than 3500 square meters, and restored part which is available for visiting in the west is about 1000 square meters.

Xiao’s Mansion (萧宅) is another outstanding representative of Ming and Qing Dynasty residence. It was built in A.D. 1889 with an area more than 1000 square meters and later sold to Xiao Bingli, a famous family at that time. His granddaughter Xiao Fangfang (Josephine Siao) is a Hong Kong film actress. Now Xiao Fangfang performing arts hall is set up in the mansion.

Visiting Museums & Watching Performances in Jiangnan Culture Park

Jiangnan Cultural Park is located in the southeast of Luzhi Water Town covering an area of more than 150 mu (100,000 ㎡). It is a classical garden with the characteristics of Jiangnan Water Town, integrating leisure, entertainment and sightseeing.

If you are interested in traditional opera, you can come here and see the performances at 10:00, 13:30 and 15:00 every day on the ancient stage. Luzhi women’s traditional dress is a little different from other places. The Museum of Luzhi Water Village Women's Apparel displays unique Luzhi women's clothing such as headbands and blue calico stitched clothes. If you want to know more about the past of Luzhi, you can pay a visit to Luzhi Historical Relics Museum, which displays the relics unearthed from the Chenghu site, confirming the long history of Luzhi. Apart from that, there are lakes and streets where you can take a leisure stroll.

Taking a Boat Trip in Quiet Luzhi Water Town

Is there any better way to get close to a water town than traveling by boat? Just imagine sitting in a wooden boat, swaying with the rhyme of the flowing river, seeing the ancient street and houses on both sides, it’s like everything is slowing down.

If you want to take a boat tour (Operating Hours: 8:30-16:00; Route: Tourist Center - Wansheng Rice Shop) of the ancient town, there is a boat wharf about 100 meters east of the ticket office of the ancient town. Each boat costs CNY 150, and it is available for 4 people. It takes about 30 minutes for a tour. Note that the tour needs to be paid according to the number of boat you need, and one boat is CNY 150. There is no individual ticket. If you are traveling alone or your group has fewer than 4 people, you can find other tourists to share the boat and the fee.

Luzhi Water Town is located in No. 21 Xiaoshi Road, Wuzhong District, Suzhou City, about 35 km (1 hour’s drive) from Suzhou downtown. People usually travel to Luzhi from Suzhou. You can get there by bus, but it is a little time-consuming and needs about 2 hours if you start from Suzhou Railway Station and take the Fast Line 5.

Luzhi can also be reached from Shanghai, which is about 70 km, 1.5 hours by car. If you plan to travel by public transportation, you need to make several transfers and the whole journey is about 3.5 hours.

Private Transfer with China Discovery - Most Recommended

In order to save your time and avoid the trouble of several transfers, traveling with a local travel agency like China Discovery is top recommended. Booking a Suzhou tour package from China Discovery, you can enjoy the best transfer service. Our local travel guide will pick you up at the railway station or your hotel. Then you will be escorted to the attractions in a spacious, clean and air-conditioned car which is equipped with a skilled and reliable driver.

More than transfer service, you will be guaranteed with a flexible customizable itinerary based on your preference. Our travel consultant will keep in touch with you all the time and take care of every detail. There is no need to worry about the transfer, accommodation, meal, tickets, or anything else. Your knowledgeable travel guide will also give you enough information of every attraction to make your trip more memorable. Feel free to contact us to start your Suzhou Luzhi tour now!

Generally, a classic Suzhou tour takes about 1~2 days. Visiting Suzhou, you can't miss elegant Suzhou gardens, like Humble Administrator's Garden, Lingering Garden, Master of the Nets Garden, etc. You can choose one or two of them for a great garden delight. Other must-be-visited sights in Suzhou City include Suzhou No.1 Silk Factory from which you can watch the process of silk making from silkworms to elegant products, Tiger Hill which is known as the first sight in Suzhou, Suzhou Museum which is designed by I. M. Pei and Suzhou's old canalside roads (like Pingjaing Road and Shantang Street), etc. If you like Jiangnan watertowns, you can visit Tongli, Zhouzhuang or Luzhi to have a wonderful time.

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