Zhouzhuang, Jiangsu Province, China（中国江苏省周庄）
Photo Travel Guide

Introduction

Main photographic interest: Jiangnan-style architecture and culture of Ming and Qing Dynasties Jiangnan（江南）refers to the southern part of the lowest reaches of the Yangtze River and encompasses the Shanghai municipality, the southern part of Jiangsu Province and the northern part of Zhejiang Province. This fertile Yangtze Delta is a treasure chest of unique ancient cultural relics and historical heritage. Abundant lakes, canals and ponds of the region create notable landscapes and shape distinctive townscapes.

Located in Kunshan City（昆山市）and only sixty kilometers from Shanghai, Zhouzhuang（周庄）is one of the major ancient water-towns in Jiangnan area. Also known as the "Venice of the Orient", it boasts antique black-and-white houses that line the waterside, 14 ancient bridges as well as unique civil residences and halls. Zhouzhuang is said to be the most representative of its kind - unfortunately, it ranks number one in terms of over-commercialization, too.

Transportation

Zhouzhuang is easily accessible from Shanghai and overall traveling expenses are very low. The town is only an hour and a half from Shanghai by bus. Buses (reasonably clean and comfortable) leave at 7:00 a.m., 9:05 a.m., 9:45 a.m. and 12:10 p.m. from Shanghai Sightseeing Bus Center (Staircase 5, Gate 12, Shanghai Stadium, No. 666 Tianyaoqiao Road; 天钥桥路666号上海体育场12号门5号扶梯下上海旅游集散中心; tel.: +86 (0) 21 6426 5555). Return buses depart from Zhouzhuang respectively at 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Please note that you have to take the 2:30 p.m. bus if you go to Zhouzhuang by the 7:00 a.m. bus; likewise, you have to take the 4:30 p.m. return bus if you depart from Shanghai later than 7:00 a.m. The price is RMB140 (inclusive of return bus ride as well as entrance to Zhouzhuang and several halls and civil residences) if you return on the same day; if you choose to stay overnight, the price is RMB160 (inclusive of the same items; accommodation has to be arranged and paid for separately).

Accommodation and where/what to eat

If you would like to stay overnight (for the reasons outlined below) there are quite a few guesthouses (reasonably clean and comfortable) available and prices range from RMB50 to RMB100 per night. As anywhere else in China, there are a lot of relatively cheap restaurants. I recommend trying Wansan Pig's Upper Leg（萬三蹄）, which is a local specialty and tastes great.

Photographic tactics

This, basically, is easy as in most cases a visit to Zhouzhuang is a one day trip. The place is quite small and you will become familiar with it once you have a map and do a bit of walking around. After that you can concentrate on photographing the subjects and spots that you personally find most interesting. Twin Bridge（双桥）, Fu'an Bridge（富安桥）, Zhenfeng Bridge（贞丰桥）, as well as several civil residences and halls of Ming and Qing Dynasties are normally named among main attractions.

If you visit the place in summer you might consider a slightly different approach and make it a two day trip. On the one hand, in summer the contrast is too high to take pictures during the day and it might be a better idea to photograph for about three hours before sunset on the first day and then for about three hours after sunrise on the second day. On the other hand, this approach will also allow you to avoid crowds of tourists and commercial activities which one inevitably runs into between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you think the latter is important to you, you should consider the two-day approach in seasons other than summer, too.

Best time of the year to visit

Any time of the year seems suitable and the main difference is going to be in the quality of ambient light. In late autumn, winter and spring the sun is not so harsh during the day and one can photograph all day long. In the summer, the contrast is too high in the hours around midday and one has no choice but to photograph early in the morning and in late afternoon as described above.

Looking at it from a different perspective you should choose the time for a visit depending on whether you travel to Shanghai to specifically see all the places of interest in its vicinity or if you live in the city. If you are based in Shanghai then you can take your time and travel to the water-towns whenever you see fit. Otherwise, however, you probably will not have the luxury of being able to spend two days in every water-town - spending one full day in each of them would be a more reasonable approach. In case of the latter visiting in winter is certainly preferable as ambient light is softer in the daytime.

Sunset and sunrise

I could not find any interesting locations to photograph at sunrise and sunset. The time when the sun is near the horizon is only precious for the softer light.

Local contact(s)

Not necessary.

Photo and other gear recommendations

Zhouzhuang is a cramped town and you will certainly need a wide-angle lens - the wider the better. The 17-35 zoom lens (on a 135 film camera; its digital equivalent is the AF-S Zoom-Nikkor ED 12-24mm f/4G IF DX) or similar would be indispensable and ideal. That said, though, you might want to try a different approach to push your creativity as I did in this or this essay. A panoramic camera (or technique) might prove very useful, too. Tripod is a must as in many situations you will be shooting at f/16 to get deep DOF (depth-of-field), which will require to use slower shutter speeds.

Issues to be aware of

• The town is full of tourists at any given time and it gets even worse on weekends and during public holidays. Try avoiding going to Zhouzhuang at those times.

• Unfortunately, Zhouzhuang is a victim of commercialization and overdevelopment in its ultimate manifestation. Be prepared to be constantly offered all sorts of things and services you do not need. Ignore them or photograph during the earlier hours of the day when all the shops are still closed.

Other notes

• In my opinion Zhouzhuang is worth going to only if you are already in Shanghai. If you are based in the city, you can make Zhouzhuang a kind of an equipment testing and/or methodology and/or creativity development location as it is very conveniently accessible.

• Tongli and Wuzhen are often named as the other two main water-towns in Jiangnan region. Comparing the three towns my impression has been that while Zhouzhuang certainly has its unique charm it, unfortunately, is the most commercialized; Tongli is the largest in scale and has much more in store than the other two; at the same time, Wuzhen appears most authentic among the three towns.