Different from modern cities/towns that are built along highways,these hundred-year-old towns in south-east China grow along rivers. Rivers feed these towns not only with drinking water, water that people use to clean vegetable, brush teeth, wash clothes all come directly from these rivers. Doing laundry along the river is a daily routine for housewives in these towns. Clothes are spread on big
stones,cleansed with soap and brushes, then washed up in the river. In summer evenings, riverside become paradise for kids and solialization center for adults. Kids like the fun of playing in the water, adults enjoy sitting on river banches talking to their neighbors, exchanging groceries, playing music instrument or doing nothing but looking at people passing by...

Except affinity to water， these towns have an intimate relationship with the nature. Located in basins, these towns have mountains as backdrop which block cold wind in winter; The compact housing patterns also helped achieving delicate urban-rural balance.

Residents in these towns/villages usually share the same last name. The whole community is united with strong blood bonds. And unlike modern sprawlling living patterns fueled by automobile transportation,high population desity and organic developement pattern are maintained in these towns.3-foot-wide winding streets are edged by humanly scaled architecture. One plaza or two are formed naturally near temples, opera stages or entry bridges. In ancient times, social gatherings, operas or wedding ceremonies of the rich all took place in these plazas. Nowadays, these plazas is still social centers of the town. During the day time,
these plazas are occupied by older people, kids, tourists, street paddlers, sometime painters and students; In the evenings, with music and dim street light, the town centers are turned into an outdoor dancing stage. Residents or tourists, the old or the young, good dancers or not, people from all parts of the town
will come to enjoy the joyful music and the pleasant night breeze. Swirling in the center of the plaza are skilled couples, on the edges are coy new comers and chirk onlookers.Kids slide through the whole plaza on their skaters, trying to get
involved in this adults' festival.                                                         previous next