One day in the "Chinese Venice"

Maria Gromakova writes: “Good afternoon! My name is Maria, a poet and actress by vocation, a university teacher by profession. Since October 2007 I have been living and working in China. I give lectures to Chinese students.

Three years ago, our small but very violent family moved to live in the subtropics, in the Southeast of China, in the beautiful seaside city of Xiamen. Twice a year, Xiamen University organizes 2-4 day tourist trips to China for foreign teachers. That is why my day will be devoted to our trip with colleagues to a wonderful place - a small but very colorful village on the water - Wuzhen, which is a couple of hours drive from the city of Hangzhou. Welcome to my sunny day April 13, 2013."

(Total 69 photos)

Source: Journal/odin-moy-den

1. Our day did not start too early. At 7 o'clock in the morning.

2. And it began with breakfast at a hotel in Hangzhou, where we were accommodated the day before, almost at night, immediately upon arrival from Xiamen.

3. In the lobby in front of the dining room - offerings traditional for Southern China to the God of Wealth

4. We check out from the hotel, crawl into the bus and go to Wuzhen.

5. Hooray! We are in place!

6. In order to get to the village - we are loaded into authentic boats

7. Let's go!

8. Once Uzhen was an ordinary village. One of the many villages-on-the-water. But then some film was shot there, which later became mega-popular. I forgot the name, sorry. And from that moment on, the entire vast China learned about its existence. And fate has changed dramatically.

9. Since domestic tourism in the Celestial Empire is extremely developed, unrealistic hundreds of thousands of crowds poured into Uzhen. The residents tensed up. Then the government, without thinking twice, bought the whole village from the locals, giving them apartments in ordinary new buildings nearby.

10. And their former houses have since been rented out. Often - the former owners. But now there are cafes, hostels, hotels, restaurants, art workshops and the devil knows what else. In general, a tourist attraction with a touch of antiquity.

11. Insanely beautiful and colorful place. Looks especially gorgeous in the evening. But, of course, you should not look for 100% authenticity and the "truth of life" there. But in general - one of the most desirable places to visit in China.

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13. We were lucky with the weather: it’s hot, sunny and everything around is blooming!

14. We unload at the pier, agree where and when we will meet, and then - according to interests. Someone went to taste the local food, someone went to drink tea in one of the many tea houses, and I, with a camera, went for a walk around the village and took pictures of everything I liked.

15. The views are, of course, fantastic.

16. Despite the crowds of tourists, there is a very peaceful atmosphere around.

17. Everywhere is very clean. Every now and then you stumble upon another grandmother-cleaner.

18. A cute young couple is trying to find something on the map of the village.

19. But this colorful uncle fishes with the help of trained birds.

20. I don’t know how it is in winter and under snow (which also happens here), but in spring, summer and autumn it’s gorgeous here!

21. And this is how, in huge pots under wicker lids, vegetables are salted.

22. Paper lantern shop.

23. Bridges and boats everywhere.

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25. Cute bakery.

26. Tea room and restaurant in the same building.

27. iPhonephoto is our Chinese everything.

28. I really liked this painted stove. By the way - active. They cook on it here.

29. In the background, dancing girls perform a folk dance with fans.

30. Every now and then you find yourself in a cozy courtyard.

31. Or you become a participant in the next performance. Here, for example, across the river, people look at the dancing lions

32. And in this store of products made from natural silk, I hung out for 15 minutes.

33. I really like carved shutters and tiled roofs.

34. Sometimes the streets suddenly run into the river.

35. And again boats.

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37. Bridges, gazebos and other beauty

38. An interesting enamel shop. In addition to frank consumer goods, there are also truly beautiful works. But, of course, they are not cheap.

39. The gramophone was especially touching.

40. I'm a fan of Chinese teapots. Look, what a copper-sided handsome man!

41. And just street sketches.

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44. It's getting evening.

45. Behind the village in some places there are almost Russian pastorals.

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52. Time is approaching 6, which means an hour or two of the all-Chinese dinner. Eating for the Chinese is sacred. That is why from 12 to 14 everything on the streets dies out - lunch, and from 5 to 7 in restaurants there is also no crowding.

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55. It got dark quickly in the south. And the village has completely changed.

56. I don't know if any comments are needed here. In my opinion - no.

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63. Young people throw burning candles on the water. I don't know what the tradition is, but it looks very nice.

64. Unfortunately, time is running out. We have to return to the pier.

65. Loading into boats again. Goodbye Wuzhen!

66. In the end, tired, but immensely satisfied, we are loaded onto the bus.

67. And they are taken to the hotel.

68. With a creatively designed paper umbrella ceiling.

69. Well, now I'm waiting for a shower and a sound sleep after a long, but very interesting day. The next morning, another beautiful sunny day awaited us in the unusually beautiful city of Hangzhou, but that's a completely different story.

Thanks to everyone who made it... :)