Water Town

Water Town

19 September 2010

Nan Xun, Zhejiang, China

CEIBS invited the exchange students on a trip to one of the so-called water towns near Shanghai. We met at CEIBS at around 9 AM and loaded into two buses for a two-hour ride to Nan Xun. It was a beautiful day, and it gave me the chance to get to know a few more people on exchange.

On the way there, we were treated to a Chinese lunch. (See pictures.)

Nan Xun is in Zhejiang Province, one of the two provinces that abuts Shanghai municipality. It is built around a series of canals and is linked by stone bridges. It was established in the 8^th century and at one point bustled with the silk trade. It also boasts the largest calligraphy brush in existence!

We toured several old mansions. In one there was a man with no arms who was painting beautiful fans with his feet. I bought two, a folding one with two swallows on it and a stiff fan with a beautiful green bird leaning back like a nuthatch. For me, the most beautiful sight was the large lotus pond, though I would have liked it even better if there had been a chill bar on its perimeter instead of a vacant tea house. I also really enjoyed our boat ride through the canals. My first boat ride in China!

Pictures: large lotus pond, lunch on the way, Nan Xun canal, the Fan Man, ecl at the gate, my new lotus leaf hat, the best spot to photograph, ecl at the small lotus pond