Nanxun Water Town

Nanxun grew rich in the nineteenth century on silk, exporting through Shanghai to Europe, and its merchant families spent the money on houses that no other water town can match: the Zhang Shiming residence combines Chinese halls with a French-tiled ballroom and imported stained glass, and the Liu family's Little Lotus Villa sets a classical garden beside a Western-style building. The Jiaye Library, built in the 1920s, held one of the great private book collections in China. The canals, stone bridges and the hundred-metre riverside arcade are quieter than at Wuzhen or Xitang, and the town has been less thoroughly converted into shops.

What you actually see

• The Zhang residence - Chinese courtyards opening into a European ballroom.
• Little Lotus Villa - a classical garden with a Western building beside it.
• The Jiaye Library - the 1920s private library building.
• The riverside arcade - the long covered walkway along the canal.

When to go

March to May and September to November; the town is calmer than the better-known water towns, though weekends still bring visitors. Early morning and evening are quietest. Summer is hot and humid.

Honest expectations

The combined ticket covers a fixed set of houses. Some interiors are sparsely furnished. The town is a two-hour trip from Shanghai or Hangzhou, and public transport connections are less convenient than to Wuzhen.

Nearby

Huzhou lies west; Wuzhen and Xitang are south and east.