Zhouzhuang attracts 370,000 tourists during National Day holiday

(chinadaily.com.cn)

More than 370,000 tourists visited Zhouzhuang during the National Day holiday, making the water town the most popular ancient town in East China's Jiangsu province.

The famous water town is actively promoting tourism that gives visitors a real experience of the region's distinctive local culture, and this approach appears to be paying dividends.

More than anything, Zhouzhuang is a land of water, surrounded and divided by lakes, rivers and canals, and the town's gondoliers had to work overtime to cope with the influx of visitors. It is estimated that more than 75,000 tourists took a trip aboard a traditional-style boat during the seven-day holiday.

Also popular was the latest season of the live-action show Zhouzhuang in Four Seasons, which was staged every evening and also attracted thousands of tourists. The 1,200-seat theater was packed every night during the holiday.

After watching the performance, one visitor from Beijing commented: "The show enabled me to get to know Zhouzhuang and Jiangnan culture in one night!"

Four homestay hotels done out in the styles prevalent in the Chinese countryside in the 1960s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s in Qibang village, located in the west of Zhouzhuang, was another hit with tourists.

Visitors got to experience what life was like in the countryside during different periods while enjoying the picturesque views.

The hotels reported being fully booked during Golden Week and right through to November this year.

The town also took steps to provide tourists with a convenient experience, creating seven temporary parking lots to accommodate the growing number of tourists who arrive by car. Zhouzhuang also arranged for professional medics to be on call to ensure tourists received swift medical treatment during the holiday.