McDonald's to open resturant in Zhouzhuang

(chinadaily.com.cn)

4. Chunluzhisi Resort Hotel

The name of Chunluzhisi Resort Hotel perching on the shore of Nanhu Lake in Zhouhzuang originates from an intriguing historical story: Chunluzhisi.

During the Western Jin Dynasty (AD 265-316), a royal advisor named Zhang Han was said to be so homesick that he resigned from his prestigious post and returned to his hometown in the Jiangnan.

According to legend, it was not being away from his family or his home that Zhang was unable to bear, but not being able to eat his favorite Jiangnan dishes: Chuncai, an aquatic plant called water-shield, and lu, or four-gilled perch, a kind of fish found in the Yangtze River Delta.

The phrase "yearning for chuncai and lu" (chunluzhisi) has since become a metaphor for homesickness and boredom in political life in Chinese culture, while for local people in Zhouzhuang the story is more a testament to the quality of their cuisine!

Visitors may come to understand Zhang Han's feelings as they savor the two famous delicacies in the hotel restaurant, while looking out over the tranquil water town.

The lobby of the Chunluzhisi Resort Hotel in Zhouzhuang, Jiangsu province [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]