What is a water town?

The real water towns in the south of the Yangtze River refer to Zhejiang, Shanghai, Anhui, Jiangxi and Jiangsu, and the main cities are Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Shaoxing, Suzhou, Yangzhou and Wuxi.

The Yangtze River Delta and Taihu Lake water networks, where the water towns in the south of the Yangtze River are located, have mild climate, distinct seasons and abundant rainfall, forming a transportation system dominated by water transportation. The production and life of residents depend on water. This kind of natural environment and functional requirements have shaped the style and characteristics of the charming water towns in the south of the Yangtze River.

material culture

Suzhou and Hangzhou are the most representative dwellings in Jiangnan water town. Jiangnan is rich in products, and the scale and layout of houses are also very distinctive. The walls around the house are tall and rough, because most houses in the south are tall two-story buildings. In addition, the houses in the south are often connected together. In order to prevent fire, there is a gas-fire wall in the middle. The courtyard area is not large, and the tall buildings make the patio, the lighting opening in a house, look particularly deep.

The humid climate in the south of the Yangtze River makes ventilation particularly important. Therefore, houses in the south of the Yangtze River often leave a gap of no more than 1 m between the building and the wall, which is used to draw away elegance, and the effect is quite good. As for houses in the south of the Yangtze River, big houses generally pass through the sedan chair hall, living room and main room from the gate to the back room or back room, with studios, study rooms, bedrooms, small gardens and stage on both sides. Generally speaking, a big house can have two or three parallel axes.