In Chinese, Jiangnan means "south of the Yangtze River." Many small rivers flow through this region. In ancient times, the rivers were an important means of transport. The Jiangnan regions were therefore developed very early. In modern China, wars, the Cultural Revolution (1966-76) as well as rapid economic development contributed to the destruction of a countless number of ancient towns around the Jiangnan region. Thankfully, the watertown culture has not been completely destroyed. Today, there are six well-preserved watertowns that still remain in Zhejiang and Jiangsu Provinces.... |