Shanghai Daily news

Buried amid the concrete jungle of Nanhui District lies a blissful ancient water town that few people know of. Despite its low profile, if you look hard enough, you will be sure to find Xinchang Town.
Like a lotus on the water, this once prosperous trading town is reminiscent of the renowned water town Zhouzhuang. However, without the crowds, promotions and steep admission prices, Xinchang, just a few steps away from its 21st-century splash, lies a world away entirely.
The town is well worth a visit because it has little of the tourist-destination glitter. This is a place where people still live out their daily lives surrounded by nearly untouched history.
Xinchang, unknown to the local younger generations, has a history of more than 1,300 years, and the area developed into a market town of some size during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD).
The town reached its apex during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 AD). Back then, the area was a salt field, a place where salters settled down and exchanged goods. During its most prosperous period, Xinchang's booming economy flourished with salt fields, salt warehouses, brothels and casinos everywhere. It was once called "silver Xinchang," the second-wealthiest town in its area at that time.
The prosperous past helps to explain why the Buddhist Nanshan Temple, Taoist Dongyue Temple and a Protestant church still coexist harmoniously in Xinchang. People from throughout the country traveled there for the salt business and brought their different cultures, habits and religions.
The town still preserves its original semblance, even though it has been threatened by various wars over the years. The town is a labyrinth of narrow streets, tiny lanes and canals, interwoven with old houses, shops and teahouses.
Traffic across the canals is facilitated by a large number of stone bridges constructed in different periods. Some 22 stone bridges are scattered around the township.
Among them, the Qianqiu Bridge, a traditional arched bridge with stone lions atop was constructed during Emperor Kangxi's reign (1662-1722 AD) in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD), is the best preserved and oldest of its kind in Nanhui District.
Old houses, standing row upon row alongside the bank, look exactly like boats berthed on the water. Mostly built during the Qing Dynasty, the houses feature Chinese-style tiled roofs, white walls and trellis windows.
Walking on the small roads paved with polished stone slabs in the town, visitors will come across narrow alleys hung with washing, unrestored Qing-style housing with overhanging wooden second floors and bare frame timbers. The buildings and the people have retained their simplicity.
Far and near, there are still traces of Xinchang's prosperity: Several of the old houses, for example, still have three lines, a symbol of wealth. Intrigued visitors will find out that many of the town's mansions still bear beautiful brick carvings and delicate brick floors with complicated patterns.
Most of the old town's dwellers are elderly and friendly as well. A simple request for directions may result in detailed, patient answers as well as old stories about the town.
A few inhabitants in the town have preserved traditional arts that once boomed in older times. Luogushu, an old traditional storytelling art, is a treasured part of the cultural heritage of the township. Luogushu is similar to modern rap-music but performed at a slower rhythm and accompanied with gongs, drums and vivid facial expressions. The art reached its pinnacle during the Qing Dynasty as a popular form of local entertainment, often performed in teahouses around the town.