Luzhi Water Town

Well deserved the reputation as a simple and tranquil water town, Luzhi Water Town impresses visitors with clear water, peaceful environment, idyllic scenery, and the historical sites that are spread all over the town.

Although many of the historical sites have experienced more than their fair share of hardships over the course of history, they still remain in very good shape. For example, the Baosheng Temple, built in 503 AD, is an ancient temple with a history of over 1500 years. It is home to nine well preserved Buddhist clay sculptures made in Tang Dynasty, some 1000 years ago.

Another special feature of the town is its numerous bridges. The one square kilometer (0.38 square miles) town proper once had 72 stone arched bridges built in Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty, Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty. Forty one of these still exist, each with its own unique style. You will find large multi-arched stone bridges, small single span stone bridges, spacious arched bridges, narrow level-decked bridges, etc. Visiting Luzhi is actually very much like visiting a museum of ancient bridges. There are even more bridges for the area here than in Venice!

Land of Bridges	The featured clothes of the local women

The ancient streets, houses, and alleys are of their own characteristics. There are nine main streets in the town which are all paved with cobble and granite. The houses are built beside the river, and the streets run in front of the houses. Since most houses were built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, there are also beautiful decorative patterns on the walls. There are 58 lanes in the town, the longest of which is 150 meters (492 ft.) long. For some houses to enter you first have to pass through as many as seven separate gates.

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