Old town draws admirers from all around in Lantern Festival tourism surge

chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: February 22, 2016

Spring Festival Golden Week may be over, but visitors to the old town of Shaxi in Taicang are still streaming in.

A vendor attentively cooks pancakes at his street kitchen. [Photo from taicangdaily.com] Gourmet food and snacks with local distinctions are sought after by many tourists to the town.

Shaxi is a land of contrast. It is quaint and vibrant, and mixes traditional charm with modernity. The town is a matrix of winding narrow streets mixed with old buildings, stately bridges built in ancient times and dozens of mansions and building compounds. Buildings along Qipu River all have boatyards under the sheds that face the river for convenience.

Qipu River is lined with quaint buildings and riverside boatyards designed to offer transportation convenience to residents. [Photo from taicangdaily.com]

Year of the Monkey-themed lanterns are hung out across the streets, along with riddles waiting to be cracked by passers-by.