中国，西塘

Xitang , China

中国，西塘

西塘古镇地处江浙沪三省市交界处，位于中国经济文化活动最为活跃的长三角地区核心地带，地理位置优越。东距上海90公里，西距杭州110公里，北距苏州85公里，交通便捷。

    古镇素有“吴根越角”之称，是古代吴越文化的发祥地之一，相传春秋时期，伍子胥此兴水利、通漕运，唐宋时期形成市镇。古镇景区面积3.03平方公里，核心保护区1.01平方公里内有25万平方米的明清古建筑群，是目前保存最完整，保存面积最大的古镇。

    她还原汁原味地保留着上千年的人文习俗，2600多户、6000多名原住民依然延续着“日出而作，日落而息”的传统生活方式。春秋的水，唐宋的镇，明清的建筑，现代的人是对西塘古镇历史沿革最为恰当的概括。

     Xitang town is located at the junction of three provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai. It’s the core of China's most vivid area of economic and cultural development, the heart of the Yangtze River Delta. It’s 90 km to the west of Shanghai, 110 kilometers east of Hangzhou, and 85 kilometers south of Suzhou, in a convenient traffic network.

    This town is known as "The Root of Kingdom Wu and Edge of Kingdom Yue," the birthplace of Ancient Wu-Yue Culture. According to the legend of the Spring and Autumn Period, the Wu Zixu created water transport here and through the Tang and Song Dynasties, the place became a town. The Ancient Town scenic area is of 3.03 square kilometers, with the core protected area of 1.01 square kilometers, holding 25 million square meters of ancient Ming and Qing buildings. Now it is the best preserved and saved largest ancient town.

    Xitang also retains the authentic humanistic practices for more than 1000 years. More than 2600 households, more than 6,000 indigenous people still continue with the traditional lifestyle of "Work on Sunrise, Rest at Sunset". Water dating back to Spring and Autumn Period, town of Tang and Song dynasties, the Ming and Qing architecture, and modern people are Xitang’s most appropriate summary on its long history.