Xitang

Xitang (西 塘镇, Xitang Zhen ) is a large municipality in the district of Jiashan Jiaxing prefecture-level city of south China's Zhejiang province. The old " water city " is located in the Yangtze River Delta and is situated about 140 kilometers southwest of Shanghai. The nine channels that traverse Xitang, share the " water city " in eight sectors, which are connected by 104 bridges. The channels form the transport system of the greater community. The administrative area of Xitang has an area of ​​82.92 km ² and roughly 91,600 inhabitants ( end of 2010, including the unreported resident "residence population " of about 34,000 people ). Xitang is one of the six famous ancient large communities Jiangnans (江南 六大 古镇).

Administrative Divisions

Xitang is composed of four residential communities and 18 villages. These are:

History

Xitang was built after the model of other large communities, such as Nanxun and Wuzhen Wuzhen village with its museum Xizha. The numerous streets and old houses date back to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911 ).

Economy

Tourism is one of the main sources of income of the city. Mainly Chinese visit the district with its canals on which boat trips. At night, the channels with lanterns are lit, there are traditional songs listed and the tourists leave small boats with candles rise to water or sky lanterns.

In addition, based Xitangs economy mainly on the craft, although here less artisans are a resident of Wuzhen.

Among other things, there is a factory, are still made in the buttons for textiles by hand. This button factory is open to the public. Therefore, tourists can watch the craftsmen in the manufacture of buttons.

On the canals also cormorant fishing is operated.

Trivia

"Mission: Impossible III " In November 2005, some scenes in American film were shot in Xitang.