Xinchang ancient town retains vibrancy, charm

Xinchang is a millennium-old water town in southern China. More than 55 percent of the architecture from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties and the Republic of China (1912-1949), have been preserved, making Xinchang the only comparatively complete historical town in Pudong.

Rivers run through the town, and there are finely carved stone-arch bridges and houses built near streams, as well as a highly-built stone revetment, saddle-shaped water bridge and monumental "stalagmite lane" archway built back in 1986.

These unique characters clearly display the style and features of the ancient town, most famous for its "13 monumental archways and nine dragons (stone bridges)". Xinchang town is noted for being "small, but as beautiful as Suzhou city."