Location：Dongshan Town, Wuzhong District, Suzhou
History: before the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368)
Population: 1019
Village introduction:
Yangwan Village is located by the side of Taihu Lake, dating back to the period when the Song court retreated south of the Yangtze. Since the Ming Dynasty, it had been enjoyed prosperity until the early 1980s by serving as a major commercial port and shipping pier in the southwest of Dongshan Town. Crisscrossed waterways and dotted jetties contribute to its well developed water transport. The village borders Shuangwan Village in the east and Luxiang Village in the north, facing Sanshan Island and Sishan Island of Taihu Lake in the south and west respectively.
The residential buildings surrounded by tall walls represent a flavor simplicity and peace. An old slabstone-paved lane carved with different patterns extends its way along the street, connecting another 28 lanes featuring the Zhu’s Lane, Ju Lane and Liushan Lane. Visitors may explore a secluded quiet place when walking deeper along these winding lanes. The presence of shops, teahouses, Tofu workshops, watch towers, firefighting facilities, ponds, drainage ditch, ancient bridges and old trees has added unique charm to the ancient street.
Yangwan Village, boasting a long history and rich cultural heritage, is one of the best preserved ancient villages dating back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, which remain a few in the country. It also contains a cluster of state protected sites more than any other villages in the southern Yangtze River. There are 3 historical and cultural protected sites under the national level featuring Xuanyuan Palace, Mingshan Hall and Huaiyin Hall and 4 municipal protected sites featuring Chongben Hall, Jinxing Hall, Jiuda Hall and Chunde Hall, as well as 57 municipally controlled and protected units. The preserved 29,638-square-meter Ming and Qing Dynasties architecture complex represents a historical neighborhood with Yangwan Ancient Street being the central axis.
