| |

Zhouzhuang Lunch & Temple

ARTIST RESIDENCY CHINA — ZHOUZHUANG, no. 41

Zhouzhuang

There is a story about why the popular local meal Wansan pork hock is named after Shen Wansan, the richest man in the late Yuan and early Ming Dynasty in Zhouzhuang. It was explained to me several times but I could not comprehend the meaning. It had to do with multi-family intrigue, commercial competition, the sound of his name being similar to the word for pig, and his enormous financial success.

Zhouzhuang

Zhouzhuang canals and cormorants used for fishing

Zhouzhuang

Zhouzhuang

Zhouzhuang

this lady shows up in a photo on the internet from 2005

Zhouzhuang

we ate lunch in a second floor room of Nan Hu Yue restaurant

Zhouzhuang

first floor restaurant entrance

Zhouzhuang

Having seen prawns sold on the street, we were bound to have them for lunch along with the town’s most famous dish, Wansan pork hock and several other local dishes.

Zhouzhuang

Zhouzhuang

After our English speaking guide left us on our own, we located Quanfu Temple. It was built on land donated by Zhou missionary in 1086 AD. Reconstruction began in 1995 to encourage tourism following the Reform and Opening Up policy. An extensive park of lakes, bridges, and temples are designed to look like a Buddhist kingdom by the river.

Zhouzhuang

Zhouzhuang

Zhouzhuang

Zhouzhuang

Zhouzhuang

Zhouzhuang

Zhouzhuang

A commercial district outside the tiny old town center has expanded tourism opportunities with wider streets and reproduction buildings to accommodate the increasingly large number of visitors. Apparently we exited through the town entrance.

Zhouzhuang

Zhouzhuang

a private home beyond the canal district

P6072698_wb

monument and artifacts to an important person or event passed on our way to the bus

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

To see all blog posts in this topic, select tab above marked TRAVELS > CHINA.

Save

Similar Posts

  • | |

    Tsinghua University

    ARTIST RESIDENCY CHINA — BEIJING, no. 9 Haidian District, Beijing, location of the artist residency program at Inside Out Museum, is home to at least eleven major universities. Founded in 1911, Tsinghua University is a public research institute with a wide range of academic programs. Within it, the Academy of Arts & Design has a museum-quality gallery, 25 departments including architecture, graphic design, drawing, painting and other fine arts, a compact art supply store, and…

  • | |

    Tiāntán

    ARTIST RESIDENCY CHINA — BEIJING, no. 12 Emperors and retinue of the Ming and Qing dynasties used Tiāntán — Temple of Heaven — annually to perform complex and lengthy ritual ceremonies for the worship of heaven to insure a year of good harvest. The circular wooden altar has been rebuilt many times. It was occupied, damaged, and looted by the Anglo-French Alliance in the 1850s, again by the Eight-Nation Alliance in 1900, and burnt to…

  • | |

    China Academy of Art

    ARTIST RESIDENCY CHINA — ZHEJIANG, no. 29 China Academy of Art thesis exhibitions, Xiangshan campus map The China Academy of Art is a world-class fine arts institute in Zhejiang Province, one of the most developed and wealthiest provinces in China. The campus is located on the outskirts of the capital city Hangzhou. The school was designed by architects Wang Shu, winner of the Pritzker Prize, and Ly Wenyu, his collaborator and wife. He is dean of…

  • | |

    Yiheyuan—New Summer Palace, 3

    ARTIST RESIDENCY CHINA — BEIJING, no. 8 The view from the top of Longevity Hill of the roof peak of the Guanyin Buddha Temple would seem to be the natural end of a tour of Yiheyan — New Summer Palace — in Haidian, Beijing. But wait, there’s more. Much more. A series of Indian-style temples stack up and over the ridge descending to the North Gate. At the bottom is Suzhou Market Street, originally built…

  • | |

    Bus Trip

    ARTIST RESIDENCY CHINA — ZHEJIANG, no. 28 My arrival in Shanghai coincided with a previously scheduled trip of Wang’s colleagues and students from the Shanghai University Architecture and Painting departments. They graciously included me in their plans to view the China Academy of Art Thesis Exhibitions in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province, a three hour drive north of Shanghai. We departed with overnight bags in two buses from the university at 7:00 AM. Tinted…

  • | |

    Haidian

    ARTIST RESIDENCY CHINA — BEIJING, no. 3 The artist residency I am attending is located in the Haidian district of Beijing. The museum is across from a corporate office park on a short road that leads to a small village. People walk up and down the road to and from the village all day. — to the village — from the village — village poultry shop — catching a nap while reading and waiting for…