1. Hongcun Village（安徽宏村）

There arent many villages in the world built to resemble a giant ox. At the youthful age of 900， east Chinas Hongcun Village is one such destination.

With Mount Huangshan as head， the lake-filled town as body and ancient bridges as legs， this is one distinctive beast. Even the waterways crossing the village are included as the circulatory system.

The most significant structure in the thousand-person village is Chengzhi Hall， a country palace built in 1855 with exquisite wood carvings and gold gilding from the Qing dynasty.

Testament to its authenticity， 2000s Crouching Tiger， Hidden Dragon shot several scenes in the village.

世界上并沒有许多村庄建筑如同“巨牛”一般，而位于中国东部、拥有900年历史的安徽宏村就是这样一个所在。

以黄山为头，以湖水环绕的小镇为躯，再加上古色古香的桥梁作为四肢，构成了一个独特的“野兽”，甚至连穿过村庄的水道也恰似其循环系统。

这个只有千余人的村庄里，最重要的建筑是乡村豪宅“承志堂”，修建于1855年，保留了清朝的精致木雕与金箔包边。

2000年，李安导演的名作《卧虎藏龙》曾在这里取景，证明了这里的风景之美。

2. Taierzhuang（山东台儿庄）

Thanks to a hefty RMB 1708 million makeover by the local government in 2009， Taierzhuang in east China was able to restore its classic architecture to the condition of its Ming and Qing dynasty heyday.

Despite the small size， Taierzhuang has a number of traditional temples， waterways and museums. Traditional shadow puppetry shows and bonfire parties take place on Friday and Saturday nights.

Located on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal， the two-square-kilometer town makes for a nice day trip from the Chinese capital.

得益于当地政府在2009年17.08亿元的巨额投入，位于中国东部的台儿庄保存了明清鼎盛时期的经典建筑。

尽管面积不大，台儿庄却有许多传统寺庙、水道和博物馆。每周五和周六晚上都有传统皮影戏表演和篝火晚会。

台儿庄位居京杭大运河之上，从首都北京出发到这个两平方千米的小镇，可以有一场美妙的一日游。

3. Zhouzhuang Town（江苏周庄）

Dubiously billing itself as the “oldest water town in China”， this village， built in 1086， is crisscrossed with lantern-lined canals， a romantic reminder of Chinas past.

Despite its population of 138，000 peopletiny by Chinese standardsthe towns location near Shanghai and Suzhou makes it easily accessible for short visits.

Visitors pass through shops selling woven bamboo and local pearls on the way to the towns two main religious sites， the Buddhist Quanfu Temple and the Taoist Chengxu Temple.

A boat ride through town costs around RMB100 per vessel. Traditional Chinese folk tunes sung by gondoliers come free.

June is a popular time to visit， with the annual Dragon Boat Festival taking place on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar， when locals race dragon boats along the canals.

尽管周庄将自己标榜为“中国最古老的水乡”尚存质疑，但这个建于1086年的村庄，以其縱横交错、灯笼成荫的运河昭示着中国浪漫的过去。

周庄拥有13.8万人口，按照中国的标准算是小城了，临近上海和苏州的地理位置使其成为便利的短途旅游地。

走过贩卖竹制品与当地珍珠的沿街商铺，游客们大都奔向这里两个主要的宗教景点：佛教的全福寺和道教的澄虚道院。

在周庄泛舟而行大约需要花费100元，而船夫吟唱的中国传统民歌则是免费的。

六月是周庄的旅游旺季，每年端午节（农历五月初五）会举行龙舟节，参赛的龙舟顺河而行。……