MANILA, Philippines – No trip to Shanghai is ever complete without a visit to an ancient waterway – no matter how brief our stay, no matter what the weather.
True to our self-imposed tradition, we organised a visit to yet another watercourse. Among our favorites include Qibao, the closest to the bustling city and known to be the smallest, at the break of spring; Luzhi, said to be the peacefully and virtually undiscovered one, at the height of summer; and Zhouzhuang, touted as the most popular and busiest of them all, towards the last days of autumn. This latest expedition was in the middle of winter!
Despite the cruel cold and the pouring rain, we braved the streets of the metropolis en route to the province of Zhejiang, with our able lady driver Elvie Qun, who incidentally comes from the area, and still has the clan’s ancestral home, which she regularly visits every change of season.
The outside temperature was -2ºC. But we came prepared with woolen pants or heavy-duty jeans, warm shoes with rubber soles and thickest socks, cashmere sweaters, insulated jackets, snug scarves, fleece beanies and thermal gloves, and braced for the challenge as we simply couldn’t break our self-enforced custom.
Xitang, some 80 kilometers from Shanghai within Jiashan county, is an ancient town famous for its extensive, interconnected, winding rivers and arched, concrete, towering bridges, made more alluring by the arctic winter breeze and heavy dark clouds. It is truly a captivating place where you would beg to wander about and hopefully get lost in the labyrinthine passageways and serpentine lanes. Or perhaps you could just peacefully settle in a comfortable chair by the stream and meditate on the crisp reflection of aged houses, to discover a much-awaited inspiration to lay brush strokes on an empty canvass, or unearth the last few missing words for your nearly-composed ballad.
What greeted our group was a smiling old man who seemed glad to welcome thoroughly bundled-up tourists. He pointed out the coiling and curling rivers, and via translation of our lady tour guide named Zhang Weijie, also known by her English name – believe it or not – Ringo, we discovered there were nine of them in total.
The marine channels serve as the main transportation route for locals to get around and transfer their goods. And lately, they’ve been attracting globetrotters to explore via restful river cruises on vintage boats.
Among the several well-preserved homes, not to be missed is the Inebriation House by a certain Dr. Wang. The elongated residence – a sure sign of wealth, we were told – spans multiple rooms, which showcase the lifestyle of the times, complete with artifacts and remnants of the physician’s medical practice.
Parallel to the stretch of living quarters were pockets of gardens filled with weeping willows and bamboo, adamantine stone sculptures and yes, the ever-present serenely flowing water.
Xitang is best known for its tile-roofed riverside corridors, a testimony to a world gone by. Being the most distinct and recognizable feature it has over other water towns, these sheds-of-sorts which extend more than 1,000 meters long provide protection from either the baking hot sun or the frigid icy rain, making walking around the passageways a definite treat.
While we paced under the shielded paths, we noticed several lanes running perpendicular. Surprisingly wide or shockingly narrow, some long enough to be called streets, others short with visible dead-ends, they all lead to the more enclosed and hidden private areas of the neighborhood.
These 122 aisles – the count shared by our driver Elvie, who had the info at her fingertips – historically used as the secondary artery for residences in the olden days, now serve as a maze-like passageway that connects the town into one whole living, breathing, organic net.
The narrowest alley, we overheard, is approximately only 31 inches wide – just enough for one person to squeeze through. We were challenged to search for the said cramped alleyway, but sadly failed.
We soon found ourselves crossing symmetrically-curved, well-constructed bridges – granite, stone or cement – where we marveled at the various chiseled-in sculpts, masterfully crafted etchings and expertly-engraved carvings of these overpasses built during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) dynasties. With several crisscrossing waterways in the area, it comes as no revelation that there are 104 footbridges!
We spent some time at the pop-up markets. The handicrafts had this know-exactly-where-to-place-it-at-home come-on, while the accessories would surely work wonders with friends who will simply go ga-ga upon receipt of the more-than-just a pasalubong treat. These merchants certainly knew their commerce! Drop by the FACNC Museum of Art, where excellently laid out pieces, exquisite wares and whimsical trinkets are on sale.
After hours of continuously exploring most of Xitang on foot, Elvie and Ringo suggested we have a meal of an assortment of steamers filled with a new take on treats we were used to – making it different from anything we have had before: tasty dumplings with a twist, plump wontons, bigger-than-usual escargots, thinly-sliced delicate tofu with an oomph, and their collection of hot pots of the period. The perfectly-spiced servings were definitely enough to keep the climate at bay. End your meal with energizing sugar-coated desserts.
From the iconic YanYu Gallery, where scenes from the action movie “Mission Impossible III” starring Tom Cruise were shot, we ended a most fulfilling day on a river boat – like the traditional sampans of old Hong Kong fishing villages – rewarding our tired feet a much-needed rest. We relaxed while we gasped at the twig that fell from a tree, as it touched the calm surface of the waters, breaking up the perfect reflection of the gentle and genteel borough, as if to wake us up from our trance.
There are still more watercourses to tread, to traverse and to experience. Inasmuch as we have run out of seasons, it seems like we would need to rely on the quirks of nature such as the January Thaw or Indian Summer to organize our next visit to yet another waterway where beautiful memories will, once again, be made. Photos by EDU JARQUE