Jiangnan Water Towns

Jiangnan — the region spanning Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Nanjing — is where Chinese ideas about beauty were invented. Suzhou's classical gardens are centuries-old exercises in making small spaces feel infinite. Hangzhou's West Lake inspired poets for a millennium and still delivers, especially at dawn before the tour buses arrive. The water towns (Tongli, Zhouzhuang, Wuzhen) can feel like canal-side theme parks on weekends, but arrive on a Tuesday morning and they still belong to the residents.