A local resident fishes in early morning, along a river in the ancient town of Xitang in East China's Zhejiang province, July 19th,2009. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]

I've never been a morning person, but it's impossible to stay in bed late in the ancient town of Xitang. Without the flocking tourists and the baking sun, Xitang looks beautiful in its originally tranquil and slow-paced style. Locals do their morning routines alongside the river, fishing, doing laundry or cleaning the toilet. Some visitors get an early start in these quiet hours; either photographers who wait on the stone arch bridges to capture the first beam of sunrise, or tourists who want to savor Xitang at its most tranquil.

Though only some 100 kilometers from the metropolis of Shanghai, Xitang remains mystical to most foreigners, as well as to many Chinese. This is also my first time here. Before I embarked on the trip, some people told me that Xitang is the "Venice of China." Others said it is "the only living ancient town in China." Well, these were both true.

Nine rivers run through the ancient town and a total of 27 bridges traverse the canals. Still today, more than 10,000 locals live here. They go about their everyday routines, traveling across town on narrow stone lanes and covered corridors, or rowing a boat down the "liquid streets" of rivers just as their ancestors did more than 1,700 years ago.

Xitang locals have integrated their lives with the 10-year-old tourism industry here pretty well.

Grandpas who enjoy the breeze in crane chairs give kind smiles to passers by. Cats, the most popular pets in the town, seem to be sleeping deeply everywhere: on beams, under tables or simply in the middle of the corridors. They must be so used to visitors that they are not easily woken up anyway!

Selling local snacks, running a bar or restaurant: it seems that every household in the ancient town of Xitang has started a business. Local Zeng Guoqiang is an example. Ten years ago, Zeng was a desperate laid-off worker. Thanks to local tourism and his hard work, Zeng's "Qiantang Renjia Restaurant" now garners a net profit of more than one million yuan each year, making him one of the most successful businessmen in Xitang and the chairman of the local tourism association.

Zeng confesses that with the tourists did come some problems. Pollution was the first, but they are already dealing with it. Just yesterday, many businessmen joined hands for the launch of a green project to curb pollution.

As Zeng puts it, "tourism has bridged people inside the ancient town with these outside of it. And that's a chance to enable the living town to keep on living in the long-term future."

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