An aerial view of Nanxun Ancient Town. [Photo/Huzhou News Media Center]

Nanxun Ancient Town, nestled in Nanxun district, Huzhou, Zhejiang province, is the city's sole World Cultural Heritage site and a national 5A-level scenic area.

In 1851, Nanxun's "Jili silk" stood out at the first World Expo in London, England, giving birth to a number of affluent merchants who made their fortunes in the silk trade. Influenced by Western culture while abroad, these merchants built Western-style buildings in Nanxun, thus making it the only ancient town to seamlessly blend Eastern and Western architectural styles in the Jiangnan region (the area south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River).

Since 2021, Nanxun district has propelled its tourism sector through various transformations and enhancements. Numerous international tourist groups and dignitaries stationed in China have flocked to Nanxun Ancient Town for exploratory visits and exchanges.

In July 2022, the World Conference on Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems launched a series of activities in Nanxun, attracting 33 international guests from 22 countries' embassies and international organizations in China and allowing them to witness the ancient town's allure.

On January 18, 2023, Nanxun district declared admission to Nanxun Ancient Town permanently free for global tourists, heralding a "green channel" for international visitors to Nanxun and fostering goodwill and cultural exchange among nations.