Taierzhuang Ancient Town is the largest ancient-city restoration project in China: two square kilometers of canal-side architecture, locks, bridges, wharves, and narrow lanes built in eight distinct regional architectural styles that reflect the town's historical role as a crossroads on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. The canal itself, still navigable, runs through the heart of the complex, and the reflections of lantern-lit buildings in the water at night are genuinely atmospheric.
The town is divided into eleven functional areas with 29 named attractions, ranging from a Taoist temple district to a section representing the canal culture of Huizhou merchants to an area focused on traditional crafts. The evening show on the canal, involving lit boats and performers, tilts toward spectacle but is professionally done. Entry is ¥160 and includes most of the main attractions; quieter stretches of the canal are accessible for free outside the ticketed gates.