There are many ancient towns or older sections within cities that offer unique sightseeing, shopping, and dining for visitors. One of the most popular is the Fuzimiao or Confucius Temple area in Nanjing. Most of the water towns also offer this type of attraction.

Nanjing Confucius Temple (or Fuzimiao) is for consecrating and worshipping Confucius, the great thinker and educator of ancient China. The Nanjing Confucius Temple was built in the Song Dynasty (A.D.1034) and expanded in the East Jin Dynasty. It was ruined and rebuilt for several times. The Confucius Temple once was rebuilt in Qing Dynasty (A.D.1869), but a serious fire destroyed it that was set by Japanese troops in 1937. In order to protect the old city, the Chinese Government appropriated funds to rebuild and fix the Confucius Temple. Today, it re-expresses Confucius to the world and is regarded as a “must-see” attraction in Nanjing. In 1991, the Confucius Temple was elected among the "40 Best Scenery Spots.”

The Qinhuai River flows in front of the Temple and there is also a 110 meter long screen stonewall (the largest in the nation) nearby, which can be viewed from the bridge crossing the river in front of the Temple. A beautiful Lantern Show is held at the Temple during the 1st to the 18th days of the Chinese Lunar Year. The area around the temple consists of a series of tourist shops, snack bars, restaurants and tea cafes. They all appear to be in the architectural style of the Ming and Qing style. A variety of snacks encompassing eight of the most famous flavors are available for purchase here. Everyone's individual tastes are met with these delicacies and they are an integral part of the food culture in Nanjing.

Pingjiang District, following Suzhou's old name of Pingjiang Prefecture in Song Dynasty, is situated in the northeast part of the city. It covers an area of 25.2 square kilometers with a population of 268,000.
 
Thousand-year-old Xijindu Street in Zhenjiang
There is profound culture and extended history on the ancient Xijindu Street in Jiangsu's Zhenjiang. This street, over 500 meters in length, was built during the Six Dynasties Period (3rd-6th Century AD) and has survived the Tang (618-907), Song (960-1279), Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1616-1911) Dynasties. The street has been revitalized to its original image and serves as China's ancient dock museum. Many old houses have been carefully repaired and preserved according to individual plans.