This book is about the past and present reality of the region south of the Yangtze, and it presents the poetic truth of the "river folk" who lived there. The people of canal towns left behind eternal gifts the stone bridges, the stone streets, the stone piers, and the rocky shores; row upon row of grey roof tiles atop the white walls along the rivers; and the famous gardens, unique to the southern Yangtze Delta. Although the water towns and the scenes of "river folk" are beautiful, very few of t

Preface
Chapter Ⅰ: Rivers South of the Yangtze
1. Water Area
2. Waterway
3. Canal Towns
Chapter Ⅱ: Boats South of the Yangtze
1. Boats
2. Timber Rafting
3. Folks on Boats
Chapter Ⅲ: Bridges South of the Yangtze
1. Towns of Bridges
2. Stone Bridges
3. Stone Arch Bridges
4. Structure of the Stone Arch Bridges
5. Waterside Pavilion Bridges
6. Communications Through Bridges
Chapter Ⅳ: Water Lanes South of the Yangtze
1. Stone Embankments
2. Stone Frieze Panels
3. Flagstone Walks
4. Docks
5. Eave Colonnades
6. Sotto Portico
7. Qilou (similar to sotto porticos)
8. Bridge Galleries
9. Waterside Pavilions
10. Shade of Trees on the Banks
Chapter Ⅴ: Buildings South of the Yangtze
1. Folk Houses
2. Houses for Rich Families
3. Gardens
4. Other Forms of Building
Chapter Ⅵ: Structural Carpentry South of the Yangtze
1. Building Materials
2. Structural Carpentry
3. Wood Construction
4. Cavity Walls
5. Brick Carving
6. Wood Carving
7. Planks
8. Craftsmen
Chapter Ⅶ: Characteristics South of the Yangtze
1. Small Yard
2. Jing-Li (Well-Mates)
3. Wells
4. Sublanes
Chapter Ⅷ: Teahouses South of the Yangtze
1. Teahouses
2. Tasting Tea
3. Culture of Teahouses
4. Tiger Stoves
Chapter Ⅸ: Folk South of the Yangtze
1. Daily Life of Ordinary People
2. Neighborhood
3. Hometown Lost
4. Retrospection
Chapter Ⅹ: New Canal Towns South of the Yangtze
1. Zhujiajiao Forum on New Canal Towns
2. Recent News about Canal Towns
3. New Canal Towns
4. New Architecture in Canal Towns
Index