WITH its criss-cross waterways, arched wooden bridges and houses with whitewashed walls and dark grey-tiled roofs, the small town embraces all the natural, cultural and historical factors to create a dreamy resort filled with legends and fairy tales.

The town has existed for nearly 1,000 years, quiet, peaceful and unspoiled, standing aloof from the mundane world although it lies in the suburbs of an international metropolis -Shanghai.

Its location, however, offers an easy escape from the hubbub of the downtown area and an ideal resort for enjoying rich cultural heritage and beautiful scenery.

According to Shanghai Government records, the small town started flourishing as early as the Song Dynasty (960-1279), when it was called Zhu Jia Village. Due to its dense system of canals it was extremely convenient for the incoming and outgoing of boats, importing produce from elsewhere in the country and exporting the local produce.

Later, during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), as prosperity brought in more and more immigrants, the local government decided to set up a town here with the name "Zhu Jie Ge", or "Pearl Brook". Enchanted by its picturesque scenery, many famous men of letters also flocked in and settled down.

During the time of the Republic of China, which lasted from 1911 to 1949, the small town became a well-known rice-growing centre, with the locally raised rice enjoying extreme popularity and even selling throughout China.

Along the narrow slabstone-paved streets, Chinese drugstores, pawn-shops and restaurants started to open one by one to meet the needs of the growing population. It was said that the restaurants and the tea-houses were run round the clock, and the small canals were always crowded with barges.

But Zhujiajiao went into decline in later decades. The "cultural revolution" (1966-76) took an extremely heavy toll, when the "Yuan Jin temple", built during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and other ancient structures were razed to the ground, though trade continued on a much diminished scale.

Nevertheless, most of the graceful docks, waterside pavilions and corridors stretching out for miles remained intact as a tempting retreat for city residents hoping to get closer to nature.

Almost every piece of the ancient town is a work of art. The arched bridges, the wooden buildings, as well as the tiny doors, everything seems like a mystery awaiting the exploration of visitors.