The Silk Railroad: Moving with the tides
?Fotang ancient town was once a hive of activity, bustling with as many as nine ports. It was part of the Qiantang River system that goes all the way to Hangzhou, 150-kilometers to the north, which then connects to Beijing through the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.
Local produce, like brown sugar, dates and ham, was exported to the rest from China. However, the town was most noted for one commodity – salt. During the peak of Fotang's prosperity, up to 500 ships would dock overnight.
As water routes have been replaced, this riverside port has had to find itself a new competitive edge. Fotang ancient town has found a way to preserve its trading heritage – manufacturing and selling traditional wedding items.
Traditional wedding accessories are still made by hand in Fotang ancient town. An item such as a traditional wedding couplet could take an experienced craftsman an hour to sew if not interrupted.
Even now a lot of young Chinese couples prefer to have a traditional style Chinese wedding in traditional Chinese outfits. Even with the increasing pace of life, there's still a market for nostalgia in China.
