This is a line from an ancient poem, and it captures the charm of a southern Chinese town more aptly than any other description.

Hangzhou of Zhejiang province and Suzhou of Jiangsu province are often nicknamed the "twin paradises on earth". In between these cities are dotted some 200 small towns connected by a web of canals. Here, the land is flat, the water gentle, grain and silk the major products, the architecture subdued and the people gentle.

Paved roads only arrived recently, so people always traveled by boat. Still today, they ride in a bamboo-covered boat powered by a single oar, which is maneuvered by the boat's owner. The oar has a hole that is stuck in a round protruding stick and with each push and pull, it gives out a crisp sound that is both melodious and rhythmic. Coupled with the splashing of water and the occasional singing of Kunqu Opera wafting from one of the gray-walled residences or gardens, it is the sound of a town that lulls you into its restrained beauty.

This is a land of literary giants and of tranquility and abundance, where natural disasters rarely befall and wars happened thousands of years ago. Here, people don't build palatial homes to rival the imperial grandeur of the north, but tuck them away behind a veil of muted colors.

All of the towns are built on at least one river and stone bridges are everywhere. Streets are paved with stone slabs, which, after hundreds of years, have become smooth and slippery. Some houses face the river on one side, each with a private dock, and the street on the other.

Many of these towns suffered dilapidation during the late 20th century but since the 1990s, there has been a tourism-driven effort to restore their former glory. Here are seven of the towns that have gained recognition for being superb representations of southern charisma.

Nanxun

Bordering Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Shanghai, Nanxun used to be a trading hub and spawned many millionaires. The wealthiest, the Liu family, like most of the rich in this town, made their fortune from dealing in silk, the major commodity in this part of the country. However, people flock to his house nowadays not because of the family's silk fortune, but because one of its ancestors spent a fortune building a private library of 600,000 volumes of books, including many rare ones.

Next to the library is a private garden called "Little Lotus", the only survivor of the 20 that flourished in the town's heyday. Built over 40 years, starting in the late 19th century, this garden was patterned after another one in the nearby county town, Huzhou.

Much of the architecture in the richest households has a Western influence, reflecting the fact they were foreign traders and exposed to Western culture. What is surprising is that the fusion of East and West is so harmonious that nothing seems out of place, neither the stained glass imported from France, nor the European-style hall for dancing. It was obvious the families did not want to flaunt their wealth, nor their Western connections. Everything was as restrained as the architectural style of this charming southern town.

Wuzhen

Wuzhen, about one hour from Suzhou and Hangzhou, and two hours from Shanghai, prides itself on its native son Mao Dun, one of the biggest names in 20th century Chinese literature. But Mao Dun was just one of a long list of literary luminaries from this area. Others include the titan of martial arts fiction, Jin Yong (Louis Cha), and romantic poet Xu Zhimo.

There is an innate connection between this canal-woven landscape and the abundance of literary genius. But you don't need to be aware of it to enjoy this town where black is so dominant you wonder whether Wuzhen (literally "black town") is named after its color scheme or whether it was modeled on a black-and white brush painting.

Along its slightly curved street are some households open to the public. They serve as small museums to showcase wine brewing, cloth dyeing, old furniture and the traditional lifestyle that has been preserved over centuries. A town plaza, somewhat rare in this area, puts on shows with a local flavor for the throngs of tourists.

Mudu

The most famous folk tale involving Suzhou and its vicinity happened 2,500 years ago when what is now Zhejiang and southern Jiangzhou was divided into two kingdoms, Yue and Wu respectively.

The king of Yue, after a humiliating defeat by Wu, lay low and hatched a scheme. He trained a local girl and sent her to the king of Wu as a concubine. The girl, using her beauty as bait, distracted the Wu king into neglecting his defense and paved the way for Yue to get his revenge and conquer Wu.

The girl, named Xi Shi, was one of the four ancient beauties of China. While the Wu king was madly in love with her, he commissioned a palatial resort at the top of a mountain near Suzhou. So many logs were transported through the rivers that the place at the foot of the mountain was totally blocked.

That place grew to be Mudu, literally "clogged by wood". It is difficult to distinguish legend from history, but the town was so prosperous and beautiful by the time of the Ming and Qing dynasties that it was a must-see for all six of Emperor Qianlong's tours of southern China. A court painter drew a 1,225-cm long scroll of scenes of Suzhou, half of which depicted suburban Mudu.

Now only half an hour from Suzhou, Mudu is known for its many private gardens. Step into one of them and you'll realize why even the Emperor was fascinated. Of course, you can venture up the nearby mountain. The original palace no longer exists but there are monuments in memory of the love and treachery from a love-blind king and a girl driven by patriotism.