Shanghai has a long history as a gateway to China on the Yangtze River Delta. It is the largest economic and trade center in China, and one of China's cultural centers. Shanghai is one of China's cultural hubs with its own cuisine, opera and dialect It is an art, science and culture trendsetter where Western culture stemming from its colonial past, international connections, and large expat community and Eastern culture are fusing. Xitang Water Townis a beautiful town that seems like a completely different world from the hustle and bustle of nearby Shanghai. Cobbled streets, old buildings, bridgesarching over canals, rowing boats lingering on the river, and locals singing folk songs, all feature in Xitang, a charming, ancient water town.