Each of the water towns outside has its own special characteristic, another twist above the charm of winding canals and ancient houses. Mudu is celebrated because of its excellent collection of classical gardens, and also its relatively less touristed feel. The Qing Dynasty Emperor Qianlong liked the town so much he visited it six times. Although it has existed for over 2,500 years, today's Mudu took shape in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Inspired by the classical gardens in nearby Suzhou, many of Mudu's own local elite decided to add elegant gardens to their homes. Behind the white washed walls that line the town's canals lie a treasure trove of Suzhou style gardens. While in major cities the gardens are in by the busy modern city, in Mudu they are all clustered together in the historic center - when you finish seeing one you can stroll to the next through the old streets and along the banks of the narrow canals, soaking up the charm of the ancient town along the way!

Closest to the entrance of the old town is the mansion of the 19th century politician and essayist Feng Guifen. The highlight of his mansion is not its garden, but the buildings themselves and their antique furniture. His mansion was known as the "Hall of 3 Elegances" - the elegant carving of its wood, stone, and bricks. Each of the stone gateways that lead from courtyard to hall are extremely finely carved, showing scenes from legends and operas and decorated with allegorical symbols of wealth, health, and long life. Be sure to look above your head when inside the building - the roof beams are equally well carved. The furniture of the mansion is just as fascinating - its decorated entirely with beautiful period furniture, giving a rich sense of the world of traditional Chinese officials. Leaving the mansion, a long covered arcade lined with small shops winds alongside the canal.

The largest and most elaborate of Mudu's gardens is the Hong Yin Mountain Villa - less a villa than a huge complex with not only gardens, but a grand opera stage, a collection of small museums, and even an imperial dock! At the center of the complex is Chinese opera was a once favorite pastime in Jiangsu - temples, guild halls, civic associations all had their own opera stages, and some of the wealthier families built their own private stages where they and their friends could enjoy their own exclusive performances. Chinese opera stages are different from those in Western countries - they are usually a small roofed building, open on three sides, with the actual stage on the second floor; most spectators watched from the wide open plaza in front. The villa's stage is quite large and complex - in addition to the plaza, it also has a hall where honored guests could watch in comfort, and two long galleries wrapping around the plaza, for women to watch from. One his visits to Mudu, the Emperor Qianlong watched opera performances here, and the grand imperial chair he used still sits facing the stage. Next to the stage are the villas gardens - spacious and open, with many small ponds crossed by angled bridges leading to waterside pavilions, with the bright saffron walls of a neighboring Buddhist temple contrasting with the green trees, blue water, and gray stone of the garden. Behind the pavilions, lie buildings of the family's mansion. The town of Mudu has converted the old mansion into a series of small museum dedicated to aspects of the culture of Imperial China - a collection of imperial proclamations, materials related to the imperial examinations, and the ceremonial robes and even the hats once worn by imperial officials.

From the villa the best way to see the rest of the town is a cruise on a traditional skiff. The villa has its own dock, built so the Emperor Qianlong could dock his imperial barge when visiting Mudu. Now you can board a boat here and be rowed along the canals to another major sight, the Yan Family Garden. From the imperial dock the boat glides through the smooth water of the narrow canal, passing between weathered stone embankments and laundry fluttering from the back porches of centuries old houses. The boat passes beneath several charming ancient bridges - the Xishi Bridge, topped with a miniature pavilion, and the Ming Dynasty Yong'an Bridge, with thick garlands of vines hanging low from its single round arch. Worn stone steps lead up from the canal to the front gate of the Yan Family Garden, originally laid out in Ming Dynasty, around 500 years ago. Its garden is divided into 5 "rooms", separated by rockeries and white walls. Each section is designed to evoke one of the seasons of the year (the 5th season is late autumn). Each section has plants which either flower in that season or remain green through the winter, and the arrangement of rocks and trees is designed to accentuate the mood created by the plants and the weather. The summer section, for example, features a pond crowded with the pink and white water lily blossoms. There's a waterside pavilion to escape the heat of the sun and enjoy the view of the flowers and the cool breeze off the water, while the autumn section is is arranged to complement the colors of the fall foliage.