River-based settlements are characteristic of harmony between nature and its natives where culture, architecture and history are meant to be mutually inclusive. Idyllic small-town settings like Qibao were designed to fulfill an erstwhile need for urban dwellers to retreat from the noise, development and pressures of a city. This also made it appealing to creators from different realms - be it writers, sculptors, calligraphers, artists which graced the area with a thriving patronage. The distance between such spaces and cities is shrinking; Qibao's Old Street is now punctuated with new boutique stores for tea, souvenirs etc. restaurants and cafes with popular street food. Old traditional architecture is bordered by pockets of make-do housing which bears testimony of a fast-developing city with a migrating population.
