Christmas comes to Gubei

Visitors who stay overnight are advised to book hotels in advance, especially during weekends and holidays, since there are only 1,378 rooms. Some travelers stay in guest-houses run by nearby farmers.

The canal-laced town resembles those south of the Yangtze River but incorporates some northern Chinese elements. Some components like wooden window frames and decorations are authentic and were brought from old buildings in other provinces.

The water town's scenery changes throughout the year. Visitors can enjoy flowers in spring, boat rides and starry nights in summer, red leaves in autumn and snow in winter.

Travelers visit such places as a traditional distillery and dye workshops to learn about historical industries and to make their own liquor and colorful cloth. They can also buy traditional oil paper umbrellas, kites and lanterns.

Visitors can also visit biaoju - establishments that offered armed security for the transport of valuables over long distances centuries ago.

A traditional academy shows how Chinese people were educated in ancient times.

Guests can also enjoy such street foods as roasted sweet potatoes, candied-haw skewers and barbecue. And they may encounter lion dancers or acrobats performing on the streets.

Restaurants serve Cantonese food, Peking duck and beefsteak. Some offer views of the Great Wall. Shutterbugs enjoy snapping photos of sunrises and sunsets over the bulwark.

Night tours by lantern light explore the town's streets and then head up to the Great Wall, from which viewers can take in a panorama of the town sparkling below.

The town's dancing fountain lights up with a nighttime show in which water jets and colored lights change with the music, and 3D images of phoenixes and other iconic images are projected onto the mist.

Visitors can also soak in the indoor and outdoor hot springs. Different pools are different colors to indicate their supposed health benefits.

Indeed, Christmas is just one of many reasons to visit the water town this season. Those who make the journey will discover it's a jolly place all year.