Liujiagang Port. [Photo provided to China Daily]

In the late Ming Dynasty, intellectuals in the Yangtze River Delta, in the face of Manchurian cavalry coming from the north and the chaos of national politics, focused instead on building their own elaborate houses and gardens. This period has resulted in a number of World Heritage gardens in the Delta area.

As the culture began to center more on the well-being of the individual and one's family, Shaxi produced a number of nationally famous artists and scholars. One of them is Wu Xiaobang (1906-1995), dancer, choreographer, and "father of modern dancing" in China. The centuries-old residence of his family is a museum dedicated to the dancer.

Even more interesting is an exhibition dedicated to Gu Atao (1914-1998) housed in an old residence. Gu was a household name in China during the "cultural revolution" (1966-1976), and the picture of her shaking hands with Mao Zedong is still one of the most famous pictures of the era.

Gu was an illiterate farmer who worked in a private textile factory. She was chosen by Ye Qun, wife of military leader Lin Biao (1907-1971), to be a representative of the mass movement to learn the works of Mao Zedong.

A former match-maker, Gu was extremely eloquent. She made speeches around the country to tell stories about how Mao's works changed her views and life. She didn't have to read from a script. She could not write one. Instead she drew one picture after another on a piece of paper, as reminders during speech.

Her "script", full of her drawings of ducks, cows, fences, etc., was on display in the exhibition, as well as other objects showing the moments of her legendary life.

She became one of the top officials of Jiangsu province, and was only removed from the position when the "cultural revolution" ended in 1976. She went back to Shaxi, and made a living selling ice popsicles in the streets of the old town.

"When we were kids, we used to buy ice popsicles from her. We all knew she was famous, but she did not feel different from any other granny," a resident tells me.

The ups and downs of this old town and its individuals are sure to leave a smile on your face.