The first book to ever detail the rise, fall and restoration of Wuzhen was launched in the historic water town on Saturday.

Through Wuzhen to China: An Englishman's Journey is the creation of British author and historian Nicholas Chrimes, published by Zhejiang University Press and UK-based Hobsaerie Publications.

At the launch ceremony on Nov 2, Chrimes delivered a speech where he praised the restoration of the town first established in the Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC–256 BC), back to a period in time when it was flourishing at its peak.

“Time, economic decline, coupled with periods of neglect, virtually destroyed this charming water town,” Chrimes said. “And to return to its glory of late Ming and Qing periods is a fantastic achievement. The charm of an ancient water town has been recaptured. It would appear, very faithfully.”

The novel is an attempt to not just tell of Wuzhen’s amazing history and transformation, but also to redress the issue of cultural bias and lack of awareness in the West, according to the author.

“Chinese people know far more about the West than Western people know about China,” Chrimes said. ““It used to be the other way around, but they have a huge lead in cultural knowledge on the West.”

Chrimes suggested that holding a Chinese poetry competition in Cambridge as part of its annual literature festival would help to improve cross-cultural exchanges between the East and West and bring people with from different cultures but with common passions together.

Pan Minfang, director of the Publicity Department of Tongxiang, Zhejiang province, said that she hoped the book would be able to give western readers a better insight into China.

“Through the book, Chrimes has shown the world a technological innovative and culturally vibrant water town, which also features the current China. The book as a window for the global readers to know about Wuzhen and China,” Pan said.

Lu Dongming, head of Zhejiang University Press, said that he hoped that more topics about China, such as the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the 40 years of the reform as well as its opening-up policy, could be published to further boost foreign readers’ understanding of China in the aspect of its history and development.

Stepping from the past into the future, Wuzhen finds itself as the permanent host of the World Internet Conference, which takes place this year from Dec 3 to 5. Not only that, but the water town has also become home to China’s most prestigious literary award and a major annual theater and arts festival.