A sight mostly unchanged for centuries

A two hour excursion from Shanghai by car, a town called Xitang. A sight that has been like this for five of six centuries. Also a famous place for filming Mission: Impossible III.

The main streets have been renovated into shops for tourists, but inside of them, there are residents living quite similar to what they used to be doing here for centuries. The creeks still seem to be an important resource for them.
Not a place to visit for comfort, but it does definitely give the experience of what we want to see.
But to be honest, I don't speak Chinese, so getting along is not easy I think. Good to have a guide for assistance.

Also had a chance to look at Shanghai acrobatics. Incredible... How do they do those jumps & flips on top of other actors?