Zhouzhuang is known as a collection of beauty, once called Zhenfengli, is an ancient water town of Kunshan City in Jiangsu Province and where rivers and lakes abound. It is located between the cities Shanghai and Suzhou. The town has stood up well through the years, 900 to be specific, and remains as it was so long ago. The typical style and features of the water town and even its inhabitants' way of life remains unchanged. The houses built by the streams have sidewalks, which have naturally evolved into streets used for transportation, together along with the water lanes. Overhead stone bridges span over the water lanes, providing convenient passage for the local people. Murmuring streams flow under small bridges and courtyards. These bridges and courtyards are each surrounded by dwelling quarters, which are typical features of Zhouzhuang and even the whole of East China.

Shen's Mansion is located to the southeast of Fu'an Bridge, on Nanshi Street. It was built in 1742 during the Qing Dynasty by Shen Benren, a descendant of Shen Wansan who was a wealthy man in southern China during the late Yuan (1206-1386 AD) to early Ming Dynasty. Shen's House offers a unique traditional Chinese architectural style. Consisting of seven courtyards, five archways and more than 100 different size rooms along that lie along two sides of a 100-meter long axis line, the house covers an area of 2,000 square meters. Shen's House has three sections. The first includes a water gate and wharf for mooring and washing boats. The second one consists of the Tea Hall and the Main Hall, which are used for receiving guests, holding weddings or conducting funeral ceremonies. The rear part serves as living quarters. The Main hall covers 170 square meters. The six-meter-high carved brick archway facing the Main Hall is the most magnificent among the five and has a horizontally inscribed board bearing the inscription, "Ji hou liu guang" (Do more good forever). Around the board are relief sculptures of figures, animals, pavilions and opera characters.