The City of Ganvie : The village of Ganvie was established in the sixteenth or seventeenth centuries by the Tofinu people, when Dahomeyan warriors raided their countryside for captives to sell to the European slave traders. Originally based on farming, the City's main industries other than tourism are now fishing and fish farming. Built on stilts and linked by bridges the water City is also served by water taxis and has its own schools, hospitals, restaurants, shops, mosques and petrol station. From a distance, although many of the dwellings look neglected and run-down, they actually have all the modern amenities including air conditioning, satellite television, Internet access, plumbing, and electricity. People have lived in this village for over 1300 years and some of them keep potted plants and chickens.
Wuzhen, China: Wuzhen is one of China’s ancient water towns, where waterways thread their way through the flagstone streets and alleys. Covering an area of 71.19 square kilometres. Wuzhen has a total population is 60,000 of which 12,000 are permanent residents Wuzhen displays its two-thousand -year history in its ancient stone bridges floating on mild water, its stone pathways between the mottled walls and its delicate wood carvings. Also, setting it apart from other towns, it gives a unique experience through its profound cultural background.
Tongli, China: Tong-Li, is a town in Wujiang county, on the outskirts of Suzhou. It is known for a system of canals. Tongli is half an hour away from Suzhou city. The place retains many of the features of an ancient Chinese town. Tongli enjoys fame across China for its beautiful canals, historic bridges and opulent court yard homes. Tongli has 49 stone bridges and many gardens, temples. Because of the landscape, almost all of the buildings are constructed along the waterfront. The water also creates reflections of the town's arched roofs and over bridges.
Zhouzhuang, China: Zhouzhuang, one of the most famous water townships in China, is situated only 30 kilometers southeast of Suzhou City. It is a enchanting place. This village features criss crossing water lanes, ancient bridges and buildings built on and over the rivers. In an area of half a square kilometer, 60 percent of the Zhouzhuang's structures were built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is noted for its profound cultural background, the well preserved ancient residential houses, the elegant watery views and the strong local colored traditions and customs. Zhouzhuang has been called the "Venice of the East.
Ganvie, Benin Ganvie, also known as the Venice of Africa, is a lake village in Benin, lying in Lake Nokoué, near Cotonou. With a population of 20000 people, it is probably the largest lake village in Africa and as such is popular with tourists.
Ko Panyi, Thailand: Ko Panyi is a fishing village in Phang Province, notable for being built by Indonesian fishermen. The population consists of roughly 200 families descended from sea.
Halong Bay Floating Village, Vietnam: A village of about 600 inhabitants built on the water can be found in Halong Bay. It is a magically calm place, an escape from the hustle of Vietnam streets. The village is a true waterworld, rising and falling with the tides, sheltered amidst limestone towers.
Kampong Ayer Kampong Ayer is an area of Brunei's capital city Bandar Seri Begawan that is situated after the Brunei Bay. This represents roughly ten percent of the nation's total population. Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque at night the mosque is built in an artificial lagoon on the banks of the Brunei bay at Kampong Ayer.
Locals live mainly from the sea. Most of the rock islands in the area are too poor to be cultivated. Halong Bay is very rich in fish and sea food. In this picture you can see some floating houses. Locals live in these houses and every morning they go fishing. They sell their catches to bigger boats, that bring the fresh fish to markets in the continent.
Kay Larwa is a water village located on Inle lake. Residents of this village are Intha people, which are members of a Tibet-Burman ethnic group. They support themselves through the tending of vegetable farms on floating gardens. Also, the Intha are known for their leg-rowing techniques.
Giethoorn is a village in the Dutch province of Overijssel. This village is called the Venice of the Netherlands for about 7.5 km (4.5 mi) of canals run through the village.
Uros Floating Village, Peru : The Uros are a pre-Incan people who live on forty-two self-fashioned floating islands in Lake Titicaca, Peru. These islands are hand-made from a native species of reed (totora) that abounds in the shallows of the lake. Uros people build temporary houses that float atop the water surface. The tide washes over their houses so new layers of reed need to be laid every 2 weeks.
A floating tomato garden on Inle Lake: Lake weed of Inle is collected by the Intha people to create floating gardens,which are anchored to the lake bed with bamboo poles. These floating gardens, called kyun-hmaw,which are built-up from strips of water and mud, dredged from the lake bed, which breaks down into a rich humus; it take 50 years to produce a layer 1m thick. The floating allotments are anchored to the bottom with bamboo poles. Land is also reclaimed in this way, and parts of the lake have been reduced to a maze of canals around these plots. Most of the produce grown on the lake gardens is tomatoes and beans.
Water city of Ganvie, Benin in Africa. Ganvie, also known as the Venice of Africa, is a lake village in Benin, lying in Lake Nokoué, near Cotonou. With a population of around 20,000 people, it is probably the largest lake village in Africa and as such is very popular with tourists.
