- Join for free
- Sign In
Pro
At least China is trying to preserve old buildings for once!
Con
Can't Think Of Any
In a nutshell
Tongli, tranquil and tantalising!!
yipsufen Says: At one corner of the water canal, you can see some parked gondolas. There you can see birds tied to the boat. They are cormorants. For a small fee, you can see these birds in action, swooping down to the water preying for fish.
Guantanamera Says: Upon entering the ancient city of Tongli, you will purchase a ticket which will entitle you to visit at least 4 of the classical residential gardens that are situated within the old city. Among these are Gengle Hall, Chongben Hall, Jiayin Hall and Zhenzhu Ta. These marvelous...
Willettsworld Says: Jiayin House was built in 1922 and the owner of the mansion was Liu Bingnan, who was the relative of Liu Yazi (1887–1958), a famous Chinese poet. Liu Yazi had once lived in the house. The front door of Jiayin House is in Shanghai's Shikumen style, which is that the doorframe...
Willettsworld Says: Ming Dynasty official Zhuxiang, also called Gengle, built this placid retreat after a successful career in government. So pleasant was his home that he seldom left it, earning a reputation as a hermit, albeit a hermit with a 54-room mansion to hole up in. Today, the house...
Willettsworld Says: A legend goes like this: Fang, a young man from a rich and powerful family became poor due to being out of favour with the royal court. He had to borrow money from his aunt in Henan Province, central China, but she scornfully taunted him. Fang's elder female cousin, Chen,...
Willettsworld Says: Forty-nine stone bridges in a variety of styles join the seven islands created by fifteen canals and five lakes upon which Tongli stands. Each bridge has a name and these examples will give you an idea of the poetic nature of the inhabitants. Perhaps the most notable are...
Willettsworld Says: An eye opening museum if ever there was one! Despite the title, this museum is quite tasteful and shouldn't embarrass you that much! It is the first and only museum of its type in China and exhibits over 1,600 items of sex culture from as long ago as 9,000 years to the early...
Willettsworld Says: This museum is located in a building that overlooks the Gu Feng Garden. The exhibits on display include many different types of wooden and ornate beds, ceramics and some wonderful carved wooden architectural features. More photo's can be found in my travelogues.
Willettsworld Says: The Retreat and Reflection (Tuisi) Garden, was designed by a famous painter, Yuan Long, during 1885 and 1887 and is the most spectacular in Tongli. Its name is derived from an aphorism expressed in a very famous biography called Zuo Zhuan written by Zuo Qiuming in the...
oerkenbo Says: There are a lot of al fresco restaurants by the canals. They will be soliciting your business with menus. For the most part the people are nice and honest. The food is not dissimilar -- mostly "farm-style" homecooking but quite delicious!
Almost any restaurant in Tongli: Don't miss the pig's knuckles!
oerkenbo Says: One of the most famous delicacies in Tongli is the "Wanshanti" or braised pig's knuckles! They are braised in soy sauce, rice wine, and other seasonings such as anise, etc. It's fatty but you can just trim the fat with a fork or knife. Guaranteed "melt-in-your-mouth" tender....
Willettsworld Says: Getting to Tongli is relatively simple from Suzhou. Buses depart every 15 minutes or so from outside the train station (over on the left hand side as you look at the station). They cost about Y8 and take about 45 minutes. You can also purchase the Tongli entrance ticket on...
Easy bus trip from Suzhou to Tongli
oerkenbo Says: There's a bus service from Suzhou Train Station to Tongli. The busfare is RMB 8 and it takes about 45 minutes. The bus stop is NOT right outside the train station. You have to walk south from the train station to the south, where the bus depot is. There's a small ticker...
yipsufen Says: When walking to the Tongli old town, you will pass by an old street with shops selling food stuff, local snacks & souvenirs. One popular food is the stewed pig's trotter. If you would like to bring home some, you can request the assistant to vacuum pack for you for...
Willettsworld Says: Fishermen use cormorants to catch fish and return them to the boat. The fisherman drive the birds into the water where they dive below the surface in search of fish. When the birds catch fish they return to the boat and the fisherman removes the fish from their throat and...
yipsufen Says: Public toilets at the main entrance here may be a bit daunting for some. They are not that filthy but you will want to finish off your task and get out from it as soon as possible. The toilet cubicle has low partition. You won't see your "neighbour" if you squat down but you...
sugarpuff Says: We passed several cafe type places along one of the rivers, but the one which stuck out the most for me was the one which had a little blackboard reading "Come try our menu" in English, French and an attempt in Spanish.We carried on, but then decided to go back and see what...
Traditional life in a touristy town
oerkenbo Says: I'm quite amazed that Tongli has held onto its character in the face of the the daily onslaught of mass tourism. Yes, everything is very spruced up, and the main streets/canals are chock full of tourist facilities. But you don't have to stray far to see that a lot of the...
Not what you'd expect in a quiet town!
sugarpuff Says: The China Ancient Sex MuseumOnce located in the booming streets of Shanghai, it has been relocated due to a funding shortage and reopened in Tongli.So if you get fed up of walking around beautiful gardens, parks and canals, why not pop along to the museum for maybe a more...
Willettsworld Says: This is a map of Tongli and you can find another one in the leaflet you get when you purchase the entry ticket which costs Y80. The ticket entitles you to entry into all of the attractions within the city except for the Sex Museum which costs an additional Y20. You can buy...
Plan a Tongli vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Tongli locals
This is a town build about 1000 years ago with canals around the town. Bridges are very important as its the main crossing point around the town. There are 3...
Q: I read that every morning four long-distance buses leave Shanghai Stadium for Tongli at regular intervals, with the earliest...
A: According to the information on the Shanghai Stadium Sightseeing Bus Centre website, the buses should depart at 0900 and 1025. The return timing is usually pegged around...
Read 3 Replies
1
Aesthetics and Erotica in Ancient China
The tiny village of Tongli is truly a delight to behold, filled with lovely canals, ancient stone bridges, enchanting teahouses, lush gardens and some stunningly exquisite examples of classical...
2
Tongli is a town with a profound cultural background and achievement. From ancient times, it has been teeming with poets, painters, Confucian scholars and government officials. Intersected by so many...
3
Tongli, a town on water. It is the largest water village in Jiangsu Province. The most famous scenery here are small bridges over the flowing water. All homes here were built in traditional Chinese......
4
Tongli - An Old Canal Town in Wujiang
Tongli in Jiangsu Province is one of the many ancient water towns in the south of the Yangtze River Delta, which are famous for their rivers, ancient bridges and house complexes. Tongli occupies an......
5
Tongli is located about 18km (11 miles) south-east of Suzhou in the east of China. It was originally named Fushi (rich land) before being renamed Tongli meaning copper village during the Tang dynasty...
Build your own Tongli page
