A song of "Slowly" - It was worth the trip to Suzhou
You really should visit Tongli Ancient Town. Enjoy the gentle breeze from the Three Bridges and take a ride on the rowing boat.
---Transportation Guide---
Suzhou Metro Line 4
Suzhou Metro Stations - Metro Line 4 Tongli Station - Transfer to Bus No. 725 (get off at Shipailing Lou Station) The operating hours of Bus No. 725: 6:20 - 21:0
Intelligent tram (every 20 minutes)
Subway Line 4 - Tongli Station - North Gate of Tongli Scenic Area (Intelligent Rail Tongli Ancient Town Station)
First and last train times: Line 4 - Tongli Station, 7:20 - 19:35
Zhiqiao Tongli Ancient Town Station: 7:00 - 19:15
The exact start and end times as well as the intervals between each service will be subject to the actual situation.
self-driving tours
1.Departure from Shanghai: Take the Shanghai-Suzhou-Zhejiang Expressway and exit at Tongli. Then take the Su Tong Li Road (the entire journey takes approximately 80 minutes)
2. Departure from Hangzhou: Take the Changtai Expressway and exit at Wujian South Exit (the entire journey takes approximately 120 minutes)
3. Departure from Nanjing: Take the Beijing-Shanghai Expressway, then the Changzhou-Tianji Expressway, and exit at Tongli (the entire journey takes approximately 150 minutes)
Tourist buses and self-driving vehicles can be parked in the ground and underground parking lots in the north, east and south of the town.
--- Tourist Attractions Recommendation ---
Tiesi Garden (World Cultural Heritage Site, National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit)
Located at No. 234, Xinbin Street, it is a classic example of private garden architecture from the late Qing Dynasty. The layout of Retreat Thought Garden is ingenious and well-proportioned. The entire garden is simple and elegant, with more than half of the garden area covered by water. The buildings are all close to the water surface, and the garden floats on the water. The garden is filled with flowing green waters and an antique charm, as if one has stepped into a natural ink painting. The Winter Chill Residence, Water Fragrance Pavilion, Retreat Thought Study Hall, Sleeping Cloud Pavilion, and Sky Bridge, among others, are all beautiful scenes that truly embody the reality of "Don't say the garden is small; there are countless beautiful scenes."
Gengle Hall (a nationally key cultural relic protection unit)
Located at Lujia Dian on Shangyuan Street, this building has a layout of a residence in the front and a garden in the back. It is a typical representative of private residences in the Ming Dynasty. The white pine trees planted in the garden have a history of over four hundred years; the interior showcases numerous root carving works, which are of great ornamental value.
Chongben Hall (a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit in Jiangsu)
It is located on Fu Guan Street, at the northern end of Chang Qing Bridge. Facing north and facing south, it is built facing the water. It is opposite Jia Yin Tang across the river. Chong Ben Tang is a special exhibition hall showcasing the folk wedding customs of the Jiangnan water towns. Its layout is exquisite. Especially renowned is its carving, with over one hundred wood carvings.
Jia Yin Hall (a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit in Jiangsu Province)
The main entrance is located in the middle section of Youjia Lane. The north gate is at the southern end of Changqing Bridge. The renowned patriotic poet Liu Yazhi once lived here. The main building of Jiayin Hall is modeled after the structure of the Ming Dynasty. The entire courtyard is spacious and grand, solemn and dignified. There are exquisite wood carvings such as "Eight Horses Picture", "Phoenix Crossing Peonies", "Three Kingdoms Legend", etc., as well as fine brick carvings like "Dark Eight Immortals". Jiayin Hall and Chongben Hall face each other across the river, and are commonly known as "Two Temples".
Chen Qubing's Former Residence (A Provincial-level Cultural Relics Protection Unit of Jiangsu Province)
Chen Qudie, a native of Tongli, Wujiang, was an early member of the Tongmenghui and one of the founders of the Nan Society. He was a renowned modern poet. The residence of Chen Qudie is located at No. 15, Sanyuan Street, Tongli Town, covering an area of 1,350 square meters. There are 42 rooms in total. The architectural layout is in an irregular "Z" shape. The main entrance faces west and faces the river. There is a brick-carved archway with the characters "Zixiu Gese" on it. The main buildings include the Haogē Tang, the study, the Baichí Lou, the Lvyuyingyao Pavilion, the family ancestral hall, etc.
Pearl Tower Garden
Also known as the Chen Inspector's Mansion, it is located on the southern bank of Hougang, to the north of Shi Pi Lane. It consists of four architectural complexes: Inspector's Residence, Back Garden, Archway, and Ancestral Hall. It was the residence of Chen Wangdao, a supervisory inspector from Nanjing during the Ming Dynasty. This scenic spot is also the birthplace of the famous Sichuan Opera "Pearl Tower". This long-standing love story that has been passed down in the folk of southern China has infused the Pearl Tower Scenic Area with a touch of beauty and romance.
Luo Xingzhou
Located to the east of Tongli Town, it is a small island floating on the lake. One needs to take a ferry to reach there. Along the way, one can enjoy the vast and serene waters of Tongli Lake with fishing boats scattered here and there, presenting the picturesque scenery of the water town. Luhengzhou is a holy place where Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism are integrated. It was built in the Yuan Dynasty and has been reconstructed several times. Currently, there are Guanyin Temple, Wenchang Hall, Duming Pavilion, curved bridges, and verandas, etc. as attractions.
Songshi Wuyuan
It is located in the Shepi Lane of the ancient town area, separated from the Pearl Tower Scenic Garden by just one wall to the east, and facing the Cangchang Lane to the west. Inside the garden, there are over 1,200 pieces of stone slabs with patterns.
---Food Recommendations---
Tongli is a small town in the south of the Yangtze River. It is dotted with numerous rivers and streams, and is rich in river fish and various aquatic crops. The most famous ones include "Three Whites of Taihu Lake" (white fish, white shrimp, and silver fish), and Xuanzong's feet. In terms of specialties, there are also sock-bottom pastries, jujube cake, green rice dumplings, Min cakes, jujube (duck head millet), malt flatbread, and small smoked fish, etc. What's worth mentioning is that apart from the Ming and Qing Street, Nan Yuan Tea House, and Bamboo Lane Street, which are the places where these delicacies are most concentrated, there are also numerous residential restaurants throughout the town. Each restaurant offers its own unique private dishes, which will surely bring you continuous surprises.
