Tongli Town

Tongli Town

Tongli is located by Lake Taihu and the Grand Canal, 80 kilometers west of Shanghai and 18 kilometers east of Suzhou. Like Zhouzhuang, it is also an ancient waterside town. The layout of the town and the residences basically retain the traditional style. Houses of the Ming and Qing Dynasties account for about 40% of all the buildings in the town. Many of them are large residences. The town also abounds in rivers and canals, by which houses of Ming and Qing Dynasties are lined up one after another. Highlights include Tuisi Garden, a classical garden built in the Qing Dynasty, Chongben Hall and Jiayin Hall, the bridges of Peace, Auspiciousness and Longevity. 　　

The profound cultural background of Tongli makes possible the great number of residential houses and gardens. With more than 30 gardens and over 10 buildings dating back to the Ming Dynasty, it boasts a “museum of ancient architectures” in China.