Originally named Fushi, Tongli is an age-old but very well preserved water township with a history of more than 1,000 years. Located on the eastern shore of Taihu Lake, just 18 kilometers (11 miles) from Suzhou City, Tongli town is 63 square kilometers (24 square miles) in area and has a population of over 33 thousand. True to its reputation, Tongli is a really wonderful travel destination where you can spend a marvelous holiday or experience traditional Chinese culture. Follow our guide and you will have a general idea of this captivating water-town.
Bridges: These are the vital links between the different parts of town. Forty-nine stone bridges in a variety of styles join the seven islands created by fifteen rivers 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 Peace and Tranquility (Taiping) Bridge, Luck (Jili) Bridge and Lasting Celebration (Changqing) Bridge. These are known as Ternate Bridges as they cross three rivers at their confluence and form a natural ring road. The small and exquisite Taiping Bridge was built during the reign of emperor Jiaqing of the Qing dynasty; Jili Bridge is an arch bridge and inscribed with age-old couplets describing the beautiful painting-like views at either end; Changqing Bridge, 
also named Guangli Bridge, was originally constructed in 1470 and rebuilt by Xiezhen in 1704. Ternate Bridges are propitious symbols in the eyes of the local residents and they walk over them for good luck during wedding or birthday parties. The oldest bridge in Tongli is Reflecting Origin (Siben) Bridge which was built in the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279) while the smallest bridge is called Single Step (Dubu) which is only one and a half meter (5 feet) in length and less than one meter (3 feet) in width. Standing motionless for hundreds of years, the bridges bear witness to the vicissitudes of history and remain an indispensable part of the township.
Residential House: Tongli Town deserves its reputation of a 'museum of ancient architectures' as there are good many houses and temples dating from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Built along the riversides and decorated with flying eaves, carved windows, porcelain furniture, figured clay bricks, dapper gardens and small stairs leading down to the water, these complexes mean Tongli is a shining pearl among the water-towns south of Yangtze River. Retreat and Reflection (Tuisi) Garden, built by the retired official Ren Lansheng during 1885 and 1887, 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 Eastern Zhou period (770 BC - 221 BC):'Be loyal to the emperor when in officialdom; be meditative upon the previous faults while away from officialdom.' The ingenious design for Tuisi Garden conforms to the local landforms and conditions and covers about 700 square meters (one fifth acre). Compact and harmonious, the garden is in two parts. The residential area to the west consists of an outer house and inner house including the sedan hall, the tea hall, a main reception hall and two buildings forming the actual dwelling. The garden in the east has ponds, Marble Boats, waterside pavilions, halls, kiosks, verandas, rockeries and bridges. Together with flourishing trees and colorful flowers the garden greets visitors with its beauty and charm whatever the season.
Cultural History: 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. Their abilities have made great contributions to progress in many areas of the country. Dozens of stone tablets from different periods are preserved in Tongli and many of the streets are named after their official titles. Walking through the alleys of this venerable water town, one cannot fail to appreciate its pristine and intoxicating atmosphere.
In 1981 Tongli Town was declared one of the thirteen national standard tour towns of the Taihu Lake region. In addition, in 1982 it was listed for protection as the standard provincial town of cultural interest in Jiangsu Province. Tongli is now a highly praised historical site and tourist resort and enjoys increasing popularity with travel enthusiasts.
| Admission Fee: | CNY 80 |
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Q & A on Tongli Town
1.
Jan. 20,2010 06:32 Reply
Ms.Lee(Malaysia) said:
Hi
thank you very much for your fast reply.
It is very good to have direct bus to Tongli and back to Shanghai.
I am now thinking of another alternative.
May i know if I want to take the same bus from shanghai to tongli at 8:30am
BUT instead of taking the bus back to Shanghai,
I would like to visit the Guan Xian Street for some shopping from 2pm to 6 pm,
can I take only one way bus to Tongli Tongli entrance fee,
and then, take another bus/taxi from Tongli to Guan Xian Street around 2pm,
and then, take a bus/taxi to a bus/train station in Suzhou
to return to Shanghai around 7pm.
Can you advise me how to do it?
Thank you very much.
Lee family.
Jan. 21,2010 01:09
Ms.orange replied:
I am sorry. Just heard that it was impossible to take one way bus to Tongli. They just sold the admission fee and bus ticket together. Maybe, you can make a call to confirm this. Here is the number: 021－64265555.
If it was true, you can take a bus at Shanghai Long Distance Bus Station at Hutai Road. The bus departs at 12:30 and 13:40 pm. It takes about two hours. Then you can buy the admission fee when you arrive at Tongli Town.
Also there is another option: You can go to Suzhou first and then get to Tongli. There are some ways to get to Suzhou from Shanghai:
Shanghai Hongqiao Airport to Suzhou: the regular bus departs at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:30 and 19:00. Time: one hour and forty minutes.
Shanghai Bus Station to Suzhou South Bus Station: the bus departs very 15 minutes. Time: around 2 hours.
And you can take train to Suzhou. It takes about 1 hour.
Suzhou to Tongli:
Take a bus at Suzhou South Bus Station. It takes about 35 minutes. The bus departs at 6:30, 6:50, 8:30, 9:25, 11:00, 12:25, 14:00, 15:25, 16:20 and 17:00.
Take a bus at Wuxian Bus Station. It takes about 35 minutes and the bus departs every 15 minutes.
Take a bus at Suzhou Railway Station. It takes about 50 minutes and the bus departs at every 30 minutes.
2.
Jan. 15,2010 05:53 Reply
Ms.Lee(Malaysia) said:
Hi, We are a family of 4.
We would like to take the bus from Shanghai to Tongli watertown.
May I know where is the bus station in Shanghai to buy the ticket and board the bus?
Do you know the time table for early morning?
Does the bus ticket also includes the entrance fee for Tongli
and the return bus fare back to Shanghai?
What are the time table for Tongli to Shanghai in the late afternoon?
Thank you very much in advance for your help.
Lee family.
Jan. 16,2010 03:30
Ms.Orange replied:
Hi,Ms.Lee
You can take bus at Shanghai Tour Bus Center. It provide the service you need. A CNY120 combined ticket is used for round bus trip and the admission of Tongli. The bus depart at 08:30 from Shanghai and returns at 16:30.
Jan. 16,2010 11:10
Ms.Lee(Malaysia) replied:
Hi Ms Orange, thank you very much for your fast reply.
It is very good to have direct bus to Tongli and back to Shanghai.
I am now thinking of another alternative.
May i know if I want to take the same bus from shanghai to tongli at 8:30am
BUT instead of taking the bus back to Shanghai,
I would like to visit the Guan Xian Street for some shopping from 2pm to 6 pm,
can I take only one way bus to Tongli Tongli entrance fee,
and then, take another bus/taxi from Tongli to Guan Xian Street around 2pm,
and then, take a bus/taxi to a bus/train station in Suzhou
to return to Shanghai around 7pm.
Can you advise me how to do it?
Thank you very much.
Lee family.
3.
Jan. 5,2010 20:47 Reply
Mrs.leal(australia) said:
We are visiting in June and are looking at going to Tongli, is the tourist bus still running from Shanghai and do you have to book in advance, if so how do I do this
Jan. 5,2010 21:56
Ms.CARMEN_01(France) replied:
Hi,there
It is convenient to transfer between Shanghai and Tongli. 3 bus stations in Shanghai provide direct bus services many times a day. No need to book tickets in advance. Buy when you get to the transport terminal.
4.
Nov. 16,2009 10:13 Reply
Ms.janet(SG) said:
hi, how do i get around within Tongli? any must-go place? or is it just a water township to walk around?
Nov. 16,2009 22:45
Mr.Goodman replied:
Hello,Ms.janet.
You can take rickshaw to tour around Tongli. Tongli is featured by water, bridge and ancient architectures. You may visit the Tuisiyuan, Chongbentang, Jiayingtang and Three Bridges (Taipingqiao, Jiliqiao and Changqingqiao).
Nov. 16,2009 23:27
Ms.janet(SG) replied:
Hi Mr Goodman,
how much is a rickshaw ride? Can I walk instead? Is the town very huge?
Nov. 17,2009 02:11
Ms.janet(SG) replied:
is it rainy season now? I plan to travel on 1st week of Dec but not sure want to go Suzhou and Tongli because of the weather...
Nov. 17,2009 02:13
Mr.Goodman replied:
It takes 15RMB to have a tour around the town. The town is not huge and you can walk instead. Actually you can also have a cruise tour above the water around Tongli. It takes 10RMB/single for six people in one boat. And it takes about 40 minutes to visit the town on water.
Nov. 17,2009 04:50
Mr.Goodman replied:
The rainy season in Tongli is spring and summer not winter. What's more, Tongli is a town of Suzhou, they have no much differences in weather. You just choose one and keep informed of the latest weather info of the place you wanna go
5.
Aug. 30,2009 08:25 Reply
Mr.zellseowck(Singapore) said:
how to I get from Suzhou to Tongli? How much does it cost, and how long will it take?
Thanks!
Sep. 1,2009 04:36
Mr.Goodman(cn) replied:
Hi,will you start from Suzhou Railway Station? If so, there are three methods:
first, via white-colored van with "Suzhoulvyoujiaotong" (Suzhou Tourism Transportation) on it. It takes about 1 hour and the ticket is CNY6. Recommended!
second, via highway. takes about 40 minutes and the ticket is CNY10, but the bus looks informal thus not recommende.
Third, a van that takes 6 peopele in total. It won't start until there are 4 people all ready together.
Oct. 22,2009 01:34
Mr.Chong Weng Meng(Singapore ) replied:
Hi Mr Zellseowck,
I just came back from there about a week ago. i waited for the transportation for almost 1 hour and could not find the tourism transportation. In the end i took a cab which cost me about 90RMB. But on my way back from Tongli to suzhou, i took the bus which cost only 8RMB and it took about 50mins.
The bus station at Tongli is along Yunli Lu. it is about 5 lamp post distance away (to the right if you are facing the town) from the main town entrance(Yunli lu). the station look just like a shophouse. If you didn't go close to it, you won't realise it. The bus is parked behind the shophouse in the day time. Look for for the shop signboard, it is indicated in chinese character.