Tongli Water Town

Apart from the classical freshwater lakes and beautiful gardens as well as amazing courtyard parks, another thing you shouldn't miss when visiting the eastern part of China is the ancient water towns. Among all the top 10 ancient water towns near Shanghai, we picked to visit Tongli Water Town which is very close to Suzhou. 

#1: Tongli Water Town

From Suzhou to Tongli Water Town
By Metro Line 4 (Highly recommended)

Take metro line 4 and get off at the terminal Tongli station. The metro journey will take approximately 50 minutes. Then continue by taking a bus either from;
1) Exit 10, where there will be tourist buses waiting between 8am to 5pm to transfer tourists to Tongli water town scenic area. The bus ride is free if you bought along the entrance ticket which costs CNY88; OR
2) Exit 2, where there are pubic buses there such as no.725 can take you to the Tongli water town scenic area. If you take a 725 bus, remember to get off at the Shi Pai Lou Station (石牌楼站) to reach the scenic area (725 bus station at Tongli station where tourist waiting for buses heading to Tongli water town scenic area).

By Bus
➤From Suzhou Railway Station to Tongli
There are tourism buses departing from the square in front of Suzhou Railway Station. The departure time is every an hour from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. every day. The journey takes about 1 and half hours. The ticket fare is about 9 yuan per person. If you take trains to get to the Suzhou Railway Station; you can take the bus here to get to Tongli Water Town. It is quite convenient.

➤From Bus Passenger Terminal in Wuzhong area to Tongli
There are many Tourist Special Line Buses departing from Bus Passenger Terminal in Wuzhong area (吴中区汽车站). The bus leaves for Tongli Water Town from here every 20 minutes from 7:50 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. every day. The journey takes about 1 and half hours. The ticket fare is about 9 yuan per person.

➤From Suzhou North Bus Station to Tongli
There are many shuttle buses leaving for Tongli from Suzhou North Bus Station (苏州汽车北站). The bus departs from 7:05 a.m. to 4:25 p.m. The journey takes about 1 and half hours. The ticket fare is about 9 yuan per person.

➤From Suzhou South Bus Station to Tongli
There are many shuttle buses leaving for Tongli from Suzhou South Bus Station (苏州汽车南站). The bus departs every 30 minutes from 7:30 a.m. to 5:50 p.m. in a day. The journey takes about 1 and half hours. The ticket fare is about 9 yuan per person.


#2: The map of a thousand-year water town of Tongli.

Although Tongli Water Town has a history for more than 1,000 years but the water town is still well-preserved and it's worth to explore and experience. True to its famed reputation, Tongli Water Town is indeed one wonderful travel destination where you can spend a marvelous holiday but at the same time, you can experience the traditional Chinese culture. Its rivers, streets, bridges, civil residences, and gardens are integrated perfectly as one, earning it the name of "the Oriental Venice" due to its unique water town scenery.


#3: The street preserves its original style in stone-paved and now, it lined with stores including specialty stores, handicraft stores and snack stores.

Tongli has been open to the public since 1986, and the architectures and cultural relics of the Ming (1368–1644) and the Qing (1644–1911) dynasties, such as pavilions, towers, temples, and gardens, can be spotted everywhere within the water town. Surrounded by five lakes, Tongli is lined with streets and lanes alongside rivers, and numerous ancient bridges built in various dynasties are available. Some bridges still stand as highlights in Tongli, silently telling the stories and legends of the ancient town.


#4: You rent these traditional Chinese costumes for photo opportunity.

I'm not sure whether cause we were there after the lunch time or probably due to the low season which is during the winter time, we hardly spot enormous crowd of tourists here. It's less crowded and not so commercialised which I personally think it's good time to visit where we can leisurely walked around the water town with relax and laid-back pace. Both my mom and I didn't dropby at any restaurants or cafe cause we prefer to shop at souvenir stores instead. And I got myself an embroidery painting with 9 koi fishes on it which believes to be auspicious.


#5: Tongli is rich in rivers and bridges; therefore, it is essential to take a cruise in order to appreciate its ancient beauty.


#6: Some locals took a boat ride along the canal.


#7

#8: One of the ancient bridges


#9: Arched roofs, stone bridges and green willows lining the banks can be found almost everywhere in the town.

We spent almost two hours in Tongli water town before making our way back to our hotel in Suzhou. Bear in mind as the journey from Suzhou to Tongli water town takes about an hour or sometimes more, hence it's best to spare at least half a day if you are interested to visit here.


#10: Goodbye Tongli Water Town!