Tongli Ancient Town

Tongli Ancient Town lies in Wujiang District, about 18 km south of central Suzhou in Jiangsu province, China, and is generally regarded as less commercial than nearby Zhouzhuang. Direct buses run from the Suzhou Station area (60 to 80 minutes, CNY 10-20), while a taxi or DiDi from Suzhou takes 40 to 50 minutes at CNY 100-150. From Shanghai the journey is about 1.5 hours, usually by train to Suzhou or Wujiang and then a car. The town is threaded with canals and crossed by about 15 stone bridges, with wood-beamed Ming and Qing houses along the water. The best-known group is the Three Bridges (Sanqiao), which local custom associates with wedding and blessing walks. The main cultural attraction is Tuisi Garden, part of the UNESCO-listed Classical Gardens of Suzhou, a compact garden built around a central pond so that its pavilions appear to float on the water. Pearl Pagoda Garden, a private garden with mixed local and Western-influenced buildings, adds a second garden visit, and canal boat rides are available for a slower view of the town. A combined ticket at the main gate, about CNY 80-100, covers most sites including Tuisi Garden, so a single purchase is enough. A sensible day starts with the garden in the morning, when light is soft and tour groups are few, followed by a walk along the canal lanes and across the Three Bridges. Lunch can be taken in a canalside restaurant; the local braised pork knuckle is the classic dish, and stalls sell snacks and sweets along the main lanes. After lunch a boat ride and the smaller museums and old residences fill the afternoon, leaving time to catch a bus back to Suzhou before dusk. Sites generally open around 7:30AM and close near 5:00PM, though garden closing times vary. The best seasons are March to May and September to November; summer is hot and humid, and winter is cool with occasional rain. Weekdays are noticeably quieter than weekends and public holidays, when tour groups arrive. Flat shoes are advisable on the uneven stone paving, and visitors staying overnight in a guesthouse can see the lanes after the day-trippers depart.