Tongli Water Town
Tongli, a small but elegant water town in Suzhou, is a 45-minute drive from downtown Suzhou and only 1.5 hours from Shanghai. Renowned as the "Oriental Venice" for its gondola rides, beautiful water, Gardens, and ancient stone bridges.
It is one of the six famous ancient towns to the south of the Yangtze River, with a hint of old China. You can take 1-2 days to relax in the laid-back atmosphere.
A mix of traders and locals are still living and working there. Less commercialized and crowded than some other famous water towns, it can be seen as the best water town close to Shanghai.
Tongli Water Town Facts
- Chinese: 同里 Tónglǐ
- Area: 87 hectares
- History: Over 1,000 years
- Opening Hours:8:00-17:15
- Ticket: CNY100
- Recommended Visit Time: 3 hours
- Location: Wujang District, Suzhou City
Best Time to Visit Tongli Water Town
Spring (from March to May) is the best time to visit Tongli Ancient Town. The weather is nice and comfortable. It rains a little, and there is some mist, which makes the town look beautiful and mysterious. Peach and apricot flowers are blooming, and they look great with the old buildings.
In spring, there are also many fun cultural activities in Tongli, like the Spring of Tongli International Tourism and Culture Festival. You can enjoy the beautiful scenery and learn about the culture of the water towns in the south of the Yangtze River.
Why Visit Tongli Ancient Town
Tongli Water Town is the best choice if you like a small but graceful water town around Shanghai. Most of the buildings in Tongli are situated along the waterways. Walking in the laid-back town, it's not difficult to imagine how life was 100 years ago.
- Tongli Ancient Town has 15 rivers in the shape of the Chinese character "川" as its framework. 49 ancient bridges connect every household, with every home built along the water. Boats row through the narrow alleys between the white walls and dark tiles. Compared to other ancient towns, Tongli shows a more dimensional network of waterways. You can easily take a beautiful picture of the flowing Jiangnan scenery here.
- Tuisi Garden is a World Cultural Heritage site. It breaks the traditional layout by being built close to the water. The design of the garden, with features like the land boat and music room, is full of hidden mechanisms.
- The Taiping Bridge, Jili Bridge, and Changqing Bridge are connected in the shape of the Chinese character "品". The local custom of walking over the three bridges during weddings has been passed down for 600 years. Newly married couples must perform this ritual. Tourists who join in can feel a more lively folk life than in ordinary ancient towns.
- In Tongli Ancient Town, you can experience a slow life. There are no noisy bar streets or crowded internet-famous shops. In the morning, you can see old women washing clothes on the stone wharf. In the afternoon, there are storytelling and singing artists performing in the teahouse. At night, the lanterns reflected on the water look like a starry river, showing the real-life texture of the ancient town.
Highlights of Tongli Water Town
The most famous sights in Tongli Ancient Town are Tuisi Garden, Jiayin Hall, Chongben Hall, and the Three Bridges (Taiping Bridge, Jili Bridge, and Changqing Bridge). Tuisi Garden is small but beautiful and well-designed. Jiayin Hall has amazing brick carvings, and Chongben Hall is full of wonderful wood carvings. The Three Bridges are important and have special meanings for the town.
Tuisi Garden
The Tuisi Garden is laid out from west to east in three parts: the residence, the courtyard, and the garden. The residence includes a gate hall, a tea hall, a main hall, and two small buildings where the family lives.
The courtyard in the middle is a transition between the residence and the garden. It’s mainly used for receiving guests. The courtyard is surrounded by a corridor. The garden takes up more than half of the whole estate. It centers around a lotus pond, with rockeries, buildings, and plants around it. A winding corridor goes around the south, north, and west sides of the lotus pond, connecting all the buildings in the garden.
Jiayin Hall
The front door of Jiayin Hall is a stone-gate style. It’s made of thin, clean bricks that have been finely ground and then joined with mortar. This makes the wall look very clean and bright. Just seeing it makes you feel good before you even go inside.
When you walk into the gate hall and look up, you’ll see three gods - Fu (Good Fortune), Shou (Longevity), and Lu (Prosperity) - in the middle of the ceiling. They look like they’re smiling and welcoming guests from far away.
Chongben Hall
The buildings of Chongben Hall are built in rows and divided into 5 parts: the gate hall, the main hall, the front building, the back building, and the kitchen. There’s a wall between the main hall and the hall building. There are two small courtyards on either side of the gate building. This design helps with ventilation and lighting, and it also protects against fire and helps with drainage.
The most special thing is that the buildings get taller from the gate hall to the back building. This means progressing steadily.
Three Bridge
The Three Bridges are the Taiping Bridge, Jili Bridge, and Changqing Bridge. People in Tongli believe these three bridges can bring good luck. Walking across these bridges can help avoid bad things and lead to a good life. During important times like weddings, a baby’s first month, or an elder’s birthday, people in Tongli will walk the three bridges to wish for good fortune.
Walking on Taiping Bridge helps keep you healthy. Walking the Jili Bridge makes your business more successful and brings better luck. Walking on Changqing Bridge helps you stay young and beautiful.
Boat Ride
Taking a boat ride in the water town is a popular activity in Jiangnan. The boatmen will tell stories about the old streets and houses. The boat will also go through a small path formed by trees on both sides of the river. It's like looking at pictures of the water town.
- Price: CNY40 for a shared boat, CNY150 for a private boat
- Time: 8:00-17:10
- Dock: Gongyuan Bridge Dock
- Route: Gongyuan Bridge Dock-Changqing Bridge-Taiping Bridge-Gengle Hall-Dingzi River-Jili Bridge-Gongyuan Bridge Dock.
Nanyuan Teahouse
Nanyuan Teahouse is a famous teahouse in Jiangnan. It was built with bricks and wood in the late Qing Dynasty. The waiters there wear clothes from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Here, you can enjoy all kinds of tea and delicious snacks. You can also listen to performances like Jiangnan silk and bamboo music, storytelling with music, and traditional opera.
How to Get to Tongli Water Town
Tongli is in Wujiang District, Suzhou City, just 30 kilometers from downtown Suzhou and 90 kilometers from Shanghai. It provides the perfect day-trip opportunity from either of these bustling cities.
From Suzhou to Tongli Ancient Town
By taxi: The distance is 28 kilometers. It takes 50 minutes and costs CNY77
By subway: Take Line 4 from Suzhou Railway Station to Tongli Station. Exit from Exit 10, then take Bus 725 and get off at Shipai Station. Finally, walk 170 meters to reach Tongli Ancient Town. It takes 100 minutes and costs CNY7.
From Shanghai to Tongli Ancient Town
Take a high-speed train from Shanghai to Suzhou. The fastest train takes only 30 minutes to arrive at Suzhou Railway Station. After that, take the subway to Tongli Ancient Town.
| Train Number | Departure Time | Arrival Time | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| G3124 | 6:19 | 6:52 | 33minutes |
| D3072 | 7:02 | 7:37 | 35minutes |
| G7264 | 11:20 | 11:45 | 25minutes |
| G7164 | 13:09 | 13:35 | 26minutes |
Note: you can find more trains from Shanghai to Suzhou on China Train.
Travel with China Travel (Recommended)
Should you wish to bypass the hassles of public transportation and complex navigation, a private tour with China Travel would likely be your ideal option. It includes complete sightseeing, meals, and transportation services.
In order to provide a seamless and enjoyable journey to Tongli, China Travel offers you the expertise of our experienced, English-speaking guides and professional drivers.
From picking you up from your specified spot (be it a hotel, cruise terminal, airport, or train station), to guiding you through the mesmerizing Tongli, and ensuring transportation to your next destination, we take care of every detail.
Recommended Tour:
1-Day Tongli Water Town Tour from Shanghai
1-Day Private Suzhou and Tongli Water Town Tour from Shanghai
3-Day Essence of Shanghai with Tongli Water Town via Round-Trip Wusongkou Transfers
5-Day Shanghai Highlights with Suzhou Tongli Tour
How to Plan Your Tongli Tour
Start from the morning: Tuisi Garden → Gondola Ride → Pearl Tower → Three Bridges Area → lunchtime → Chongben Mansion → Jiayin Mansion → Nanyuan Teahouse for layover → Luoxing Islet
Start from the afternoon: Tuisi Garden → Gondola Ride → Three Bridges Area
It will be good for you to combine your Tongli tour with your Shanghai or Suzhou tour. Contact us about your needs so our experienced travel advisor can help you arrange your unique Tongli trip.
Related Reading: What is better for you in the top water towns close to Shanghai
Tongli Water Town at Night
The night in Tongli Water Town is truly beautiful. After dark, red lanterns light up one by one along the riverside, making the water surface glimmer and shine. The ancient bridges loom indistinctly under the lamplight. Below the bridges, small boats glide by slowly, and the water ripples gently. On the cobblestone paths, people stroll at a leisurely pace.
It's very quiet all around, with only the occasional sound of oars splashing and water lapping. The whole ancient town is enveloped in lights and the night, exuding a cozy charm that makes you feel extremely at ease.
Options for accommodation in the scenic area include resorts, hotels, homestays, and inns to suit any budget. Recommended areas to stay are around Mingqing Street, near Tuisi Garden, or Three Bridges for a range of food, drink, and entertainment options.
Other Ancient Towns around Shanghai
You may get confused about which water town is the best to go to if you are the first time to visit, so we list all the water towns with detailed information for your inspiration: