The fascinating beauty of the Ancient Tongli water town
Tongli Water Town initially called Futu (meaning a fertile land), is a well-preserved water town located on the outskirts of Suzhou, Shanghai. With a history of more than 1000 years, the town has recently become a tourist attraction center with its main attraction sites being canals.
The town is approximately 24 square miles and has an estimated population of about 33 thousand residents. True to its reputation, this water town is quite a fantastic travel destination ideal for adventurous activities and holidays with an ultimate traditional Chinese’s cultural experience.
With its network of waterways and lakes, Tongli town was initially inaccessible, and therefore, it never went through the devastating war experience that other places faced. As a result, several of its ancient buildings are still conserved. These old structures include temples, several scenic stone bridges, houses and private gardens.
Some of the Tourist Attractions you shouldn’t miss when visiting Tongli town include:
The Garden-Style buildings
Most of the famous gardens in Tongli exhibit a perfect combination of artistic gardens and practical residences. These structures include the Jiayin hall, the Chongben hall, and the Tuisi garden.
The fascinating ancient stone bridges
While this water town is well known for its river-lanes and streets, it also houses numerous old stone bridges that were built in various dynasties.
The hollow and stone-paved lanes
Tongli town has several long and narrow roads, some of which are over 300 meters long. Therefore, you can take a walk down the streets for a better view.
The beautiful ancient streets
The 160-meter long road of Mingqing is a stone-paved street that preserves its original Qing and Ming dynasties styles. Some of the famous old streets here include the Sanyuan, Xinzhen, Zhuxing, Fuguan among others.
Besides Tongli being rich with rivers and bridges, it has ancient architectural clusters from the Ming and the Qing dynasties that are so attractive. It is therefore essential to take a cruise to appreciate its old-fashioned beauty. Furthermore, when tourists spend a night in Tongli, they are advised to take a walk in the gardens during the night just to explore its scenic beauty aesthetically.
See the Mr orange shanghai tours that include Tongli water town