The Town of Tongli

Main square

A shopping street

Sightseeing by boat

* Click on pictures

The pictoresque old town of Tongli, once a small fishing village, dates back at least to the Tang dynasty. It became a town during the Song dynasty. Today, it has a population of ca. 35,000. Tongli has been called a "museum of Chinese classic buildings", and, over the years, it has served as a location for many famous historical Chinese films. The town is located on the banks of Taihu Lake and the Great Canal. It is surrounded by water on four sides and is criss-crossed by various streams and canals. It has many historical sites, such as old bridges, temples, palatial homes, tea houses, museums, and gardens. Two of these gardens are especially famous: Tuisi Garden, built during the Qing dynasty for a retired high military official, and the Ming-style garden privately built by the garden enthusiast Mr. Chen Jin-geng from 1993-2003. This truly extraordinary work of art is also open to the public.