Tongli

Tongli is a town in Wujiang County, on the southern outskirts of Suzhou and about an hour drive from Shanghai. With a history of over 1000 years, Tongli has only recently become a tourist attraction. Its chief claim to fame is a system of canals reminiscent of Venice, Italy.

With a network of lakes and waterways, Tongli was inaccessible in ancient times and therefore has survived without the war damage that many other places suffered. Therefore a number of ancient structures are preserved including a number of scenic stone bridges, private gardens, temples, and houses.

Fifteen small river lanes crisscross the town. Spanning these creeks are forty-nine stone bridges with all kinds of styles and looks. These bridges from an integral part of the town by linking together its different sections to make a unified whole. The three most famous bridges are the Taiping (peace), Jili (luck), and Changqing (celebration) bridges. These have served as distinct landmarks for centuries and are widely regarded as sacred architecture by the locals. On special occasions, such as weddings, people like to ceremoniously parade across the three bridges. This ritual is supposed to bring peace, fortune, and happiness in their lives.

Forty percent of the buildings in the town are Ming and Qing. These superbly preserved examples of ancient architecture include grand houses with pleasant courtyards and gardens. A gateway with a brick carving of the Zhu Family and the wood carvings of the Chong Ben Hall & Jia Yin Hall are exquisite. Another building named "Huan Xiu Ge" has two stories and was built over a pond. If you remove a board from the first floor, fish can be seen swimming in the clear water beneath. The traditional gardens are well worth seeing, too. The Tuisi Garden is a good example. The garden was constructed between 1885 and 1887 by a scholar/official. The garden is full of pavilions, terraces, halls, rockeries, ponds, and other elements each designed as one part of a harmonious whole. It's not hard to imagine the owner relaxing in the cool spring evening and enjoying the natural sights and sounds.

For its long history and special beauty, Tongli, along with Luzhi and Zhouzhuang, were listed in the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2004.