Travel Guide Tongli 同里

Also located in Jiangsu province, 80 km from Shanghai, 10 km from Zhouzhuang and 18 km from Suzhou, the city of Tongli has roughly the same characteristics as Zhouzhuang. Surrounded by five lakes and structured in a circle, the city of 55,000 inhabitants consists of seven islands separated by twenty rivers surrounded by nearly 50 ancient bridges. This very special urbanism is worth the nickname "Venice of the East".This wonderful little village has been described many times by China's most famous poets.The city has existed since the Song period, but most buildings date from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Well protected thanks to its aquatic environment through the various wars that have shaken the region over the centuries, the city of Tongli is particularly well preserved: nearly half of the houses and temples date from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Chinese sometimes also give him the nickname of ancient China's architectural museum. Its traditional architecture using Jinshan stones takes place along the banks and paved alleys that have preserved an air of yesteryear. Originally, more than 50 bridges flooded the village canals, now more than thirty of them still standing. Do not miss to visit the Tuisi garden, one of the wonders of the region.