Tongli - 同里

The village of Tongli photos

Presentation of the village of Tongli

The small town of Tongli is about 20 kilometers southeast of Suzhou, in Jiangsu Province.This old village is mainly characterized by a large amount of water and many bridges that cross it, as well as its network of 15 channels from Tongli Lake. The establishment of this small village at the water’s edge gives it all its charm. The 3 attractive stone bridges of Tongli, Taiping, Jili and Changqing, are symbols of protection and it is common to see the inhabitants crossing them during special celebrations.Although Tongli attracts many foreign travelers, it remains much less visited than other cities of water and it is really nice to walk there.The famous Tuisi Garden, in which you will surely not miss a peaceful walk, built at the water’s edge, with a pond in the center, is original and gives the impression that it was built on the water. Other gardens are to discover and it will be just as pleasant to walk there.The traditional architecture of the typical houses and the cobbled streets also provide a lot of charm to the village. Indeed, Tongli’s popular homes are truly original, with their roofs raised, carved brick doors … The Chongben and Jiayin rooms, in buildings with architecture, respectively Ming and Qing, contain magnificent wood carvings.Moreover, in the middle of this small village is something quite unexpected, the sex museum of ancient China. It consists of more than 1500 pieces, divided by themes, quite impressive and retracing sexual customs in ancient China.

Useful information

Plan 1 to 2 days for the visit of Tongli.Name in Chinese: Tónglǐ – 同里From Suzhou, take subway line 4, get off at Tongli 同里, exit 9. Then take bus 725 towards Tongli Qichezhan 同里汽车站, get off at Tongli Guzhen Shipai Lou 同里古镇石牌楼.Ticket price: 100¥Opening hours: 7h30 to 21h00 (7:30am to 9pm)