Tongli Travel Guide

Tongli is a Chinese town that sits on the periphery of Suzhou, a prominent city famous for its classical gardens. Tongli's own stake in tourism stems from its network of canals used for getting around.

Worth It?: The network of canals makes this unique city well worth the effort.
What to Do: floating along the canals, visiting museums.
Best Time to Go: April to May and September to October see the best weather.
How Long?: One or two days are enough to see Tongli.
Trivia: tourists are expected to pay a modest entry-fee when entering the Tongli during the day, though this is waived after 18:00.

Suzhou is a well-established UNESCO World Heritage site, but Tongli has recently been added to the list of tentative sites. While the nostalgic canals are the main attraction in Tongli, there are several other attractions and classical gardens.

Several museums are also found here. These cover a range of subjects from local history to sexuality. Most visitors spend the day ducking into one or two museums and chartering a boat along the waterways before settling into a canal-side restaurant for a laid-back dinner.

Travel to Tongli - Getting There

Most visitors travel to Tongli via Suzhou, a 30-minute drive away. But the nearest major airport and gateway to the city is Shanghai, 65 miles from Tongli. Buses connect to and from Shanghai in 2 hours, while trains are available for transport between Suzhou and Shanghai.

Tongli Things to Do

Tongli Attractions

1- Gengle Residence

this classic Ming Dynasty residence was said to be so comfortable that its original occupant seldom set foot outside and eventually became a hermit.

Garden of Retreat and Reflection

Tongli's foremost classical garden was built in the late 19th century and enjoys favorable status with UNESCO.

Three Bridges

in all there are 49 bridges spanning Tongli's canals, but these three (Taiping, Changqing and Siben) are especially noteworthy for their age and elegance.

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