Tongli Water Town – Enjoy a Poetic Dream of Chinese Water Town

Tongli (同里), also called Tongli Water Town, in the southwest of Suzhou, is one of the “Top Six Ancient Towns in Jiangnan (Regions South of Yangtze River)” in China with a long history of over 1,000 years. Enjoying the advantageous location of being surrounded by water and linked by old stone bridges, Tongli is the symbol of water town in southern China. Therefore, it is regarded as the “Oriental Venice” as well as a “Natural Photo Studio” by people from the whole world and is titled the “National AAAAA Tourist Attraction”. Moreover, since it still well keeps a series of ancient structures from the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, like the “Retreat & Reflection Garden (退思园)” which is a World Cultural Heritage Site praised by many poets, Tongli is a perfect place to savor the authentic flavor of old water town in China and the real leisure life of the charming Jiangnan (江南) region.

☛ Best Tongli Water Town Tour Packages 2025

To explore the real charm of Tongli Water Town, you can not only roam along the old streets and rivers, but also visit the famous spots such as the Retreat & Reflection Garden, Three Bridges, Ming-Qing Dynasties Street, Gengle Hall, Pearl Tower, etc.

Retreat & Reflection Garden

Retreat & Reflection Garden or Tuisi Garden (退思园) has been listed as the World Cultural Heritage Site by the UNESCO. This garden was built during 1885 and 1887 by Ren Lansheng (任兰生) who was relieved of his office as government official for his corruption. He named this place as “Tui Si Yuan” to introspect himself. In Tuisi Garden, you can feel the very ancient charm from the historic wood buildings. However, you will be surprised to find the very fantastic water garden hidden in, where pavilions, corridors, bridges, halls, houses, rockeries, pools, old trees, lovely flowers, adorable fishes, etc. are all very harmonious and nice in this secret garden. Walking along the stone-paved path or standing on the pavilion on rockeries, you can appreciate the especially terrific sightseeing of the natural and traditional garden. For its amazing beauty, there is a Tuisi Zhuang (退思庄) in the botanic garden in New York, US, which is built according to Tuisi Garden, which completely demonstrates that the Chinese garden has already got popularity from the entire world.

The Three Bridges (三桥) in Tongli refers to Taiping Bridge (太平桥), Jili Bridge (吉利桥) and Changqing Bridge (长庆桥), which is one of the must-see highlights in Tongli Water Town. Forming a shape like the character “品” in Chinese, the Three Bridges is the treasure place in Tongli. You could see people walking on the bridges and boats running below. Especially during festivals, there will be very busy and jubilant, because local people treat it very auspicious and happy to walk along the Three Bridges. So you can follow the custom to get more good fortunes and better body by walking along the Jili Bridge, Taiping Bridge and Changqing Bridge in order for one round without going back.

Ming-Qing Dynasties Street (明清街) is one of Tongli's best-preserved commercial streets, offering authentic shopping amidst Qing Dynasty architecture. This street stretches over 160 meters, preserving the unique parallel "Upper and Lower Street" layout characteristic of Jiangnan water towns. Originally built during the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1912) dynasties, the street underwent restoration in 1996, faithfully maintaining its gray-and-white Jiangsu-Zhejiang architectural style with classic features like horse-riding towers and ornate brick-carved gate arches. It blends commerce and residential life, lined with antique shops and traditional eateries. Visitors can strolling past original Qing-era shopfronts and experience its living history.

Gengle Hall (耕乐堂, Happy Farming Hall) at the middle section of Lujiadai (陆家埭) is really a super ancient building in Tongli Water Town. Built in Ming dynasty in the traditional structure of residence in the front and garden in the back, you can appreciate the more ancient houses in this hall. In the residence area, there are abundant root carving works of various shapes exhibiting in the house, such as the eagle, the flower tree, the figures, the lion, and so forth. When you come in the water garden, you can enjoy the very clear pool with red fishes, antique winding stone bridges above the water, old houses with the traces of weathering, pretty blue sky. Every blink will present you a distinct visual feast!

Though modest in size, Chongben Hall (崇本堂) exemplifies Jiangnan's architectural brilliance through its ingeniously compact layout. The courtyard's poetic landscape, featuring lake-rock and red maples, creates a harmonious miniature world. Celebrated for its carvings, the hall displays over 100 exquisite wood carving arts. Simultaneously serving as Tongli's Wedding Customs Museum, it preserves 19th-century marital heritage through displayed bridal gowns, dowries and recreated ceremonial spaces. Original betrothal documents and matchmaking tools offer fascinating insights into historic courtship customs. Through these carefully preserved artifacts, visitors can gain a vivid understanding of marital customs that shaped Ming-Qing domestic life in water towns.

Besides, there are many other fascinating places to explore in Tongli Water Town. Visit Jiayin Hall (嘉荫堂), known for its elegant design and unique gauze-cap-shaped beam decorations. Don’t miss the Pearl Tower (珍珠塔), actually a Ming-era mansion, brings to life its legendary love story through preserved pavilions. It's well worth visiting Chen Qubing's Former Residence (陈去病故居), home of the renowned revolutionary poet, displaying his personal artifacts and literary works. For nature lovers, Luoxing Island (罗星洲) offers stunning lakeside scenery and a peaceful retreat. Each site reveals a different charm of Tongli, so take your time to discover its deeper beauty!

You deserve to try the featured activities in Tongli to get the real fun and feel the authentic charm of this famous water town.

Boat Tour

Take a sculling boat at the daytime to feel the excitement of watching the ancient buildings and people passing by, the brand-new practice of going through the old Chinese bridges. You can have the scene of ancient Tongli people communicating the outside by boat in your mind. (25 min, about CNY 150 / boat; 1-6 people / boat)

Splendid Night View

The night view of Tongli Water Town is splendid. With strings of red lanterns lighting along the river, gorgeous colorful flashes shining in the trees, sparkling lights curving the fancy lines of bridges and paths, the water town will make you immerse into its beauty.

Rickshaw Tour

Let the local carter take you to appreciate Tongli Water Town with a distinct visual angle on the ancient rickshaw. Passing through the narrow lanes and admiring the centuries-old buildings, you can imagine yourself being the people living in Tongli in ancient times.

Retreat & Reflection Garden (Tuisi Garden) → take a sculling boat → Three Bridges → Chongben Hall → Jiayin Hall → Former Residence of Chengqubing → Ming-Qing Dynasties Street

2-day in-depth route

Day 1: Retreat & Reflection Garden (Tuisi Garden) → take a sculling boat → Three Bridges → Chongben Hall → Jiayin Hall → Former Residence of Chengqubing → Ming-Qing Dynasties Street

Day 2: Pearl Tower → Lize Girls School → take a boat to Luoxing Island

How to Get to Tongli Water Town from Suzhou - 25 km (about 40 minutes' drive)

• By Metro: Suzhou now operates metro Line 4 to Tongli. After you get to Tongli Metro Station, you need to take a 40 minutes' bus or a 10 minutes' taxi to reach Tongli Water Town. Check more about Suzhou Metro >>.
• By Bus: There are also frequent buses from Suzhou Beiguangchang Bus Station (苏州北广场站), which take about 50 minutes to Tongli Bus Station (1.5 km from Tongli Water Town).

How to Get to Tongli Water Town from Shanghai - 80 km (1.5 hours' drive)

Tourists can take a bullet train from Shanghai to Suzhou first, which is about 30 minutes and then transfer to Tongli for about 59 minutes by Metro or bus. Check more about Shanghai to Suzhou Trains >>.

Travel with China Discovery (Top Recommended):

If you want to get rid of the hustle of public transportation and troublesome navigation, you can book a private tour package which covers sightseeing, dining and transfer from us. Our local tour guide and driver will escort you to Tongli with speed and convenience, and take care of all the details. You just need to focus on sightseeing. Contact us now!

Entrance Fee: CNY 100 / person

Visitors can enter the town area at any time. But internal attractions are Open from 8:00~17:15, with last admission at 17:00 PM. The entrace ticket is valid for 2 days and includes all the tourist attractions in Tongli Water Town, but you can visit each attraction only once.

Retreat & Reflection Garden Night Ticket Fee: CNY 50 / person

A extra admission ticket is required for the night tour of Retreat & Reflection Garden (open 18:30~21:00, last entry at 20:30).

Spring (Mar. to May): with moderate temperature, Tongli is more charming and poetic, especially in the misty rain;

Summer (Jun. to Aug.): a lot of local special folk activities are held in Tongli, offering you the best chance to see the folk culture of this famous Chinese water town. Furthermore, you can enjoy its fantastic night view wandering along the rivers and bridges;

Autumn (Sept. to Nov.): in the fresh and clear weather, the faint aroma of sweet-scented osmanthus makes Tongli Water Town like a young attractive lady under the azure sky;

Tongli Water Town Hotels

For visitors planning to stay overnight in Tongli, staying inside the ancient town may be the best choice. There are no international chain hotels, but with many charming boutique hotels and guesthouses with traditional water-town charm. Opting for centrally located boutique accommodations allows easy walking access to all attractions, especially early entry to Retreat & Reflection Garden, and beautiful night views of the illuminated canals. For 5-star comfort, Tongli Lakeview Hotel of less than 1 km from the tourist area provides very good service and equipment.

3. Since the day tour ticket is valid for two days, if you want to stay in Tongli Water Town for 2 days, you need to present your valid document like your passport to the staff at the ticket office and tell them your requires when collecting the ticket.

4. Tongli Tourist Center provides luggage storage service from 8:00-17:00.

5. Tongli keeps a very traditional skill of fishing which is to order the cormorants to catch fishes in the water, and that skill has kept for over 1,300 years. The local people would sometimes present this God-given show at the middle place of the Three Bridges if there are boats running by and the guests give them some reward.

Generally, a classic Suzhou tour takes about 1~2 days. Visiting Suzhou, you can't miss elegant Suzhou gardens, like Humble Administrator's Garden, Lingering Garden, Master of the Nets Garden, etc. You can choose one or two of them for a great garden delight. Other must-be-visited sights in Suzhou City include Suzhou No.1 Silk Factory from which you can watch the process of silk making from silkworms to elegant products, Tiger Hill which is known as the first sight in Suzhou, Suzhou Museum which is designed by I. M. Pei and Suzhou's old canalside roads (like Pingjiang Road and Shantang Street), etc. If you like Jiangnan watertowns, you can visit Tongli, Zhouzhuang or Luzhi to have a wonderful time. Check more about Top Suzhou Tours >>

☛ 2 Days Suzhou Classic Garden Tour
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In fact, most people travel Suzhou with Shanghai - the best gateway city to Suzhou, and Hangzhou which has long been on a par with Suzhou since ancient times. Generally, it needs 2~3 days enjoying Shanghai's highlights and another 2~3 days appreciating the poetic beauty in Hangzhou. Check more about Shanghai Suzhou Hangzhou Tours >>

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If you want to explore more about Yangtze River Delta, you can travel to Nanjing for its profound historical and cultural charm and unique city dynamism; Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) for its mystical granite peaks, ancient pines, and sea of clouds; Wuxi for its breathtaking Taihu Lake scenery, sacred Buddhist land with 88-meter-tall bronze Shakyamuni Buddha, etc. Check more about Yangtze Delta Tours >>

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Since 2012, we have helped numerous customers visit Suzhou and surroundings. With our fully-inclusive private tour packages, all of our customers enjoyed their trips to the exquisite gardens, peaceful watertowns, informative silk factory or museum, old Suzhou streets, etc. Some of them kindly shared their precious photos and stories about their Suzhou journey, just get inspired now.

"We were lucky for being able to watch Chinese dancers at the Lingering Garden at the time of visit…" - shared by Nguyen (Check her The Pursuit of Natural Beauty with the Beloved one - 14 Days Beautiful China Exploring Tour>)

"Suzhou was the real treat at the end of the trip! Everything about Suzhou was perfect…" - shared by Elizabeth from Britain (Check her Long-lasting Memory brought by First Trip to China - 16 Days well-Organized and Wonderful First Visit to China>

Besides the wonderful travel stories, many customers who visited Suzhou with China Discovery also send us their first-hand feedbacks about their trip, feel free to read the Suzhou Reviews and learn what they say about their experience. If you want to start your Suzhou tour now, don't hesitate to contact us.