What are the attractions in Tongli Ancient Town?
Overview
Tongli, formerly known as "Futu", was changed to "Tongli" in the early Tang Dynasty because its name was too extravagant. In the Song Dynasty, some literati overlapped the two characters of the old name "Futu", dotted it upwards, and cut it horizontally in the middle, and split it into "Tongli", which is still used today.
Tongli is located 10 kilometers west of Zhouzhuang and only 18 kilometers away from Suzhou City. The ancient town is surrounded by water and embedded in the five lakes of Tongli, Jiuli, Yeze, Nanxing and Pangshan. The building stands on the water and is known as the "Little Venice of the East".
Features
There are many water and bridges, many buildings in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and many celebrities and scholars. It is famous for its "small bridges, flowing water, and people's homes". The main attractions can be summarized as "One Garden", "Second Hall" and "Three Bridges".
Best time to travel
Tongli is a typical Jiangnan water town with a pleasant climate, no harsh winters and scorching heat, and unique scenery in all four seasons. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about the season when you go to Tongli, but it is best not to go on weekends or holidays, because it is difficult to appreciate the tranquility and beauty of the ancient town and water town among the huge crowds.
Festivals
As the saying goes: "Thousands of miles have different winds, and a hundred miles have different customs." Tongli has many unique folk festivals:
At one o'clock on the first lunar month Arhat
From the first to the fifth day of the first lunar month, devotees from all over the country rush to the "Nanguan" located in the southwest of the ancient town to light Arhats to pray for peace in the four seasons.
March 28 Zhu Tianhui
This is a spontaneous folk activity to commemorate Zhu Youjian, the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty, but most of the people in Tongli are old ladies, so Tongli people Few people know the true nature of Zhu Tianhui. They only remember a folk song: "On the 28th of March, I rolled over the old woman." The main activities are "sitting on a stool and eating vegetarian food".
April 14 Fairy Fair
This is an event with a wider area, but it has the characteristics of Tongli. The main activities include: walking on stilts, wearing arm incense, clam shell essence, and river boating. The queue was very long, and at the end there was a group of faithful men and women wearing sin clothes and skirts to express atonement.
Shooting the water dragon on June 23rd
It is a major feature of Tongli and is actually an annual firefighting competition. From the main temple to the west, all the way to the ferry bridge, people with water taps fired at the same time. The water dragons on the river soared into the sky, the mist dispersed, and the scene was spectacular.
Burn incense and release water lanterns on July 30th. July 30th is the birthday of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. Every household lights candles and burns incense at the door of their home or on the ground in the courtyard, and then puts out water lanterns. At that time, the water lanterns in the town will be lit up in a flash, like a starry sky, following the water waves from the west. Dong slowly disappeared into the night.
Tickets
Combined ticket: 100 yuan
Guzhen District ticket: 30 yuan
Package: 40 yuan (off-season)/60 Yuan (peak season) (including Tuisi Garden, Exhibition Hall, Chongben Hall, Jiayin Hall, Geng Le Hall, Luo Xingzhou, Pearl Tower)
Leize Girls' School: 15 yuan
Luo Xingzhou: 15 yuan
Opening hours
8:00--17:00 on weekdays; 7:30--17:30 on holidays
Food
Tongli has a mild and humid climate, dense river branches, and is rich in river fresh food and various aquatic crops. The catering culture has typical Jiangnan characteristics. The most famous ones are Zhuangyuan's trotters, shrimps in cakes, spring rolls with three shreds, eel paste with sesame oil, and famous waterside dishes cooked with river freshness such as white fish, sea bass, mandarin fish, and soft-shell turtle. Aquatic plants such as water bamboo, celery, water shield, water chestnut, lotus root, truncatula, etc. are all unique in local characteristics. In terms of snacks, there are sock-soled cakes, mince cakes, Cibao cakes, green dumplings, min cakes, lard rice cakes, chicken rice cakes, big meat steamed buns, fermented rice cakes, malt cakes, small smoked fish, etc. Visitors can go to the century-old Try it at Dian Yilong Sauce Garden, Guxiang Village, and Nanyuan Tea House.
Huxian famous dish
Shrimp in the cake: Mix egg whites thoroughly, add rice noodles and shrimps, add oil to the pan and make it. It is bright in color, fragrant and delicious, and can also be served separately. Box, eat it with tomatoes, the taste will be better.
Three-threaded fish roll: Choose five or six kilograms of herring or grass carp, take the middle part of the female part, remove the belly and leave the skin, roll in shredded ham, chicken, and fragrant rut, and add rice wine and fragrant spices. Add onions and other condiments and steam until cooked. Its meat is tender, fragrant and delicious, with a unique flavor.
Sesame oil eel paste: Prepare with fried eel shreds, ham shreds, chicken shreds, shrimps, etc., add a little shredded ginger, ghee, minced garlic, and pour boiling meat oil over the noodles.
When serving, lightly sprinkle with pepper, the aroma is fragrant and delicious.
Living in Tongli
“Every home is close to the water and every household has access to boats”, Tongli is full of outstanding people and long alleys. Chuanxinnong is simple and elegant, and the bluestone path contains the unique cultural color of the water town. The Ming and Qing Dynasty residences on both sides have experienced the mist and rain of the south of the Yangtze River, and have become more beautiful and simple, making people forget to leave.
In this quiet, poetic and picturesque group of ancient buildings, a number of unique ancient residential inns are officially open to the public. The folk customs are strong, the water passes by the window, sleep with your head on the river, the sound of the oars accompanies you to sleep, and you have the same dream as Tongli, blend in and become a Tongli person.
The most famous places to stay in Tongli are Shidetang Hotel, Sanyuan Hotel, and Tongli Lake Resort.
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Tongli Ancient Town is located on the shore of Taihu Lake and the Grand Canal, 18 kilometers away from Suzhou, 6 kilometers away from Wujiang, and 80 kilometers away from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport. Land and water transportation is very convenient. At present, direct buses from Shanghai and Suzhou to Tongli have been opened. There are many rivers in the town, many bridges and boats, and modern transportation is even more convenient. The sightseeing battery car that has been opened will give you a dreamlike feeling of intertwined time and space.
From Shanghai to Tongli (105 kilometers):
Self-driving
Tongli Map (Suzhou Tongli Ancient Town Traffic Map§ From Shanghai to National Highway 318 to Lixing to Songshe Highway to Tongli
§ Via Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway, take the Suzhou East Exit and go south to Tongli.
§ Via the Shanghai-Hangzhou Expressway. Exit Jiaxing in the direction of Pingwang, go 6 kilometers east to Songling via Provincial Highway 205 and arrive at Tongli
Passenger Bus
§Shanghai Stadium → Tongli Time: 8:00/9. :00/10:00/11:00 Driving time: about 2 hours
§Shanghai Hutai Road → Tongli Time: 12:30/13:40 Driving time: about 2 hours
From Shanghai to Suzhou and then to Tongli (only 18 kilometers from Suzhou to Tongli):
§Air-conditioned car Shanghai Hongqiao Airport→Suzhou Time: 10:00/11:00/12:00/13 :00/14:00/15:00/16:00/17:30/19:00 Driving time: 1 hour and 40 minutes
§Bus Shanghai→Suzhou Time: One bus every 15 minutes Driving time: approx. 2 hours
Suzhou South Bus Station→Tongli Time: 6:30/6:50/8:30/9:25/11:00/12:25/14:00/15:25/ 16:20/17:00 Driving time: 35 minutes
Suzhou Wuxian Bus Station → Tongli Time: every 15 minutes Driving time: 35 minutes Fare: ￥8
Suzhou Train Station → Tongli Time: One bus every 30 minutes. Journey time: 50 minutes. Fare: ￥8
Take bus No. 5 from Songlin Town, Wujiang City directly to Tongli. Journey time: 10 minutes. Fare: ￥1
§Train Shanghai→Suzhou Time: Every 20 minutes Travel time: 1 hour
Tongli Cruise
§Gu Town Three Bridges Scenery Tour Ticket Price: ￥ 60/boat (can seat 6 people)
§Tongli Lake style tour ticket price: ￥200/boat (can seat 40 people)
§Tongli Lake surfing ticket price : ￥80/boat (can seat 6 people)
§ Luxury cruise ship Tongli→Zhouzhuang One-way fare: ￥450/boat (can seat 60 people)
§ Luxury cruise ship Tongli Round trip fare from Li to Zhouzhuang: ￥600/boat (can seat 60 people)
Sightseeing battery car
Tuisi Garden-----Entrance to the town-----Luo Xingzhou Stop on call
Tongli Town highway mileage reference
§Outside the province highways: Shanghai (105 kilometers) Hangzhou (148 kilometers) Huzhou (83 kilometers) Jiaxing (55 kilometers) < /p>
§ Provincial highways: Nanjing (248 kilometers) Zhenjiang (214 kilometers) Changzhou (130 kilometers) Wuxi (68 kilometers)
Changshu (65 kilometers) Zhangjiagang (110 kilometers) Kunshan ( 48 kilometers) Taicang (66 kilometers) Wujiang (6 kilometers)
You
Although Tongli is small, it has winding streets, deep twists and turns, and the distribution of cultural relics and historic sites is also confusing. In order to make it easier Visitors to Tongli who are new to Tongli will have a great time and enjoy themselves. We have designed three routes for your reference.
1. If you are a guest who comes and goes in a hurry and can only stay in Tongli for a while, it is recommended that you take the A route and put some of the essence of Tongli in your heart first.
The specific route is:
Tuisi Garden → Cultural Relics Museum → Chongben Hall → Three Bridges → Jiayin Hall → Dingzi River → Ming and Qing Street → Shide Hall
2. If you have plenty of time and can spend a whole day in Tongli, it is recommended that you take route B. You can taste Tongli snacks on Ming and Qing Street, and then bring some Tongli local specialties. A happy end to the day's play.
The specific route is:
Tuisi Garden → Lize Women’s School → Sanxie Hall → Cultural Relics Hall → Chongben Hall → Sanqiao → Geng Le Hall → Dingzi River → Jiayin Hall → Ming and Qing Street → Shide Hall → Wuhemen Tower → Chen Qubing’s Former Residence
3. If you are here for a rest and vacation, it is recommended that you stay in Tongli the night before. You can stay there after dinner First, go to Tuisi Garden to enjoy the view of the night garden (open on weekends) and taste the unique tranquility and otherworldly feeling. Then start the tour the next day. You can get up early in the morning, take Route C, take a boat in the morning light, and start your day tour from Luo Xingzhou in Tongli Lake.
The specific route is:
Luo Xingzhou → Chen Qubing’s former residence → Wuhemen Tower → Nandai Dongdai Old Street → Nanshi Xiaoyan → Chuanxin Lane → Dingzi River → Ji Chengting→Genngle Hall→Sanqiao→Jiayin Hall→Chongben Hall→Cultural Relics Hall→Sanxie Hall→Pearl Attractions Group→Leize Girls’ School→Tuisi Garden→Ming and Qing Street→Shide Hall
Shopping
The Ming and Qing Commercial Street in Tongli is a good place for shopping. The buildings on both sides were built in the Ming and Qing Dynasties and retain their original style. The streets are filled with various specialty crafts, including calligraphy and calligraphy, antique embroidery, delicacies and snacks, such as traditional specialties smoked fish, meat dumplings, chestnut cakes, fruit cakes, etc., traditional snacks such as big meat steamed buns, fermented rice cakes, malt cakes, green dumplings, etc. , cheap and good quality. If you are an antique collector, you may find relics of history in an inconspicuous stall.
Tongli is rich in aquatic products, and aquatic products and local specialties are also the main choices for shopping. The must-buys are Tongli fermented rice cakes and chicken head rice.
Entertainment
Tongli, a thousand-year-old ancient town, has a long history and culture, including silk and bamboo, Xuanjuan, Pingtan, opera, minor tunes, flower baskets, lotus and Xiang, dragon dance, lion dance, and bridge lanterns. , river lanterns, etc., are all cultural relics and popular repertoires with great traditional charm. Walking on the Three Bridges and rowing a boat are forms of relaxation that combine tourism and entertainment. Sitting on a cruise ship to enjoy the waterside landscape of the ancient town is another kind of fun.
Tongli Night Garden is an excellent place for people to taste real life, recall the past, and admire the beautiful life. While sipping a cup of tea in the garden thatched cottage, you can enjoy the leisurely "Spring River Flowers and Moonlight Night" on the partition wall, the beginning of Wu Nong's Tanci on the corridor, the falling "Two Springs Reflect the Moon" on the pavilion, and the clear "Moonlight Night on the Spring River" on the shore. "Pearl Tower" selection, the melodious curling tunes in the hall, the mesmerizing moonlight in the back garden, the simple folk customs in the streets, the colorful lantern boats in the river that complement the river lanterns, and the tradition of alternating traffic lights with branches Bridge lights.