There is an article describing Tongli.
Water is the soul of Tongli, the reliance of Tongli, the pride of Tongli and the bearing of Tongli for thousands of years. The rhythm and lightness of water create the beauty of Tongli as a whole. I don't know where the water drips from or where it flows. Green rivers interweave into a dense network. The inland river ports in Tongli Town cross, and the water and sky are connected, and the water town is looming. Water will be divided into Tongli, and a small town with only three or four square kilometers will be divided into seven polder fields, and water is also the link connecting these seven polder fields in series.
Long green water and fresh water. Everything in urban layout revolves around water, because water has become a street, a road, a city and a garden. Water, roads, bridges, houses and gardens are ingeniously and naturally integrated. "Every family faces the water, and every household has a boat." In coastal areas, "houses are dense and streets are winding." Most of the houses in the town are built by water, with white walls and tiles, and the rivers and streets are parallel and tortuous. Go out to see the river, sleep in the pillow river at night, and have an indissoluble bond with water. The total length of the river in Tongli Town is 5. 14 km, and the water surface is 9.37 hectares, accounting for more than one-fifth of the total area of the town, with an average of 13.9 square meters per citizen. The total length of stone revetment is 6.04 kilometers, and the waterfront residential area is 54,600 square meters, accounting for 36.9% of the total construction area of the residential area. The criss-crossing river branches, winding and deep, exquisite and elegant small courtyards, stone bridges and ports of different sizes have constructed the typical scenery of Jiangnan water town, which is "there are many small bridges in water lanes, and people are all resting on the river" and "the bridge crosses the city and the river port enters the lake field".
Water is the lifeblood of Tongli, where the ancient town prospers. There are many deep houses in the town, such as Geng Paradise, Jiayintang and Chongben Hall. They are all built on water, and the sounds of music and books blend into the gurgling sound around, with the feeling of spring breeze and moonlight, green and red.
Historically, the gardens in Tongli were all attached to water, and they had an indissoluble bond with water. Ye Yin, a poet in the Song Dynasty, built another business called Shuizhu Villa. There are ten landscapes in the park, such as "Qushui Flowing", "Bamboo Fengshui Moon" and "Cliff Cold Pool", all of which are water landscapes connected with water phase. In the Yuan Dynasty, the "Water Garden" in Tongli was occupied by Ye Zhenzong, covering several miles, beside the lake in Tongli. In the Ming Dynasty, there was a "lake forestry" in Tongli, which was Ren Xiu's garden, and was located on the side of Pangshan Lake. In the Qing Dynasty, there were world cultural heritages, national cultural relics protection units and the famous "Retreat Garden", which was unique among many classical gardens in Suzhou. Professor Chen Congzhou of Tongji University pointed out: Shiren Retreat Garden is a must in the south of the Yangtze River, and it is a special case of waterside gardens. Mountains, pavilions, pavilions, corridors, pavilions and so on are all near water, and gardens are like water. Professor Chen Congzhou also spoke highly of the water in Tongli: "Tongli is famous for its water, and there is no Tongli without water".
In the "Eight Great Scenery" of Ming Dynasty, many landscapes are also based on water, such as "Nine Miles of Blue", "Lianpu Fragrant Wind" and "Shuicun Fishing Flute". The landscape of "Luoxing listening to the rain" in the "last four scenes" is characterized by waterscape and is known as "Penglai Wonderland".
Fellow villagers like water, fellow villagers can't live without water, and they are deeply impressed by water. Tongli is made of water, so there will be all kinds of charm of women. Because of the water, the habit of drinking tea in Tongli is stronger than that in other ancient towns. Before the Anti-Japanese War, there were more than 20 teahouses in Tongli, which were generally built along the river to facilitate water collection. River water can be used to make tea after alum precipitation. In today's Tongli, the riverside is full of tables and chairs with blue cloth countertops, and tourists who drink tea and chat can be seen from time to time. If it is the off-season, the innkeeper makes a pot of tea and sits by the river reading. On the railing at hand are pots of orchids that grow just right.
The fish and shrimp in the water are the real owners of this river. At noon in summer, at the corner of the river bridge under the shade of trees, a group of naughty little fish lined up and suddenly passed by, and the water shook slightly and disappeared without a trace. I just thought I was dizzy or distracted, but I swam back as if I were a naughty boy. A witty person who can catch one or two laggards at the end of the year is their best plaything. The big fish swam around in the middle of the river, carefree, and the teenagers could only lick their fingers and stare.
Tongli is a veritable land of fish and rice in the south of the Yangtze River. Because there are many banks of Danghe River, there are all kinds of inexhaustible aquatic products. Fish and shrimp are abundant, such as whitebait, whitebait, mandarin fish, Monopterus albus, eel, turtle and perch, as well as herring, grass carp, bighead carp, silver carp, bream, carp and crucian carp. You can't see shrimp on weekdays. Only when the weather is hot and the water overflows, those shrimps stick to the revetment of the river bank at will and don't move, so the bowls and pots of adults and children are along the revetment one by one. All this needs to be done, because these tired travelers will disappear immediately after a good rest, and none of them seem to have a collection number. Such fun, every colleague will say.
In addition to fish, shrimp, mussels and other aquatic products, Tongli has a complete range of aquatic plants, mainly including Zizania latifolia, celery, water shield, Euryale ferox, water chestnut, lotus root, water chestnut, taro and arrowhead. Some can be served on the table, some are seasonal supplements, and some are timely.
When it comes to water, you can't help talking about bridges. If there is more water, there will be more bridges. Bridges in Tongli are the gateway and link to and from the town, and they are all well built. If water is a graceful woman, then the bridge is a man who pleases water and wins the heart of water women by various means. Or embody a man's compassion and gentleness with a beautiful radian; Or build a flat bridge with angular slates to show men's fortitude and roughness; Or win by age or be good at connotation, win the hearts of water girls by pleasant names, or be simple, introverted, wise or peaceful, such as Nana Ogawa, Dongxi, Guanfu, Siben, Pu 'an, Tailai, Shengping and Dechun.
In addition to all kinds of ancient bridges with different shapes, there are all kinds of river bridges in Tongli, which are an eye-opener for people who come to the ancient town. The so-called river bridge is called water pier in the north and river pier and bridge head in the south.
When all is silent, listen carefully, and the sound of water under each bridge is different. Is that a shy water woman and a bridge man whispering? They witnessed the history of the town, either brilliant or dim; They are pregnant with children in the water town, and the girls are watery and handsome. Otherwise, how can they challenge the whole country and have an appointment with the beautiful women in the water town every year? Water and bridge are always silent and harmonious.
Water is the main space for villagers to live. Soft green water flows quietly, flows through the town, and also flows into the hearts of the people in the town, nourishing the lives of the people in the water town. When the sun rises in the morning, or the sun sets, soft light is projected on the river, just like watercolor painting with light strokes. Looking at the slowly flowing water, you can imagine beautiful sentences such as Qushui, Bamboo Fengshui Moon and so on, and know that life can have a sense of security and a kind of comfort. Everything, including mood, can be washed in water, and it will be brand-new after coming out of the water. The joys and sorrows are crushed and melted in the water, and Shui Yang overflows and absorbs them all. That ripple is clearly a child's happy smile, sweet, and can't bear to refuse this happiness; That ripple is clearly the heart of a girl with a bitter clove, but it is hard to stop. That ripple is clearly the wrinkle on the old man's forehead, telling the vicissitudes of the past. That ripple, spreading together, will gradually subside. Years are like water, and water is like years. In Tongli, you can't feel the taste of "being happy in the rivers and lakes", but you can feel the peace of water, environment and mind. ...
Water is a paradise for fellow villagers, bearing generations of fellow villagers. People in Tongli let the water melt into too much tenderness, tranquility and peace, so the water in Tongli is so poetic, fresh and beautiful.