Suzhou is located in the center of the Yangtze Delta, in the south of Jiangsu Province. Suzhou is praised as the 'Oriental Venice'. Taihu Lake, four fifths of which is in the territory of Suzhou, is one of the four largest fresh lakes in China, with East Hill, West Hill and other scenic spots in its vicinity. The city is cut by the Beijing- Hangzhou Grand Canal from north to south. Together with its mild climate, fertile landscape and abundance of produce, it is no wonder that Suzhou is called 'paradise on earth'.
Conference One-day Tour
Tongli Town
Originally named Fushi, Tongli is an age-old but very well preserved water township with a history of more than 1,000 years. Located on the eastern shore of Taihu Lake, just 18 kilometers (11 miles) from Suzhou City, the town is 63 square kilometers (24 square miles) in area and has a population of over 33 thousand. True to its reputation, Tongli is a really wonderful travel destination where you can spend a marvelous holiday or experience traditional Chinese culture. Follow our guide and you will have a general idea of this captivating water-town.
Tongli deserves its reputation of a 'museum of ancient architectures' as there are many good houses and temples dating from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Built along the riversigooddes and decorated with flying eaves, carved windows, porcelain furniture, figured clay bricks, dapper gardens and small stairs leading down to the water, these complexes mean Tongli is a shining pearl among the water-towns south of Yangtze River. Retreat and Reflection (Tuisi退思园) Garden, built by the retired official Ren Lansheng during 1885 and 1887, is the most spectacular in the town. Its name is derived from an aphorism expressed in a very famous biography called Zuo Zhuan written by Zuo Qiuming in the Eastern Zhou period (770 BC - 221 BC):'Be loyal to the emperor when in officialdom; be meditative upon the previous faults while away from officialdom.' The ingenious design for Tuisi Garden conforms to the local landforms and conditions and covers about 700 square meters (one fifth acre).
