Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
13
TONGLI
The picturesque water town of Tongli, with its ancient architecture
and arched bridges crisscrossing the canals, offers a glimpse of
what this region looked like back in the days of the Song Dynasty.
DISTANCE:
8km (5 miles)
TIME:
A full day
START:
Ming Qing Jie
END:
Luoxing Islet
POINTS TO NOTE:
Like all of the water villages around Shanghai,
Tongli is quite touristy, so try to visit on a weekday and arrive early in
the morning or in the late afternoon when the tour groups have left. To
get there from Shanghai, the easiest way is to hire a car for the day.
There are also tour buses that depart from the Shanghai Tour Bus
Centre (2409 Zhongshan No. 2 Road; tel: 2409 5555, ask for English
language service). Bus tickets generally include entrance. Tongli itself
is entirely navigable on foot. An entrance ticket (RMB 100) is required
to enter the village, and includes free entry to three sites. Book an
English-speaking guide in advance via the Tongli Tourist Information
Centre (512 6333 1145). Most information in Tongli is in Chinese only,
so a guide will give some useful insight into what you're looking at.
Escape from Shanghai for a day to the beguiling old water town of
Tongli
, so pretty that it's of-
ten used as a backdrop for Chinese films and television shows. Situated on the Grand Canal
and surrounded by five streams, the built-up area is made up of seven islets, connected by a
series of 49 ancient arched stone bridges with typically evocative names such as 'Lasting Cel-
ebration' and 'Peace and Tranquillity'. This was once a wealthy place, where retired officials