Tongli is one of the ancient water towns that edge the Yangtze Delta — a tangle of stone lanes worn smooth by centuries, canals arched with graceful bridges, and houses that lean so close to the water you can imagine stepping straight from the threshold into a boat. Life here moves at a steady rhythm that hasn’t changed much over time. The handcart grooves are still visible in the alleyways, fishermen still paddle along the canals, and the water still catches the shifting light that painters once tried to trap in ink. Spend a night here and you’ll see the town soften into its truest self, a place where the past feels not preserved, but lived.
What to know before visiting Tongli
History of Tongli
Tongli dates back more than a thousand years, first established during the Song Dynasty and shaped over centuries by its network of canals. Often called the “Venice of the East,” the town has long been known for its stone bridges — nearly fifty in total — and its scholar gardens, most famously Tuisi Garden.
Historically, Tongli was a retreat for Suzhou merchants and scholars, who built refined homes and gardens here as places to study, reflect, and entertain. That heritage is still visible today in the pavilions, courtyards, and quiet teahouses scattered throughout the town.
But Tongli’s roots are just as tied to the water as they are to scholarship. For centuries, fishing families lived along these canals and relied on nearby Lake Tai, China’s largest freshwater lake, for their livelihood. Techniques like cormorant fishing — once a practical method, now more of a cultural performance — grew out of that relationship with the water. Even today, the flavors of Tongli’s cuisine reflect this heritage, with the famous Three Whites of Lake Tai (white fish, white shrimp, and whitebait) anchoring local menus.
It’s this dual identity — a town of scholars and fishermen — that gives Tongli its particular character. The refined gardens and the working boats, side by side, tell the story of a place shaped equally by culture and necessity.
Getting there
Tongli sits just outside Suzhou, about 12 miles (20 km) away — a 30 to 40 minute drive. From Shanghai, it’s roughly 50 miles (80 km), usually an hour and a half by car depending on traffic.
The easiest way to get here is by taxi. There are buses and trains, but they involve transfers and more hassle than most travelers want. A cab is inexpensive by Western standards and takes you straight to the gate of the old town.
Entry
The old town charges 100 CNY between 8:00 and 17:15. If you’re staying overnight, try to time your arrival after the ticket booths close. I reached the gate at 4:30 p.m. and still had to buy a ticket to get to my guesthouse — an hour later and I would have walked right in.
Why stay overnight
Tongli is beautiful in daylight, but its best hours are the ones without the crowds. Early mornings bring mist on the canals and the slow dip of a fisherman’s oar. At night, red lanterns glow across the water and the whole town hums at a softer pace.
One night is all you need. Enough time to slip into its rhythm, wander when the lanes are nearly empty, and see the town the way it was meant to be seen.
The Best Things to See and Do In Tongli
Walk through Tuisi Garden
Tuisi Garden was one of my favorite gardens in all of China. I visited as soon as it opened in the morning, before anyone else had wandered in, and it was unbelievably peaceful. For nearly an hour, it felt like the entire garden belonged to me.
This is how the classical gardens were meant to be experienced — not as attractions, but as private worlds. I walked slowly through winding corridors, stopping to listen to birdsong and watch the shadows shift across the whitewashed walls. The light moved gently over the pavilions and rockeries, casting reflections across the ponds. Every angle seemed designed to change with time, to show you something new as you circled back.
Though smaller than Suzhou’s grander gardens, Tuisi feels intimate and human in scale. It balances water, stone, and architecture in a way that never feels contrived — a pavilion leaning out over the water, a moon gate framing the curve of a bridge, lotus leaves drifting in still pools. The garden’s name translates as “Retreat and Reflection,” and that’s exactly what it invites.
Read about my full experience falling in love with Tuisi Garden here.
Cross the Three Bridges
The Three Bridges are the symbolic heart of Tongli. Locals cross them for luck, and wedding parties still gather here to have their photos taken against the stone arches. Each bridge has its own character, but together they form the point where the canals, streets, and daily life intersect.
They’re especially magical in the evening. As dusk falls, people begin to gather along the railings, waiting for the moment the lanterns flicker on. One by one, the canals come alive with light — reflections stretching across the water, arches glowing in soft reds and golds.
Standing on one of the bridges then, with the lights just beginning to shimmer in the water, is when Tongli feels most alive — not loud or crowded, but luminous, suspended somewhere between past and present.
Step inside Zhenqing Temple
A small Taoist temple just off the main lanes. Incense coils smolder in the courtyards, the air heavy with sandalwood and smoke. It’s quiet, worn, and still in use — a reminder that Tongli is lived in, not staged.
Take a canal boat ride
A boat ride is the most timeless way to see Tongli. The wooden boats drift slowly under arched bridges, past crooked balconies and stone steps where vegetables are still rinsed in the canal. Yes, it’s touristy, but you should do it anyways.
Watch the fishermen with ospreys
For centuries, ospreys were trained to fish these canals and the waters of nearby Lake Tai. The birds would dive and catch fish, returning them to their handlers — rewarded by being allowed to eat every fourth catch. It was once the traditional method of fishing here, a partnership between man and bird that fed families for generations.
Today, it’s a disappearing trade in modern China. Most of the remaining fishermen earn more by posing with tourists than by actually fishing, turning what was once livelihood into performance. Even so, seeing a fisherman balanced on his boat with an osprey at his side feels like looking at a relic of Tongli’s past — a glimpse into a way of life that is rapidly fading.
Drink tea at China’s oldest teahouse
Nanyuan Teahouse (南园茶社) has been pouring tea since 1898, making it the oldest surviving teahouse in China still in operation today. Sitting at the crossroads of two canals, it was once the busiest corner of Tongli — boats jostling for space at dawn, merchants crowding the market, the air hazy with smoke. The scene became known as one of Tongli’s “Eight Views,” the Morning Smoke of the South Market (南市晓烟).
The teahouse has always been more than a place to drink tea. Writers and scholars gathered here in the late Qing dynasty, most famously Chen Qubing and Liu Yazi, who sketched the outlines of the Nan She literary society from its upstairs tables.
Today, Nanyuan Teahouse still hums with life. Visitors sip regional teas, nibble on Jiangnan pastries, and in the afternoons, listen to pingtan — a style of storytelling and song that has filled Jiangnan teahouses for centuries.
Read more about my experience at Nanyuan Teahouse here.
Explore the canals by lantern light
Tongli changes character after dark. The crowds thin, the water stills, and hundreds of red lanterns glow along the canals. Reflections shimmer under the bridges, doorways light up, and the town feels quieter, almost dreamlike.
Wandering the lanes at night is a completely different experience than during the day — more intimate, more atmospheric. You don’t need a plan, just follow the glow of lanterns and let the alleys lead you back to the water.
Where to eat in Tongli
Morning snacks
Wake early and you’ll find the streets alive with vendors. I was led to one tucked along Xiaochuan East Road (小川东路) by a local woman, and it turned out to be packed with elders from town — always a good sign. The setup was simple, just trays of pastries lined up on folding tables, but the line never stopped moving.
Most people paid with cash, though WeChat worked too, and the selection was classic Tongli. Ba ding makes for a quick breakfast bite, but it’s the pastries that stand out: Wansan Cake (braised pork knuckle, rich and glossy), wa ti su (flaky elongated biscuits nicknamed “bottom of socks”), tui si bing (round, mildly sweet biscuits tied to Tuisi Garden), and pine nut jujube pastries (sesame-topped, filled with date paste). They’re best eaten fresh — the ones you take home never taste as good.
Lake Tai specialties
Tongli’s cuisine is tied to nearby Lake Tai, the largest freshwater lake in China and the backbone of the local diet. The lake is famous for its Three Whites — white fish, white shrimp, and whitebait — and you’ll see them on nearly every menu in town.
One of the best places to try them is Yao Ji Ma Ma Cai (姚记妈妈菜), a riverside restaurant in an old house on Yuxing Street. The setting is simple but atmospheric, with outdoor tables by the water and breezes drifting through. Portions are large, the service is warm, and the cooking leans into classic Jiangnan flavors.
The preparation is usually straightforward, letting freshness do the work. Whitebait might be folded into scrambled eggs, giving the dish a delicate, briny edge. White shrimp appear in bowls of noodles or lightly stir-fried with garlic and greens. The white fish, often steamed or braised, is served whole, its flesh tender and sweet.
What makes these dishes memorable isn’t complexity but their sense of place. Eating fish caught from the same waters that feed the canals feels deeply rooted in Tongli’s identity. Even the simplest bowl of noodles carries the lake with it.
Dinner by the canal
Dinner in Tongli might be the hardest decision of the trip. The town is full of little restaurants with tables stacked right against the water, lanterns overhead and bowls of noodles arriving one after another. They looked wonderful — casual and lively, the kind of spots you could happily settle into for the evening.
I chose Jiangnan Feast (馔遇江南 · 同里店) which felt like the most polished dining room in town. Inside, the windows opened directly onto the canal so the view became part of the meal. Their San Xia Mian (Three Shrimp Noodles) — layered with shrimp roe, shrimp meat, and shrimp broth — was a standout. Sitting there, with the canal just beyond the glass and the glow of lanterns outside, it felt like the perfect way to close the day.
Where to stay
Guesthouses are the best way to experience Tongli. Most have only a few rooms wrapped around a courtyard and they book quickly, so plan ahead if you’re particular.
Jianyuan Guesthouse (简园客栈)
A quiet guesthouse tucked inside Tongli’s old town, with only a handful of rooms wrapped around a traditional courtyard. My room looked onto a small private garden, and the hosts were warm and attentive, making it feel more like staying in someone’s home than in a hotel. It’s simple, personal, and exactly the kind of place that suits Tongli’s slower rhythm.
Read more about my stay at Jianyuan Guesthouse here.
Hanse Shanfang Riverside Guesthouse (翰舍山房江景民宿)
One of the most sought-after places to stay in Tongli, set directly on the water with views of the canals. The rooms are few, beautifully designed, and rooted in traditional architecture, giving it more the feel of a boutique homestay than a hotel. It was sold out when I visited, but it’s worth booking ahead if you want one of the canal-facing rooms.
Taimuting Hotel (太姆庭酒店)
A boutique stay in Tongli that strikes a nice balance between modern comfort and traditional style. The interiors lean contemporary, but the architecture and setting keep it rooted in the character of the old town. It’s a good choice if you want canal-town atmosphere without giving up newer amenities.
Mingyuan Hotel (同里明园酒店)
Often considered the top place to stay in Tongli, this boutique hotel blends the atmosphere of a historic canal town with higher-end comfort. Rooms are stylish yet rooted in traditional design, and many overlook the water. It’s more polished than most of the town’s homestays, making it a strong choice if you’re after the best balance of character and amenities.
For more ideas on the best guesthouses and boutique hotels in Tongli, read my full hotel edit here.
Practical Tips
- Stay the night — the real magic is in the quiet mornings and lantern-lit evenings.
- Time your arrival for after 5:15 p.m. to skip the daytime entry fee.
- Guesthouses are tiny (often just a few rooms), so book ahead if you want a specific one.
- Carry some cash — it’s still the easiest way to pay for snacks, boat rides, and small shops.
- Start your morning with street food; Xiaochuan East Road (小川东路) is where the locals line up.
- Check Dianping for restaurant deals ahead of time to avoid the “tourist tax.”
Final Thoughts
Tongli doesn’t need more than a night, but it’s one that stays with you. The lanterns along the canal, the hush of a garden at dawn, the slow drift of boats in the mist — it all settles in quietly. From here the road leads back toward Suzhou, where the waterways widen and the gardens rise in scale. If you’re interested, my Suzhou travel guide picks up the story there.
