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| Meiguoxing.com, Your Ultimate Guide to Beijing, China |
同里镇位于太湖边、运河旁，四周为五湖环抱。她建于宋代，至今已有1000多年历史. 同里，旧称“富土”，唐初因其名太侈，
改为“铜里”。宋代，有文人将旧名“富土”两字相叠，上去点，中横断，拆字为“同里”，沿用至今。同里位于周庄西面10公里
处，距苏州城也只有18公里，古镇外四面环水，镶嵌于同里、九里、叶泽、南星、庞山五湖之中。建筑依水而立，有“东方小
威尼斯”之称。
同里的主要特色是：水、桥多，明清建筑多，名人雅士多，以“小桥、流水、人家”著称，主要景点可以概括为“一园”、“二
堂”、“三桥”。退思园已被列入全国重点文物保护单位，是国家4A级旅游风景区。 2003年，同里荣获中国首批“历史文化名镇”
称号；2005年又被评为“CCTV中国魅力名镇前10佳”。
景点：
嘉荫堂、崇本堂、耕乐堂、退思园、陈列馆、罗星洲、松石悟园、珍珠塔景园、陈去病故居、古风园
景区亮点：
在同里最为出名的是“一园、两堂、三桥”，一园是江南名园退思园，此园给人一种移步换景千变万化的感觉。两堂指的是崇本
堂、嘉荫堂。三桥指的是太平桥、吉利桥和长庆桥。
交通
外部交通
上海、苏州直达同里的公车班次表
上海 虹口足球场 8：00发车，16：00返回，旅游套票110元，车程2.5小时。
上海体育场 10：00发车，16：00返回，旅游套票110元，车程3小时。
苏州 火车站前广场 6：40－17：15，半小时一班，票价6元。
吴中区汽车站 7：00－17：00，15分钟一班，车程40分钟，票价6元。
周庄－同里
从周庄到同里有陆路和水路两种走法：周庄最西头的桥边有去同里的小巴，半个小时就能到。同里到周庄可乘“面的”，价格是
40/车，车程是20分钟；摩托10/人；摩托三轮车15-25/车。包船大约30元左右。
提醒：建议走水路的朋友让船家先带你去看一下他们的船，确定想坐后再讨价还价，以免麻烦。
自驾车线路
上海方向一：沪青平公路318国道－青浦－吴江芦墟－北厍－金家坝－屯村－同里，99公里。
上海方向二：（沪青平公路－青浦－苏沪虹桥机场路）－或沪宁高速－苏州－吴江－同里。
苏州方向：苏州－苏嘉公路－吴江－同里，25公里。
浙江方向：沪杭高速公路嘉兴出口－苏嘉公路－平望－吴江－同里。
镇内交通
1， 电瓶车，即游览观光车。在退思园后门坐车，车站（牌坊）-退思园-罗星洲三地往返，每次2/人。
2， 人力三轮车。起步价5元，听网友说有可能随时加价，小心。在镇子中，经常可以看到三轮车队，肆无忌惮的横冲直撞，
感觉是在进行奥运会，比赛谁骑的快。
3， 游船，在镇子中兜一圈。白天的时候，是在“三元桥”下（退思园后）坐船的。60元一船.
住宿
澡。 吕家客栈很卫生，环境，地理位置特别好。在大厅里就可以看到小桥流水，游船，鸬鹚。坐车喝茶，聊天很惬意。从客
栈出发，除了罗星洲外。其他的景点都在客栈边上，走路只需要2到3分钟。而崇本堂，嘉荫堂，只走几步路就可以到了。老
板人不错，很客气。
优点：位置好，到各景点都很近，站在大门口就可看见三桥
古迹与舒适实用功能为一体的高级宾馆。由管理著名的上海碧云别墅的管理公司经营。
宾馆古朴高雅，景中有馆，馆内皆景，堪称江南园林宾馆的绝妙手笔。古朴的建筑、幽雅的景致、以明清实木家具布置
的舒适而气派的客房、以及将古老建筑与现代化风格完美结合的多功能会议厅，无不让人交口称赞。宾馆还设有大堂酒吧、
中餐厅、KTV等附属设施，能满足下榻宾客的休闲、娱乐、商务和会务等多方面的需要。
地址：同里 明清街154号 邮编：215217
电话：0512-63336666
周围景观：退思园
典型的江南水乡，位于同里镇南面，濒临同里湖，登楼环视，景色优美，一览无遗。
酒店拥有客房三十二间；录像电影、中央空调、消防设施一应俱全。酒店还提供餐厅和快餐厅，屋顶溜冰场等多种服
务，适合旅游的各种需求。
地址：吴江 同里镇三无桥北堍
电话：0512-63331021
全，是一座准四星级宾馆。
度假村拥有标准客房97间，豪华套房10间，可供250人住宿，房内设有中央空调、卫星电视及国际程控电话等现代化设
施。15间大小餐厅可容纳400人同时就餐，湖上“星州舫”就餐环境优雅，供应太湖水产为主的淮扬菜肴，这里可以吃到“活”、
“鲜”的太湖真品特产。另设有大小会议室12间，可满足不同类型会务的要求。
康乐设施有保龄球馆、游泳馆、网球场、乒乓室、歌舞厅、健身房、弹子房、美容院、桑拿中心、快艇、水上飞机、降
落伞、游戏机房、钓鱼场等。
地址：同里 同里镇东郊 邮编：215217
电话：0512-63330888
同里美食, 同里特产
同里气候温和湿润、河汊密布，盛产河鲜及各种水生作物。餐饮文化带有典型的江南特色。最有名的是状元蹄、糕里虾
仁、三丝春卷、香油鳝糊和用白鱼、鲈鱼、桂鱼、甲鱼等河鲜烹制的水乡名菜。水生植物类的茭白、芹菜、莼菜、菱、藕、
慈姑等，都是别具地方特色。小吃方面有袜底酥、百果蜜糕、芡宝糕、青团、闵饼、猪油年糕、鸡米头、大肉馒头、酒酿
饼、麦芽塌饼、小熏鱼等，游客可以到百年老店益隆酱园、谷香村、南园茶楼品尝。
吕家客栈中最有名的菜还是虾饼子：选白虾，草虾两种虾制成，取其虾仁，放入草鸡蛋。经过捣，煎，蒸，煮等工序，
放入配料精心制成。
门票：2006年1月1日以后，同里镇景区实行通票制
景区联票：80元/人次
改为“铜里”。宋代，有文人将旧名“富土”两字相叠，上去点，中横断，拆字为“同里”，沿用至今。同里位于周庄西面10公里
处，距苏州城也只有18公里，古镇外四面环水，镶嵌于同里、九里、叶泽、南星、庞山五湖之中。建筑依水而立，有“东方小
威尼斯”之称。
同里的主要特色是：水、桥多，明清建筑多，名人雅士多，以“小桥、流水、人家”著称，主要景点可以概括为“一园”、“二
堂”、“三桥”。退思园已被列入全国重点文物保护单位，是国家4A级旅游风景区。 2003年，同里荣获中国首批“历史文化名镇”
称号；2005年又被评为“CCTV中国魅力名镇前10佳”。
景点：
嘉荫堂、崇本堂、耕乐堂、退思园、陈列馆、罗星洲、松石悟园、珍珠塔景园、陈去病故居、古风园
景区亮点：
在同里最为出名的是“一园、两堂、三桥”，一园是江南名园退思园，此园给人一种移步换景千变万化的感觉。两堂指的是崇本
堂、嘉荫堂。三桥指的是太平桥、吉利桥和长庆桥。
交通
外部交通
上海、苏州直达同里的公车班次表
上海 虹口足球场 8：00发车，16：00返回，旅游套票110元，车程2.5小时。
上海体育场 10：00发车，16：00返回，旅游套票110元，车程3小时。
苏州 火车站前广场 6：40－17：15，半小时一班，票价6元。
吴中区汽车站 7：00－17：00，15分钟一班，车程40分钟，票价6元。
周庄－同里
从周庄到同里有陆路和水路两种走法：周庄最西头的桥边有去同里的小巴，半个小时就能到。同里到周庄可乘“面的”，价格是
40/车，车程是20分钟；摩托10/人；摩托三轮车15-25/车。包船大约30元左右。
提醒：建议走水路的朋友让船家先带你去看一下他们的船，确定想坐后再讨价还价，以免麻烦。
自驾车线路
上海方向一：沪青平公路318国道－青浦－吴江芦墟－北厍－金家坝－屯村－同里，99公里。
上海方向二：（沪青平公路－青浦－苏沪虹桥机场路）－或沪宁高速－苏州－吴江－同里。
苏州方向：苏州－苏嘉公路－吴江－同里，25公里。
浙江方向：沪杭高速公路嘉兴出口－苏嘉公路－平望－吴江－同里。
镇内交通
1， 电瓶车，即游览观光车。在退思园后门坐车，车站（牌坊）-退思园-罗星洲三地往返，每次2/人。
2， 人力三轮车。起步价5元，听网友说有可能随时加价，小心。在镇子中，经常可以看到三轮车队，肆无忌惮的横冲直撞，
感觉是在进行奥运会，比赛谁骑的快。
3， 游船，在镇子中兜一圈。白天的时候，是在“三元桥”下（退思园后）坐船的。60元一船.
住宿
- 吕家客栈
澡。 吕家客栈很卫生，环境，地理位置特别好。在大厅里就可以看到小桥流水，游船，鸬鹚。坐车喝茶，聊天很惬意。从客
栈出发，除了罗星洲外。其他的景点都在客栈边上，走路只需要2到3分钟。而崇本堂，嘉荫堂，只走几步路就可以到了。老
板人不错，很客气。
优点：位置好，到各景点都很近，站在大门口就可看见三桥
- 世德堂宾馆
古迹与舒适实用功能为一体的高级宾馆。由管理著名的上海碧云别墅的管理公司经营。
宾馆古朴高雅，景中有馆，馆内皆景，堪称江南园林宾馆的绝妙手笔。古朴的建筑、幽雅的景致、以明清实木家具布置
的舒适而气派的客房、以及将古老建筑与现代化风格完美结合的多功能会议厅，无不让人交口称赞。宾馆还设有大堂酒吧、
中餐厅、KTV等附属设施，能满足下榻宾客的休闲、娱乐、商务和会务等多方面的需要。
地址：同里 明清街154号 邮编：215217
电话：0512-63336666
周围景观：退思园
- 同里三元大酒店
典型的江南水乡，位于同里镇南面，濒临同里湖，登楼环视，景色优美，一览无遗。
酒店拥有客房三十二间；录像电影、中央空调、消防设施一应俱全。酒店还提供餐厅和快餐厅，屋顶溜冰场等多种服
务，适合旅游的各种需求。
地址：吴江 同里镇三无桥北堍
电话：0512-63331021
- 同里湖度假村
全，是一座准四星级宾馆。
度假村拥有标准客房97间，豪华套房10间，可供250人住宿，房内设有中央空调、卫星电视及国际程控电话等现代化设
施。15间大小餐厅可容纳400人同时就餐，湖上“星州舫”就餐环境优雅，供应太湖水产为主的淮扬菜肴，这里可以吃到“活”、
“鲜”的太湖真品特产。另设有大小会议室12间，可满足不同类型会务的要求。
康乐设施有保龄球馆、游泳馆、网球场、乒乓室、歌舞厅、健身房、弹子房、美容院、桑拿中心、快艇、水上飞机、降
落伞、游戏机房、钓鱼场等。
地址：同里 同里镇东郊 邮编：215217
电话：0512-63330888
同里美食, 同里特产
同里气候温和湿润、河汊密布，盛产河鲜及各种水生作物。餐饮文化带有典型的江南特色。最有名的是状元蹄、糕里虾
仁、三丝春卷、香油鳝糊和用白鱼、鲈鱼、桂鱼、甲鱼等河鲜烹制的水乡名菜。水生植物类的茭白、芹菜、莼菜、菱、藕、
慈姑等，都是别具地方特色。小吃方面有袜底酥、百果蜜糕、芡宝糕、青团、闵饼、猪油年糕、鸡米头、大肉馒头、酒酿
饼、麦芽塌饼、小熏鱼等，游客可以到百年老店益隆酱园、谷香村、南园茶楼品尝。
- 太湖蟹：也就是太湖的螃蟹，在同里有一些野性的螃蟹，肉多，黄足。
- 太湖三白之“白虾”，烧白虾，没有什么特别，江苏菜讲究的就是菜原来的味道，白虾天生肉质好，是三白最鲜的。而同
里的白虾，最重要的就是是本地的同里湖中所捕。
- 太湖三白之“白银鱼”小小的银鱼有三至四种做法。香炸银鱼，银鱼炒蛋，银鱼炖蛋，芙蓉银鱼。
吕家客栈中最有名的菜还是虾饼子：选白虾，草虾两种虾制成，取其虾仁，放入草鸡蛋。经过捣，煎，蒸，煮等工序，
放入配料精心制成。
- 农家草鸡：顾名思义就是乡下的放生的有着优良品种的鸡。鸡的味道鲜美，主要是因为它是放养的，放下水面筋炖一下
味道更鲜美。
- 糕里虾仁：以鸡蛋白调匀后加入米粉、虾仁，入锅油氽制成，色泽鲜艳，松香可口，亦可另置小盒，佐以番茄食之，其
味更佳。
- 丝鱼卷：选五六斤重的青鱼或草鱼，取雌爿中段，去肚当留皮，卷入火腿丝、鸡丝、香茹丝，并以黄酒、香葱等佐料，
入笼蒸熟即成。其肉质细嫩，清香鲜美，别具风味。
- 香油鳝糊：用炒鳝丝与火腿丝、鸡丝、虾仁等配制，稍加姜丝、酥油、蒜泥，沸荤油浇面。上桌时，薄撒胡椒，香气扑
鼻，入口鲜美。
- 阿婆菜：同里特有的菜。炒肉丝的时候，放一点进去，非常开胃。非常可口。
- 梅干菜，马兰头烧肉：可以戒掉肉的肥腻，非常具有古镇特色。
- 芡实羹：营养好，口感佳，同里特产。
门票：2006年1月1日以后，同里镇景区实行通票制
景区联票：80元/人次
| Exploring the Water Town of Tongli - Sights, Food, Sleep and Map Side Trip From Shanghai and Suzhou |
The canal town of Tongli (Chinese:同里), only 20km (12 miles) SE of
Suzhou and 80km (49 miles) W of Shanghai, sits near Lake Tai (Tai Hu,
Chinese:太湖) and the Grand Canal (Da Yun he, Chinese: 大运河）and
has been around since at least the 9th century. Rich in atmosphere,
many of its buildings have kept their traditional façades, with stark
whitewashed walls and black-tiled roofs. The lovely town is neither as
famous as Zhouzhuang nor as crowded with visitors, though its pace
has picked up since the 1983 when Chinese filmmakers discovered the
city. More than a hundred films and television shows have been made
here since, including a tremendously popular version of the Chinese
Classic The Dream of the Red Chamber (Hong Lou Meng, Chinese: 红楼
梦).
Tongli is a popular destination for day trippers from Sūzhōu or
Shanghai, but it manages to retain a pleasing weather-beaten charm,
despite the flocks of tourists on weekends and holidays. With its ancient
homes, cobblestone pathways and canals pleasantly shaded with willow
trees, it’s a great place for a stroll or just whiling away the hours at a
waterside teahouse. It's definitely not for infant Tongli Visitor, but the
nearby Chinese Sex Museum is Tongli's most famous sight.
Visitor Information -- Entrance to Tongli's old town is free but there is
a ¥80 ($10) fee to visit all the major sights listed below except for the
sex museum. Visiting hours are 7:45am to 5:30pm daily. There are
introductory captions in English at the sights, but if you want greater
detail, the Tongli Tourist Information Center (tel. 0512/6349-3027 or
0512/6333-1145) southwest of Tuisi Yuan offers English-speaking
guides (¥160/$20 for sights in the old town as well as for the islet
Luoxing Zhou; ¥120/$15 for Old Town sights; ¥60/$7.50 for Tuisi Yuan).
Getting There -- Only a half-hour away from Suzhou, Tongli can just
as easily be visited from there, especially if you decide to overnight in
Suzhou. Your hotel tour desk in Shanghai or Suzhou can organize a
day trip out here, as can any of the major travel agencies, but it's
equally easy to do the trip on your own. From Shanghai, there are
Tongli buses (2 hr., ¥120/$15 round-trip, includes ¥80/$6.25 entrance
fee) that leave the Shanghai Sightseeing Bus Center (Gate 25 of the
Shanghai Stadium/Shanghai Tiyuguan) daily at 9, 9:55 and 10:25am.
Departure times may change so call ahead (tel. 021/6426-5555) to
confirm. From Tongli, buses return to Shanghai at 4:45, 5:30, and 6pm.
In general, you may not switch buses on the return trip unless prior
arrangements are made, pending seat availability. Tongli's public bus
station (qichezhan) is in the south in the new part of town on Songbei
Gonglu. From here, buses run to Suzhou (1 hr.; ¥12/$1.50) every hour
between 7am and 5pm.
Exploring the Water Village of Tong Li:
Buffeted in the south by new ugly concrete buildings, Tongli's
picturesque old town, located north of the Shangyuan Canal
(Shangyuan Gang), is actually made up of seven islets connected to
each other by over 40 arched stone bridges and fed by a network of
some 15 canals. The town dates to the Song Dynasty (960-1279),
though many of its surviving mansions are of later Ming and Qing origin.
As recently as 2 years ago, residents were still blithely going about their
lives along the canals (it was not uncommon to see children bathing and
women washing clothes in the streams), but all that messy living has
now been largely cleaned up for tourists. The most common sight in the
canals these days is a flotilla of tourist gondolas (and of course the
inevitable trash that still results from hordes of visitors). You, too, can
soak up the watery atmosphere by renting a gondola (¥80/$10 per
boat for 30 min.) from various piers scattered along the canals.
Waterways aside, the rest of the old town is easily traversed on foot.
The busiest street is Mingqing Jie (Chinese:明清街), a winding lane
flanked with Ming and Qing dynasty-style wooden houses that have
mostly been converted to shops and restaurants. The north end of this
street leads to the old town's main attraction, Tuisi Yuan (Retreat and
Reflection Garden, Chinese:退思园). Built in 1886 by a dismissed court
official, this World Heritage garden is laid out from west to east in three
sections, with the family's residences in the west, meeting and
entertaining rooms in the center, and a small but cleverly designed
landscaped garden in the east. The use of winding walkways with
different shaped windows, jutting pavilions, and a reflecting pond make
the garden appear larger than it is.
East of the garden is the former Lize Girls' School and the current home
of Museum of Ancient Chinese Sex Culture (Zhogguo Gudai Xing
Wenhua Bowuguan, Chinese:中华性文化博物馆; tel. 0512/6332-2972,
www.chinasexmuseum.com (Chinese only)). Relocated here from its two
previous sites in Shanghai, the museum showcases the private
collection of over 1,200 sex artifacts amassed through the years by
Professor Liu Dalin of Shanghai University. Displays are divided into
sections covering themes from sex and evolution to the sexual
oppression of women, and sex in literature and the arts. The wide array
of sexual relics includes ancient tomb paintings, statuary, and erotic
devices, including a pottery penis with a woman's head dated 2000 B.C.
There are also exhibits devoted to foot-binding, furniture designed to
enhance lovemaking, and "trunk bottoms" (explicit china figures placed
at the bottom of dowry trunks by parents to instruct prospective brides).
The museum is open daily from 8am to 5pm; admission is ¥20 ($2.50).
Suzhou and 80km (49 miles) W of Shanghai, sits near Lake Tai (Tai Hu,
Chinese:太湖) and the Grand Canal (Da Yun he, Chinese: 大运河）and
has been around since at least the 9th century. Rich in atmosphere,
many of its buildings have kept their traditional façades, with stark
whitewashed walls and black-tiled roofs. The lovely town is neither as
famous as Zhouzhuang nor as crowded with visitors, though its pace
has picked up since the 1983 when Chinese filmmakers discovered the
city. More than a hundred films and television shows have been made
here since, including a tremendously popular version of the Chinese
Classic The Dream of the Red Chamber (Hong Lou Meng, Chinese: 红楼
梦).
Tongli is a popular destination for day trippers from Sūzhōu or
Shanghai, but it manages to retain a pleasing weather-beaten charm,
despite the flocks of tourists on weekends and holidays. With its ancient
homes, cobblestone pathways and canals pleasantly shaded with willow
trees, it’s a great place for a stroll or just whiling away the hours at a
waterside teahouse. It's definitely not for infant Tongli Visitor, but the
nearby Chinese Sex Museum is Tongli's most famous sight.
Visitor Information -- Entrance to Tongli's old town is free but there is
a ¥80 ($10) fee to visit all the major sights listed below except for the
sex museum. Visiting hours are 7:45am to 5:30pm daily. There are
introductory captions in English at the sights, but if you want greater
detail, the Tongli Tourist Information Center (tel. 0512/6349-3027 or
0512/6333-1145) southwest of Tuisi Yuan offers English-speaking
guides (¥160/$20 for sights in the old town as well as for the islet
Luoxing Zhou; ¥120/$15 for Old Town sights; ¥60/$7.50 for Tuisi Yuan).
Getting There -- Only a half-hour away from Suzhou, Tongli can just
as easily be visited from there, especially if you decide to overnight in
Suzhou. Your hotel tour desk in Shanghai or Suzhou can organize a
day trip out here, as can any of the major travel agencies, but it's
equally easy to do the trip on your own. From Shanghai, there are
Tongli buses (2 hr., ¥120/$15 round-trip, includes ¥80/$6.25 entrance
fee) that leave the Shanghai Sightseeing Bus Center (Gate 25 of the
Shanghai Stadium/Shanghai Tiyuguan) daily at 9, 9:55 and 10:25am.
Departure times may change so call ahead (tel. 021/6426-5555) to
confirm. From Tongli, buses return to Shanghai at 4:45, 5:30, and 6pm.
In general, you may not switch buses on the return trip unless prior
arrangements are made, pending seat availability. Tongli's public bus
station (qichezhan) is in the south in the new part of town on Songbei
Gonglu. From here, buses run to Suzhou (1 hr.; ¥12/$1.50) every hour
between 7am and 5pm.
Exploring the Water Village of Tong Li:
Buffeted in the south by new ugly concrete buildings, Tongli's
picturesque old town, located north of the Shangyuan Canal
(Shangyuan Gang), is actually made up of seven islets connected to
each other by over 40 arched stone bridges and fed by a network of
some 15 canals. The town dates to the Song Dynasty (960-1279),
though many of its surviving mansions are of later Ming and Qing origin.
As recently as 2 years ago, residents were still blithely going about their
lives along the canals (it was not uncommon to see children bathing and
women washing clothes in the streams), but all that messy living has
now been largely cleaned up for tourists. The most common sight in the
canals these days is a flotilla of tourist gondolas (and of course the
inevitable trash that still results from hordes of visitors). You, too, can
soak up the watery atmosphere by renting a gondola (¥80/$10 per
boat for 30 min.) from various piers scattered along the canals.
Waterways aside, the rest of the old town is easily traversed on foot.
The busiest street is Mingqing Jie (Chinese:明清街), a winding lane
flanked with Ming and Qing dynasty-style wooden houses that have
mostly been converted to shops and restaurants. The north end of this
street leads to the old town's main attraction, Tuisi Yuan (Retreat and
Reflection Garden, Chinese:退思园). Built in 1886 by a dismissed court
official, this World Heritage garden is laid out from west to east in three
sections, with the family's residences in the west, meeting and
entertaining rooms in the center, and a small but cleverly designed
landscaped garden in the east. The use of winding walkways with
different shaped windows, jutting pavilions, and a reflecting pond make
the garden appear larger than it is.
East of the garden is the former Lize Girls' School and the current home
of Museum of Ancient Chinese Sex Culture (Zhogguo Gudai Xing
Wenhua Bowuguan, Chinese:中华性文化博物馆; tel. 0512/6332-2972,
www.chinasexmuseum.com (Chinese only)). Relocated here from its two
previous sites in Shanghai, the museum showcases the private
collection of over 1,200 sex artifacts amassed through the years by
Professor Liu Dalin of Shanghai University. Displays are divided into
sections covering themes from sex and evolution to the sexual
oppression of women, and sex in literature and the arts. The wide array
of sexual relics includes ancient tomb paintings, statuary, and erotic
devices, including a pottery penis with a woman's head dated 2000 B.C.
There are also exhibits devoted to foot-binding, furniture designed to
enhance lovemaking, and "trunk bottoms" (explicit china figures placed
at the bottom of dowry trunks by parents to instruct prospective brides).
The museum is open daily from 8am to 5pm; admission is ¥20 ($2.50).
West of Tuisi Yuan are three of the town's better-preserved traditional residences. The westernmost, Gengle Hall (Gengle
Tang, Chinese:耕乐堂), which belonged to the Ming Dynasty nobleman Zhu Xiang, is also the largest of the residences, with
three major courtyards encompassing 41 rooms and a sprawling yard in the back. Jiayin Hall (Jiayin Tang，Chinese: 嘉荫堂),
built in 1922 as the residence of famous local scholar Liu Yazi, has high white walls and doorways fronted by upturned eaves
-- a style more reminiscent of the Southern Anhui Huizhou architecture. Here, the garden is in the center of the residence. The
highlight at the 1912 Chongben Hall (Chongben Tang, Chinese:崇本堂), with its four courtyards and three doorways, is the
refined brick, stone, and wood carvings of scenes from Chinese literary classics, as well as of various propitious symbols such
as cranes and vases (the Chinese word for vase, ping, is also a homonym for peace). Each row of buildings here is stepped
increasingly higher than the previous, symbolizing the owner's wish that each subsequent generation in his family would attain
greater success than the last.
The last two residences are connected by three bridges, Taiping Qiao (Peace Bridge，Chinese:太平桥), Jili Qiao (Luck
Bridge，Chinese:吉利桥), and Changqing Qiao (Glory Bridge，Chinese:长庆桥). It was the custom in the old days to carry a
bride in her sedan chair over all three bridges. Today, that custom has been resurrected for tourists who can don the proper
red Chinese wedding finery and be carried in an old-fashioned sedan chair accompanied by a wailing lusheng (wind musical
instrument) and beating drums.
Also included in the price of the entrance ticket is Luoxing Zhou (Luoxing Islet), located in the middle of Tongli Hu (Tongli
Lake). Although there's been a temple here since the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368), today's buildings are a strictly new (1996)
mish-mash of Buddhist, Daoist, and Confucian influences. The boat ride over makes for a pleasant enough trip if you've
exhausted the rest of the town's offerings.
Where to Dine:
As the official restaurant catering to foreign tour groups, Xiangge Jiulou (Shanger Restaurant，Chinese:香格酒楼) on
Mingqing Jie (Mingqing St.; tel. 0512/6333-6988; daily 8:30am-8pm) has a handy English menu and serves local specialties
and generic foreigner-friendly Chinese food. There are also many nondescript small restaurants along the same Mingqing Jie
that serve basic jiachang cai (Chinese home-style cooking) at reasonable prices, with a meal for two averaging ¥30 to ¥50
($3.50-$6). The Nanyuan Chashe (Nanyuan Teahouse, Chinese:南园茶社) at the intersection of Dongkang Lu and Nankang
Lu in the southern part of the old town is a restored Qing Dynasty building where you can sip tea and nosh on local snacks as
you look out over the canals from the second floor. Local specialties include the Tongli version of braised pig's trotters,
zhuangyuan ti, xiao xunyu (small smoked fish), and min bing (a sweet glutinous rice pastry). Also look for the roasted
chestnuts on sale in the streets.
Where to sleep:
Guest houses(kezhan) are plentiful, with roooms starting at about RMB80. Zhengu Caotang Hotel (tel.0512/6333-6358, 138
Mingqing Jie, RMB180-480/double, www.zfct.net), a restored traditional residence with a courtyard where you can sit and sip
tea while the owner playes the Qin for guests at night; book ahead.
Tang, Chinese:耕乐堂), which belonged to the Ming Dynasty nobleman Zhu Xiang, is also the largest of the residences, with
three major courtyards encompassing 41 rooms and a sprawling yard in the back. Jiayin Hall (Jiayin Tang，Chinese: 嘉荫堂),
built in 1922 as the residence of famous local scholar Liu Yazi, has high white walls and doorways fronted by upturned eaves
-- a style more reminiscent of the Southern Anhui Huizhou architecture. Here, the garden is in the center of the residence. The
highlight at the 1912 Chongben Hall (Chongben Tang, Chinese:崇本堂), with its four courtyards and three doorways, is the
refined brick, stone, and wood carvings of scenes from Chinese literary classics, as well as of various propitious symbols such
as cranes and vases (the Chinese word for vase, ping, is also a homonym for peace). Each row of buildings here is stepped
increasingly higher than the previous, symbolizing the owner's wish that each subsequent generation in his family would attain
greater success than the last.
The last two residences are connected by three bridges, Taiping Qiao (Peace Bridge，Chinese:太平桥), Jili Qiao (Luck
Bridge，Chinese:吉利桥), and Changqing Qiao (Glory Bridge，Chinese:长庆桥). It was the custom in the old days to carry a
bride in her sedan chair over all three bridges. Today, that custom has been resurrected for tourists who can don the proper
red Chinese wedding finery and be carried in an old-fashioned sedan chair accompanied by a wailing lusheng (wind musical
instrument) and beating drums.
Also included in the price of the entrance ticket is Luoxing Zhou (Luoxing Islet), located in the middle of Tongli Hu (Tongli
Lake). Although there's been a temple here since the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368), today's buildings are a strictly new (1996)
mish-mash of Buddhist, Daoist, and Confucian influences. The boat ride over makes for a pleasant enough trip if you've
exhausted the rest of the town's offerings.
Where to Dine:
As the official restaurant catering to foreign tour groups, Xiangge Jiulou (Shanger Restaurant，Chinese:香格酒楼) on
Mingqing Jie (Mingqing St.; tel. 0512/6333-6988; daily 8:30am-8pm) has a handy English menu and serves local specialties
and generic foreigner-friendly Chinese food. There are also many nondescript small restaurants along the same Mingqing Jie
that serve basic jiachang cai (Chinese home-style cooking) at reasonable prices, with a meal for two averaging ¥30 to ¥50
($3.50-$6). The Nanyuan Chashe (Nanyuan Teahouse, Chinese:南园茶社) at the intersection of Dongkang Lu and Nankang
Lu in the southern part of the old town is a restored Qing Dynasty building where you can sip tea and nosh on local snacks as
you look out over the canals from the second floor. Local specialties include the Tongli version of braised pig's trotters,
zhuangyuan ti, xiao xunyu (small smoked fish), and min bing (a sweet glutinous rice pastry). Also look for the roasted
chestnuts on sale in the streets.
Where to sleep:
Guest houses(kezhan) are plentiful, with roooms starting at about RMB80. Zhengu Caotang Hotel (tel.0512/6333-6358, 138
Mingqing Jie, RMB180-480/double, www.zfct.net), a restored traditional residence with a courtyard where you can sit and sip
tea while the owner playes the Qin for guests at night; book ahead.
| Tongli Water Village Tour Guide Map |
| 东方威尼斯 - 同里古镇旅游指南 |
同里著名景点退思园