It was during the Christmas week of 2018 that I finally got round to checking the city of Suzhou off my great China tick list. Like most people I’d been wowed by the tempting “Venice of China” tagline and for the most part Suzhou’s pretty canal streets duly delivered the olde-world vibe I’d been hoping for. But the most impressive slice of ancient China came in the form of my day trip to Tongli, one of the six ancient water towns scattered around the edge of Suzhou.

The Tongli experience is truly like stepping back in time, so if you find yourself in Suzhou, nearby Shanghai or indeed just about anywhere in the southeast of China, you’d be mad to pass up the opportunity of visiting this gorgeous town.

To find out more, take a look at my reports on:

Tongli Water Town Part I

Tongli Water Town Part II

Happy Farming Hall

What To Eat In Tongli