Walking time: 2021.3

Walking method: self-driving

Walking route:

D1：

Nanjing--Tongli Ancient Town, Suzhou (Tuisi Garden--Lizze Girls 'School--Wang Shaoao Memorial Hall--Pearl Tower--Chuanxin Lane)

D2：

Tongli Ancient Town, Suzhou (Jiayintang-Chongbentang-Geng Letang-Luoxingzhou)-Tongli Beilian Village-Suzhou Luzhi (Baosheng Temple-Shen Baihan's Former Residence-Mihang-Jiangnan Cultural Park)--Nanjing

The 100-yuan ticket per person in Tongli Ancient Town includes several attractions in the ancient town. Tickets are required to enter these mansions and courtyards. But the ancient town itself is a natural attraction, and these unenclosed scenery are the most market-oriented and resonating with us.

Tongli Town is one of the six ancient towns in the south of the Yangtze River. Since the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the streets of the ancient town have used Dai. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the southeast of the ancient town was a residential area. Tongli Town has eight main streets, which are: Zhuxing Street, Fuguan Street, Xintian Street, Shangyuan Street, Sanyuan Street, Dongxi Street, Yuxing Street and Nanxin Street. The ancient town in Jiangnan must have water. Tongli is surrounded by five lakes. There must be bridges where there is water. The ancient town is connected by 49 bridges. The bridges in the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties are still well preserved, so every family in the ancient town is close to water and every household is connected to boats. Let's take a look at the streets and alleys of the ancient town and the small bridges across the river.

The streets in Tongli are ancient. There are "five miles in place and more than a thousand residents." The streets and alleys are winding, and the residential buildings with high walls and deep courtyards give the old street a faint and deep mystery.

Similarly, the visitor center is located in a corner of the square.

An ancient Ming and Qing street near the south entrance. The archway of the ancient street is tall, and the four characters "Legacy of the Ming and Qing Dynasties" are inlaid on the solemn and tall gate of the ancient street. Looking from a distance, it feels like a lifetime away. Two powerful stone lions were waiting on both sides of the gate tower.

Ming and Qing Street is named because the buildings on both sides of the street are in the Ming and Qing style. With a total length of 160 meters, the ancient street retains the original stone pavement. Most of the buildings on both sides of the street were built in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, maintaining the original architectural style. Along the way, there are rows of shops, some selling local specialties, some filled with various calligraphy and painting treasures, some hung with various exquisite handicrafts, and some made and sold various fragrant snacks.

Our inn is located on Zhuxing Street next to Tailai Bridge. There is a high arch at the east end of the old street, and the head of the door facing west is titled "Maoqian Department Store", which means that there are abundant goods. The street is dotted with classical buildings, the old street is very lively, and there are very market-oriented shops on both sides, operating local specialties, as well as inns.

The inn gave us a room on the second floor, and the window was very pleasant. When you open the window, you can see the distinctive houses of the ancient town, the bluestone pavement, the two-story red window lattice, and bluestone tiles. Hearing the sound of pots and pans in the ancient town, my mother calling for her children, I felt the atmosphere of life in the ancient town.

Downstairs is Jiutanzi Hotel, a restaurant with local characteristics.

Between streets, there are many alleys, such as Youjia Lane, Chuanxin Lane, Tongtai Lane, Xili Lane, Cangjian Lane, etc. This is a Nanhao lane leading from Tuisi Garden to the girls 'school. Small stone slabs and bricks are paved in different combinations to create an artistic alley. The alley is long and narrow, with mottled high courtyard walls on one side, and houses full of fireworks on the other side.

There are more than a hundred old alleys of various lengths in Tongli, most of which pave the way for stone slabs. Some have high walls on both sides, some are wide and some are narrow.

Among them, Chuanxin Lane, which is only one meter wide, is the most famous.

The alleys are winding and deep, and some places can only be passed by one person. You can go in and experience the feeling of passing someone sideways when encountering someone in the alley, and you can also feel the tranquility of isolation in the alley.

Every turn in the alley brings the surprise of winding paths leading to the secluded scenery. There are 345 bluestone slabs paved 300 meters away from the alley. The small lane meandered forward, but the stone slabs were deliberately not arranged evenly, leaving gaps large and small. Therefore, pedestrians walked by and made this moving sound.

Shuttling through the long and deep alleys, the mottled moss marks tell us the years and stories of people in the alleys.

Seven-tenths of the Ming and Qing Dynasties buildings in Tongli's first-level protected area account for. Cultural sites, relics, relics, and relics from more than 400 years still exist, and deep courtyards and small garden buildings can be seen everywhere. In addition to those few scenic spots that charge tickets, whether in the streets or alleys, old mansions and courtyards can be found everywhere. Tongli Jingxi Hall, a building with historical characteristics on Dongxi Street, is now the service center of Tongli cruise ships and the Tongli Federation of Literary and Art Circles. The old house still carries on its mission with multiple responsibilities.

There is the former site of Taihu Water Conservancy Tongzhi Administration on Dongliuwei in Tongli Town. There is a brief introduction to the old site in front of the door. The former site of Taihu Water Conservancy Tongzhi Administration is commonly known as Tongzhi Yamen.

The sixth entrance to the old site was changed into the Taihu Water Conservancy Exhibition Hall. Unfortunately, when I passed by, the door was already closed and I couldn't enter and visit.

The fourth entrance to the former site is now changed to Jingyitang Inn. Living in such a courtyard with a historical story for one night, isn't it an experience to imagine the scene of the mansion back then?

Tianzhu Hall is located on the north bank of Hongziwei, Tongli Town, facing the north river. It was built in the 32nd year of Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty (1907).

The ancient town is full of antique waterside inns and ancient houses in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. No. 196 Yuxing Street, an old Shen family house built in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. In the Wujiang generation, the Shen family was a prominent family. In today's Tongli, the Shen family is still the largest local surname. Now this mansion is Huazhushe·Tongli Mingyuan B & B.

No. 198 Yuxing Street is a leisurely inn. A row of yellow lanterns light up the long and narrow corridor, and the warmth of the old house is conveyed to us faintly.

Walking along the river, there are some very distinctive inns and small shops. They seem antique but are combined with modernity.

Various lanterns with the name of the store written on them are hung in the alleys, giving people a feeling of ancient style coming to their faces.

Selling your own snacks through your own windows is one of the lifestyles of ancient town people.

Most of the buildings in Tongli are built close to and close to the water.

There are more mottled walls, bricks and tiles covered with deep moss, and some deserted faded wooden doors. Each picture looks like a unique landscape painting.

The white wall covered with moss has become black, smearing the vicissitudes of time.

The green plants on the eaves are full of vitality, and the delicate small flowers sway in the wind to give a different style.

Although Tongli sells tickets, there is a large proportion of indigenous people in the ancient town. Except for scenic spots and inns, the houses outside of the inn are basically indigenous people, so you can feel the atmosphere of life everywhere when walking through the streets.

The puppies in the ancient town are also accustomed to being calm and calm to tourists.

Tongli Ancient Town is surrounded by water on all sides, and there are 15 winding rivers in the ancient town. These various stone bridges lie across the river. The bridge provides a beautiful view of the intersection of the river. Looking down on the railing, you can see boats coming and going in the water alleys.

Due to the many rivers and bridges, there are more than 40 bridges of various sizes in the town, most of which were built in various eras after the Song Dynasty. Moreover, the bridges in the ancient town were well preserved during the Song, Yuan, and Qing Dynasties, making each town win the reputation of "Oriental Little Venice" with its small bridges and flowing water and people.

The bridges in Tongli Town, some high and some low, are actually related to the ships passing in the river. The Tailai Bridge that comes out of Zhuxing Street is a water channel that connects Tongli Lake in the east and passes through the Shihe River westward to Pangshan Lake. The ships and ships heading for Suzhou from Luxu and Xin Tower are relatively tall, so they are built relatively tall. The bridge body is tall to begin with, and there is a large bamboo square pavilion on top of the bridge, which makes it even more powerful and tall.

A few steps away from Tailai Bridge is a three-arch stone bridge-Zhongchuan Bridge.

Stand on the tall Tailai Bridge and view Tongli Water Town with a high-altitude view. An ancient town with a long history and typical water town style is unveiled in front of you. The Shengping Bridge in the distance, together with its reflection, is like a full moon hanging on the river.

Standing on the bridge overlooking the wooden boat of the river flow, overlooking the entire eaves, with white walls and black tiles, the water, sound and air all have an ancient charm.

Overlooking Zhongchuan Bridge

The bridges along the new revetment in the ancient town are relatively short because ordinary small boats from farmers pass through.

The most famous one is Tongli Sanqiao. Three ancient stone bridges: Taiping Bridge, Jili Bridge and Changqing Bridge are among the treasures of Tongli Bridge. The three bridges are less than 50 meters apart and were built in the Ming and Qing Dynasties respectively. The third bridge is in the shape of a "pin" and spans the intersection of the three rivers, naturally forming a circular street. The bridge body is small and exquisite, dignified and elegant, yet simple and crude, and dignified. The river water is as clear as a mirror, and the small bridge is like a flying rainbow lying on the waves, and the sparkling bridge shadows are shining.

The bluestone bank along the river is refuted, green trees on the bank block the sun, and flower stone fences are built on both sides. Ships come and go in the river, and people come and go on the bridge. It is so lively.

A few cormorants on a small boat make the river lively.

There are shops lined up on both sides of the river bank, where you can sip tea, chat, listen to music, and walk three bridges.

Walking in Tongli Town, there are bridges everywhere, and you have to cross them at any time. These bridges are not only for the convenience of crossing the river, but each bridge is exquisite and exquisite. Even the names of bridges have profound connotations, such as Tailai Bridge, Sanyuan Bridge, Yuxing Bridge, Shengping Bridge...

The fallen tree by the river attracted my attention. It also likes the river water in Tongli very much, and it wants to fall into its arms as much as possible.

This beam-type three-hole stone bridge is called Zhongyuan Bridge.

In addition to the countless ancient bridges and alleys, which are the characteristics of the ancient town, Tongli also has another characteristic-corridors and sheds. The so-called corridor is a street with a roof. The corridor shed is mainly made of brick and wood, with a one-color ink tile covered with the roof. It is built along the river to protect against the sun and rain, and to stop and watch the scenery. Most of the corridors are shops and residents selling specialties, accessories, and snacks on one side, and the river on the other side. Some corridors also have benches with backs on one side, so you can sit down and rest when you are tired from walking. Drinking tea, drinking, eating or chatting under the porch shed is also a unique taste.

Standing on Shengping Bridge and looking eastward along the Shangyuangang River, you can see the beautiful shadow of the double bridges composed of Tailai Bridge and Zhongchuan Bridge. Tailai Bridge stands tall, and Zhongchuan Bridge lies flat on its back. This picture of the two bridges is quite unique.

There are many ancient bridges built in Tongli in various eras. These ancient bridges stand tall in the wind and rain of the years. These hard and cold bridges have become gentle and affectionate after enduring the ups and downs of the long years. They are the living history of the ancient town.

Here, streets are formed by rivers, connected by streets and bridges, houses are built along the river, and the water town is integrated. The bridges in Tongli and Shiban Alley are all architectural elements with unique Jiangnan charm. They are worth stopping and walking slowly and carefully observing them.