Dream Jiangnan

When you come to Gusu, they all sleep on the river
I am immersed in this dream called Jiangnan
Unwilling to wake up for a long time
Gusu Lili, an ancient water town
The autumn wind rises, and the city is filled with the fragrance of osmanthus flowers

In the beautiful scenery of Jiangnan, there is such an uncut ancient town of Lili, which comes from poetry. It is thirty miles away from Wujiang and is named Lihua Village. I am like a fisherman, asking about Taoyuan Tianjin. Poet Yuan Mei fell in love with this place at first sight. This October, a four-day deep music and cultural journey allowed me to experience the new brilliance of this millennium old town. The commercial atmosphere here is not strong, making it very suitable for deep slow travel. The 2020 "Pear Blossom Culture Festival" was a celebration of the Mid Autumn Festival and National Day, with a full moon. Talking about the past and the present, it was like walking gracefully with songs like ancient people.

The ancient town of Lili, which has a history of over two thousand years, is now full of new vitality and brilliance. Many cultural and artistic activities are held here, and the original deep houses and alleys are well preserved. There are also many indigenous people in the streets and alleys, and the lively atmosphere of fireworks is preserved. Some of the street facing storefronts have been transformed into homestays, museums, cultural experience centers, and some handicraft workshops. Traditional handicraft displays are very attractive, and tourists can have a deep experience.

As night falls, the lights sway, and a brilliant light show quietly displays on the pink walls and black tiles of the ancient town. Pear blossoms, full moon koi, and Jiangnan style are full of charm. On the full moon of the Mid Autumn Festival, the bustling crowds make the ancient town lively. With flowing water and homes, the entire town feels like a dream, with clouds and mist turning into fairy water and vaporizing feathers. The singing girls on the rowing boat form their own scenery, immersed in the shallow drinking and low singing of folk songs.

The tranquility of peace and tranquility, the most authentic Jiangnan water town, is a niche travel destination with few people and beautiful scenery - Lili Ancient Town
After getting off the high-speed rail, I still feel the charm of the water town in Jiangnan as soon as I move into the homestay by the river.
Blue sky, white walls, and black tiles, small bridges and flowing water, strolling slowly in the ancient town of Lili, smelling the fragrance of osmanthus and enjoying the brilliant afternoon sunshine. On the steps on both sides of the river, local residents occasionally wash clothes and vegetables, neighbors chat with each other, and children run carefree. For a northern girl, such scenes are unfamiliar and touching. Let life slow down and immerse yourself in this water town home, surrounded by vibrant green trees, quaint and elegant stone streets and alleys, every detail has new discoveries.

Since the Tang Dynasty, a village has been formed in Lili, which formed a large scale during the Northern Song Dynasty. In history, Lili was a typical commercial center in Jiangnan, with a history of 893 years since the Southern Song Dynasty (until 2020). He is located in Wujiang District, Suzhou, adjacent to Shanghai to the east, Suzhou to the north, and Jiaxing, Zhejiang to the south. The transportation is very convenient, and it takes more than an hour by car from Shanghai to get there.

The entire protected area of the ancient town is 46 hectares, consisting of a long ancient city river, 12 ancient bridges, countless Ming and Qing ancient buildings, over a hundred alleys, and a dazzling cultural and historical gem. A small ancient town with outstanding people and a beautiful land. The Mid Autumn Festival and National Day are celebrated together. In Lili, not only can you see the tranquility and simplicity of the day, but the bright and bustling lights at night are also eye opening! At night in Lili, in the south of the Yangtze River, thousands of households are lit up with colorful lights, immersing people in the dreamlike beauty of a water town.

Li Li, also known as "Li Chuan", "Li Hua Li", or "Xi Lake", is also a picturesque name that deserves this unique and elegant charm hidden in the bustling city. You shouldn't rush by here by looking at the flowers in a hurry. What you need is to slow down, immerse yourself in it, or sit on the long corridor, or stop at the bridge, or take a rowboat, and carefully feel the ancient charm of each place. Lili Ancient Town is free of charge. The separate Duan Ben Park and Tin Museum inside need to be purchased separately, and you can also purchase scenic spot tickets. There is a tourist center at the east entrance of the scenic area, where you can purchase tickets for consultation or seek tour guide services. The tourist center can receive a free guide map of the ancient town and also purchase exquisite cultural and creative products.

The Li Li Shi River in the ancient town is the soul of the water town, passing through the town and carrying the memories of time. The water is melodious, and the reflection of the ancient town is particularly charming. The soft progress of the river, step by step into the painting, the most beautiful thing is the layers of ripples in the water, as well as clusters of deep and shallow greenery.

The buildings in Lili are also typical of pink walls and black tiles. The exquisite ancient buildings, such as carved beams and trees, and arch of wooden architecture cornices, are well preserved and repaired as old. The vicissitudes of the ancient houses are separated by the most famous alleys in Lili, which are dark and dark. The whole town has 115 alleys, 90 of which are dark alleys, 11 of which are more than 100 meters long. There are double alleys with bright and dark side by side. There are two double alleys with dark alleys, and there are more sub mother alleys and three branch alleys in the middle, which can be called the most ancient town in the south of the Yangtze River. In the past, wealthy families had to own the entire alleyway for the sake of fame and fortune, commonly referred to as "certain alleyways". In Lili, these alleys with surnames account for nearly half of the total number of alleys in the town.

The ancient bridge in Lili is also a major feature here, with every household built along the water. As a convenient transportation ancient bridge, it is now a beautiful scenic line. There are a total of 12 ancient bridges, of which 8 are authentic Ming and Qing ancient bridges. There are two types of bridges, namely the Jindeng Bridge, the Daonan Bridge, the Tiyun Bridge, and the Yingxiang Bridge, connecting the ancient town of Lili into a whole.

The porch in the water town is the crystallization of ancient wisdom. It provides shade on sunny days and a continuous rainy season, so there is no need to take an umbrella when going out! Walk along the misty and rainy corridor, feeling the tranquil and leisurely time in the water town, without the need for corner scarves~

When you come to Lili, be sure to take a look at the winding and suddenly open Duanben Garden. If you don't pay attention to the entrance, you will miss it. Passing through a secluded bamboo forest, this garden located at the bottom of the Lili Grand View is displayed in front of you. This is one of the famous gardens in Wujiang. In the "Continuation of Li Li Annals", it is described as the Duan Ben Garden. "Li flowers understand the hazy willows, and the green water and red railings turn like a circle." Pavilions and water pavilions, with sparse flowers and trees, slowly unfold a serene and poetic painting of Jiangnan gardens. In an area of about 900 square meters, there are curved bridges, lotus ponds, rockery halls, and Shuanggui Tower, Pingbo Pavilion, and Moon Accompanying Corridor, showcasing the beauty of Suzhou gardens from small to large.

The garden is restored to its old state, shining with a new radiance. The flower exhibition during the National Day was lively and extraordinary. The garden was built by Chen Heming, an official during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, and is also revered by the people as the "County Horse Mansion". Nowadays, this place also bears the heavy responsibility of spreading the culture of Lili Ancient Town!

During the National Day holiday, I stumbled upon a very meaningful activity in Shuanggui Building in Duanben Garden. In Li Li, there is a special custom that has been passed down from the Ming and Qing dynasties to the present day, which is the Mid Autumn Festival treasure display. Each family displays their own treasures for the people's neighbors to admire, mostly consisting of literati's calligraphy, paintings, and antiques. Listening to treasure collectors tell stories from the past adds a touch of novelty. Xu Yuanqing's "Lotus" fan page, the Kangxi edition of "Yuan Liaofan Gang Jian" in 20 volumes, as well as valuable literature materials such as Xu Dayuan's "Li Li Zhi", these precious cultural relics make the Mid Autumn Festival night shine brightly.

When it comes to the culture of Lili, one cannot help but mention the famous figure Liu Yazi here. In 1922, Liu Yazi rented this mansion from descendants of the Zhou family as a place to meet patriotic figures from all over the country, discuss national affairs, edit "Nanshe Congke", and write patriotic poems and articles. The museum houses cultural relics related to Liu Yazi and Nanshe. The literary wave and patriotic deeds of the past have been showcased before us.

It is located at No. 30 Central Street, Lili Town, and was a famous residence in Jiangnan during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. Originally the private residence of Zhou Yuanli, the Governor General of Zhili during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty and Minister of Works, formerly known as the Blessing Hall. The entire courtyard has six entrances in front and back, with a large space. The existing three brick gate towers are exquisitely designed and tall in style. The entire courtyard has now been restored to a serene and elegant state, with the fragrance of tall osmanthus trees overflowing and lush greenery. During your travels, feel the beauty of Jiangnan.

There is a church in the water town of Jiangnan that is out of place with the surrounding area. The Western style architecture has a hint of elegance. Since the Republic of China, it has not only been the location of Catholicism, but also a patriotic school that has trained batches of talents for Li Li.

From the outside, it doesn't seem like a big place, but there is a lot of space inside. The museum is located in the well preserved Ming Dynasty building Mao Mansion on the central street of the ancient town. At the entrance is a sales and experience area, and inside is a museum. The building is exquisitely constructed, with a neat and orderly front and back halls. The brick carved gate tower showcases the ancient charm and vicissitudes. The museum covers an area of 1500 square meters and houses over 1000 sets of various tin artifacts. This is currently the largest tin museum in China.

The museum utilizes exhibition cabinets and semi open booths for display, combining images, physical objects, and scene restoration to highlight the cultural characteristics of Li Li's tin picking, refining, and tinning. Dining utensils, tea sets, wine sets, tin products for the boudoir, tin products for the study, tin carvings, and sacrificial offerings... Each piece of tin ware is neatly arranged, and while enjoying and playing with it, it is truly amazing how ancient, unique, and exquisite the tin art is.

Walking in Li Li, you come across the most beautiful ancient town in Jiangnan. Every building tells the story of old times, and every small scenery emits inspiration for cultural creativity.

Here, you can not only visit cultural buildings and former residences of celebrities, but also have a very down-to-earth creative market! Especially in the evening, the crowd is crowded and lively. Even if there are many people here, there will be no conflicts. The residents of the small town are very gentle, and even the busiest Mid Autumn Festival lantern festival is very orderly.

The Li Li Light Show is the most attractive experience. When the light show meets the ancient town, it seems that it has passed through time and space. Everyone is amazed at the dreamlike picture. Near the entrance memorial archway, Dengying Bridge and Daonan Bridge, the high-tech multimedia light show forms a most beautiful picture. The water mist design in the river also makes the atmosphere more fairy. Light moves with the shadow, and music rises everywhere. The town is like a fairyland.

It's late at night, and the town has returned to tranquility, quietly waiting for the beauty of the next day.

There are also many handicrafts in the ancient town of Lili. There is an 81 year old craftsman named Zhu Longguan who has been in the barrel making industry for over 60 years. Due to his excellent craftsmanship and excellent quality, you can see the entire process of Zhu's barrel making in this original wooden piece, and appreciate the traditional Jiangnan woodworking. The daily household items that carry the good wishes of the ancients have now become decorations, inheriting traditional handicrafts.

The light and shadow of the bamboo industry are charming. Here, bamboo is used as an element for spatial design, which is beautiful and elegant. There are also craftsmen showcasing bamboo weaving techniques and inheriting folk culture.

Looking for the music in your heart, come and experience the music culture at the Wu Song Festival!
The first "Wu Song Festival" will serve as an intermediate festival, marking the beginning of the Pear Blossom Culture Festival. It will bring 14 music performances, 3 online and offline cross-border forums, and a newly created audio-visual space, which embodies humanistic elegance and is small and exquisite. This is a specially customized music and cultural activity for the ancient town of Lili. The 3-day event combines free admission and appointment system. The exhibition, along with multiple historical attractions and cultural and museum spaces in the ancient town, will be open to the public all day long. The Wu Song Festival is not just a simple music festival, but also a lifestyle attitude that advocates humanities and nature. It allows the ancient people's carefree singing to blend into the modern way of life, and the collision of notes seems to have integrated into this Jiangnan water town.

Regarding folk songs, about how we choose music, about the nourishment of Eastern culture for Eastern folk songs, all the origins are traced back to human inner passion, from ancient times to the present, from south to north. In Lili, we feel the influence of Wu's language and culture as well as Chinese poetry on Eastern music. The murmurs from our hometown are our favorite lullabies.
The Tibetan girl duet described by Teacher Lao Lang seems to have formed a romantic image in his mind; The line sung by Teacher Xiaohe, "Grandma is trapped in the cradle," has touched everyone at the scene.
Perhaps our experiences are not the same, but appreciating the singers playing in the ancient pavilion, the joy of music connects us with each other.
Suddenly discovering good music, seriously doing good music, and seriously discussing how to do good music is really a delightful thing. I really like this deep interactive way of traveling, "Inheriting the charm of Wu songs", and the Wu Song Festival in the ancient town of Dali.

The Wu Song Festival is an immersive performance that utilizes the traditional style architecture of Lili Ancient Town according to local conditions. Musically, it is not limited to the scope of contemporary Chinese folk songs, but also extends to the original ecological music of China. For the first time, a dedicated stage was provided for showcasing authentic music at a music festival. This reflects the broad musicality of Wu Ge Festival, which emphasizes the combination of fashion and tradition.
The first Wu Song Festival lasted for 3 days. Today, I participated in the Wu Song Festival forum at the Lili Ancient Town Exhibition Center and had the privilege of listening to a soul dialogue about music.

Entering the exhibition center of Lili Ancient Town is like flipping through pages of vivid history in Lili. Listen to a forum here, feel the charm of music, and have a unique taste.

The picturesque Li Li Ancient Town is located in Wujiang City, Suzhou, only an hour's drive from Shanghai, far from the bustling city, and enjoying a peaceful water town alone. Not only is there a beautiful Jiangnan water town here, but there are also a plethora of delicious local snacks and immortals! The beautiful scenery of Gusu is in the picture. In the ancient town of Lili, you must check in to recommend delicious food. Be sure to read this guide!
🌟 Must eat recommendation:
Spicy Chicken Feet
The most famous Li Li snack has a different taste than usual, with a sour and sweet taste, soft and tender texture, and a slightly spicy taste that makes people unable to stop eating! My personal favorite is the taste of Tangqiao Restaurant.

Youdun
It's a bit like fried cake from the north, with a golden color and soft and sticky texture. But the appearance of glutinous rice is thicker, with sweet osmanthus bean paste filling and salty fresh meat filling, it's super satisfying after eating! Recommend the century old Lujia store named after Emperor Qianlong.

Haitang Cake
The outer pastry is soft, fragrant, and sweet inside, mainly made from noodles and bean paste, but it is very fragrant with lard mixed inside. The caramel on the outside is classic, and the burnt aroma after baking is the most delicious!

Intussusception
That is to say, the large intestine is wrapped around the small intestine, which is washed very clean and odorless. Paired with soy sauce and scallion flowers, it is quite delicious. The large intestine is soft, sticky, and thick, and the small intestine has a crispy and refreshing taste. It is recommended to use old street wrapped intestines.

Suzhou-style mooncake
When I went to Lili, it happened to be Mid Autumn Festival. I bought a crispy, fragrant, and delicious mooncake, and sat on a swaying rowing boat. It was so charming amidst the ripples of the water! Recommend the century old restaurant Shenglu Zhai, the freshly baked one is the best! Bean paste cake, sesame cake and ginkgo cake are also good, which are very suitable for buying as hand gifts.

In autumn in Jiangnan, don't miss the seasonal hairy crabs. You can buy them at both the traditional and modern markets in Lili, and experience the local way of life!

Meaty Wonton is also recommended
It's always the staple food after every meal! It's too delicious, isn't it!

Suzhou Liuyue Village, experience the magical experience of living in a museum!
Near the ancient town of Lili, there is a luxurious decorative hotel that combines classical and modern contrasting colors. The Suzhou Liuyuezhuang Hotel is stunning from the moment you enter the lobby!
The rustic natural wood color and low-key gray bricks form the overall dark tone of the hotel, with bright and bright color blocks highlighting exquisite and luxurious antique details. That's right, almost every ancient brick, every table and chair is an antique collected by the boss from all over the country. The courtyard is deep and antique.
Stay in the Yue'er duplex family suite, which is decorated very comfortably. The decoration is complex and stunning, with every detail carefully crafted. The balcony offers a stunning view of the Six Joy Museum across from you! The mattress is super soft and comfortable, and the children's space on the second floor is also very spacious, suitable for a family of four.
Address: No.1 Renmin East Road
Price: around 1800 (depending on the season)
There are also small gifts for check-in, including museum tickets and free explanations. There is also a traditional cultural and creative class where babies make handicrafts, which is perfect for taking children on trips
Transportation: It takes only ten minutes to walk to the ancient town, which is very convenient.

Liuyue Museum
More than 3000 years ago, Xi'an was the capital of the Zhou Dynasty. In the Zhou Dynasty, when cultivating gentlemen, they were taught six arts: ritual, music, archery, imperial examination, calligraphy, and mathematics; More than 1300 years ago, Tang Xuanzang returned to Chang'an from the West Sutra, and since then, there has been the saying of the Six Joys: the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind are all pleasing, which is called the Six Joys. The name "Liu Yue" comes from the fact that people have six senses: vision, smell, taste, hearing, touch, as well as the sixth sense intuition. "Six Joys" represents the joy of both eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. This name also hopes that visitors can truly touch and experience traditional culture and art, and feel happy both physically and mentally. In order to continue to be loved and appreciated by people for these soon to be forgotten items of significant historical significance, the Six Joy Museum has over 30 different types of exhibition galleries with 40000 artworks, now reproducing the glory of the past in the 18000 square meter exhibition hall.

Mr. Du Weiming, who has collected countless cultural relics, decided to establish a museum in Lili to showcase the treasures he has collected. The collection of the Liuyue Museum is not limited to one place at a time. It extends from Inner Mongolia in the north, to Fujian and Yunnan in the south, and to Xinjiang in the west. The earliest time was during the Song and Yuan dynasties, and it was not until the 1950s. Each exhibition hall has a display, such as: divine sedan chairs, wooden carvings, Buddha statues, Buddha niches, plaques, gift boxes, bamboo baskets, family halls, sedan chairs, carpenter tools, washstands, screen inserts, masks, opera character portraits, various wooden windows, and medicine cabinets. There are also various stone carvings, brick carvings, couplets, stone figures, horses, and so on.

The Yuefu Building inside the Six Hyatt Hotel is also a great place for delicious food! The private room is currently located in a suite on the first floor, with a beautiful environment. It is recommended to grab black beef bones by hand, and the taste is great.