Retreat
& Reflection
Garden
|
 From
Suzhou
we drove by bus to Tongli, a charming small town which was founded during
the Sang dynasty (960 – 1279). It is situated about 20 km southeast
of Suzhou, in the east Chinese province, Jiangsu, surrounded by 5 small
lakes. More than 40 bridges from different dynasties span the numerous
canals and streams which meander through the city and gave it the
"Venice
of the East". On the banks
houses are built right at the water’s edge. There are romantic
boat trips which lead through historic arched bridges and narrow waterways,
and from which visitors can enjoy interesting views of the life in the
city.
 Because
of its idyllic location, as well as its favourable connection to the Grand
Canal, numerous aristocrats and businessmen settled here and made Tongli
a cultural city. In the Ming and King dynasties alone, 38 private
residences  and
47 temples were established. In the alleys of the old town one can
still find numerous traditional and historic buildings as well as countless
shops and a rich variety of beautiful and low priced handicraft.
The heart of the city and a ‘must’ for each
visitor is the famous Retreat and Reflection Garden (Tuisi garden), a classical
Chinese garden, which was declared World Heritage by UNESCO (pictures
to the left). It is a relatively small but most enchanting garden,
in the middle of which is a pond with goldfish, surrounded by time honoured
trees, classical pavilions and bizarre rock formations – really a
place of retreat and contemplastion. |
UNESCO
World Heritage
..
