Tongli, Jiangsu Province, China（中国江苏省同里）
Photo Travel Guide

Introduction

Main photographic interest: Jiangnan-style architecture and culture of Ming and Qing Dynasties Jiangnan（江南）refers to the southern part of the lowest reaches of the Yangtze River and encompasses the Shanghai municipality, the southern part of Jiangsu Province and the northern part of Zhejiang Province. This fertile Yangtze Delta is a treasure chest of unique ancient cultural relics and historical heritage. Abundant lakes, canals and ponds of the region create notable landscapes and shape distinctive townscapes.

Established in the Song Dynasty and having a history of over 1,000 years, Tongli（同里）is one of the major water-towns in Jiangnan area. Also known as the "Venice of the Orient", it boasts antique black-and-white houses that line the waterside, 49 ancient bridges, unique halls and traditional gardens. Tongli is the largest settlement among the numerous water-towns in the region.

Transportation

Located eighty kilometers from Shanghai and only eighteen kilometers from Suzhou, Tongli is easily accessible and overall traveling expenses are very low. The place is only an hour and a half from Shanghai by bus. Buses (reasonably clean and comfortable) leave at 9:00 a.m. from Shanghai Sightseeing Bus Center (Staircase 5, Gate 12, Shanghai Stadium, No. 666 Tianyaoqiao Road; 天钥桥路666号上海体育场12号门5号扶梯下上海旅游集散中心; tel.: +86 (0) 21 6426 5555). Return buses depart from Tongli at 4:00 p.m. The price is RMB120 (inclusive of return bus ride as well as entrance to Tongli, several halls and Tuisi Garden) if you return to Shanghai on the same day; if you choose to stay overnight, the price is RMB140 (inclusive of the same items; accommodation has to be arranged and paid for separately).

Accommodation and where/what to eat

If you would like to stay overnight (for the reasons outlined below) there are quite a few guesthouses (reasonably clean and comfortable) available and prices range from RMB50 to RMB100 per night; hotels are available, too. As anywhere else in China, there are a lot of relatively cheap restaurants. I recommend trying Zhuangyuan Pig's Upper Leg（状元蹄）, which is a local specialty and tastes great. Gao li xia ren（糕里虾仁）, San si yu quan（三丝鱼卷）and Xiang you shan hu（响油鳝糊）are often named as main specialties, too.

Photographic tactics

This, basically, is easy as one day generally suffices to photograph in Tongli. The place is relatively small and you will become familiar with it once you get a hold of a map and do a bit of walking around. After that you can concentrate on photographing the subjects and spots that you personally find most interesting. Generally, though, Tongli is famous for "one garden, two halls and three bridges" - namely, Tuisi Garden（退思远）, Chongben and Jiayin Halls（崇本堂和嘉荫堂）and Taiping, Jili and Changqing Bridges（太平、吉利、长庆三桥）.

If you visit the place in summer you might consider a slightly different approach and make it a two day trip. On the one hand, in summer the contrast is too high to take pictures during the day and it might be a better idea to photograph for about three hours before sunset on the first day and then for about three hours after sunrise on the second day. On the other hand, this approach will also allow you to avoid crowds of tourists and commercial activities which one inevitably runs into between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you think the latter is important to you, you should consider the two-day approach in seasons other than summer, too. I personally found that two days were just about right to explore what Tongli has to offer at a more or less leisurely pace.

Best time of the year to visit

Any time of the year seems suitable and the main difference is going to be in the quality of ambient light. In late autumn, winter and spring the sun is not so harsh during the day and one can photograph all day long. In the summer, the contrast is too high in the hours around midday and one has no choice but to photograph early in the morning and in late afternoon as described above.

Looking at it from a different perspective you should choose the time for a visit depending on whether you travel to Shanghai to specifically see all the places of interest in its vicinity or if you live in the city. If you are based in Shanghai then you can take your time and travel to the water-towns whenever you see fit. Otherwise, however, you probably will not have the luxury of being able to spend two days in every water-town - spending one full day in each of them would be a more reasonable approach. In case of the latter visiting in winter is certainly preferable as ambient light is softer in the daytime.

Sunset and sunrise

I could not find any interesting locations to photograph at sunrise and sunset. The time when the sun is near the horizon is only precious for the softer light.

Local contact(s)

Not necessary.

Photo and other gear recommendations

Tongli is a relatively cramped town and you are likely to need a wide-angle lens. The 17-35 lens (on a film camera; its digital equivalent is the AF-S Zoom-Nikkor ED 12-24mm f/4G IF DX) or similar would be ideal. That said, though, I found that I could photograph in the place using only a standard lens. A panoramic camera (or technique) with a wide-angle lens might prove very useful, too.

Issues to be aware of

• Tongli is one of the major travel destinations in southern Jiangsu province and the place does not know what a lack of tourists feels like. For this reason it certainly would be best if you could avoid going there on weekends and during public holidays.

Other notes

• In my opinion Tongli is worth going to only if you are already in Shanghai. If you are based in the city, you can make Tongli a kind of an equipment testing and/or methodology and/or creativity development location as it is very conveniently accessible.

• Zhouzhuang and Wuzhen are often named as the other two main water-towns in Jiangnan region. Comparing the three water-towns my impression has been that while Zhouzhuang certainly has its unique charm it, unfortunately, is the most commercialized; Tongli is the largest in scale and has much more in store than the other two; at the same time, Wuzhen appears most authentic among the three towns.