Private Day Trip to Tongli Water Town and Tuisi Garden from Shanghai

Your guide will meet you at the lobby of your downtown hotel at your convenience. The drive from the downtown to the water town will take approximately 1.5 hours. The first thing to see there is the Tuisi Garden, which is on the World’s Cultural Heritage list since 2001. This famous garden was built in the 1880s, and it is originally owned by Ren Lansheng who was one of the surveillance commissioners in Qing Dynasty. The name originates from “Be loyal to the emperor when serving the court and reflect upon oneself when retreating from the post” in Tso Chuan.

Tuisi Garden, with the characteristics of garden of Qing dynasty, is a classic work of Jiangnan classical garden. Chinese landscaper Chen Congzhou regards Tuisi Garden as “Waterside Garden” inspired by “The wise find pleasure in water; the virtuous find pleasure in hills” of Confucius. The profound cultural connotation of Tuisi Garden, together with the long history of Tongli, makes tourists fall into reverie and enlightenment.

After the garden visit, you will wander along the lanes of old houses along the canal for about half an hour. Then, if you want, you can have break at the food stand along the river. A 20-minute boat ride around the town is highly recommended. At the end of the tour, you will be provided with a car service back to your hotel.