Silk Road journeys in Jiangsu

With a history of over 1,000 years, Tongli Town is a well-preserved one with its ancient gardens, stone bridges and houses and known as "Venice of the Orient". Surrounded by five lakes, the town was divided into seven islets intersected by streams and connected by 49 stone bridges. The whitewashed walls, black tiled roofs and old bridges over the water, are the pristine beauty of typical water town in Jiangnan (region south of the Yangtze River). [Photo/en.visitz.com]

The elegant Tuisi Garden in Tongli was listed as a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO in 2001. It was designed by Ren Lansheng in 1886 during the Qing Dynasty after he was discharged from office. Tuisi Garden derives its name from the motto of officials in imperial times "When in office, one should be loyal to the emperor, when away from office, one should reflect upon his previous faults".[Photo/en.visitz.com]

At the rape flower field in Beilian village, Tongli town, you can take a leisurely walk to the center of the field to get yourself surrounded by the golden beauty around; or take a hot-air balloon trip to enjoy a birds eye grand view of the golden fields and the ancient water town landscapes. [Photo/wjdaily.com]

Covering an area of 920 hectares, the Tongli National Wetland Park has been a natural habitat for the wildlife. There are different woods and gardens, as well as fish ponds for you to embrace the nature and get away from the bustle and hustle of life. With rabbits and other animals hanging around and egrets perching in it, the wetland park offers you a great chance to get closer to the nature and wildlife. [Photo/tongli.net]