Oct 18, 2024 | Suzhou's gentle beauty is scattered throughout the ancient water town of Tongli.

📍 Location: Suzhou, Jiangsu ✨ Experience: Follow a guide into the mansions of wealthy merchants from the Jiangnan region, take a ride on a black awning boat and listen to the boatwoman sing "Beautiful Scenery of Suzhou," sit down at Nanyuan Teahouse to drink tea, eat sunflower seeds, and listen to Pingtan, visit a shop selling cheongsams to pick out a few beautiful outfits and satisfy your shopping cravings, and sit down at a riverside restaurant to eat, drink, and watch the people and boats go by. My favorite moment in Tongli was the few hours I spent listening to Pingtan at Nanyuan Teahouse. The dozen or so square tables on the second floor were all full, and everyone was enjoying tea and snacks while listening to songs like "Sheng Sheng Man," "Night Mooring at Maple Bridge," and "Phoenix Hairpin." It's easy to get lost in the songs and imagine the gentle Jiangnan region with its small bridges and flowing water, and the endless love, longing, sorrow, and warmth. When I took a ride on a black awning boat, I asked the boatwoman to sing a few local folk songs. Her soft Wu dialect echoed throughout the ancient town, and I was lost in a dream of Jiangnan as the boat gently swayed. The rivers in Tongli Ancient Town are narrow, and the roads along the river are also narrow. Many locals still live here, and they ride their electric scooters along the stone roads, seemingly accustomed to the crowds of tourists. I stood for a long time by the window overlooking the lake in Tuisi Garden, watching the fish slowly swim through the clear water and the reflections of people and trees ripple with the waves.