Lying by the side of Lake Tai, the Tongli scenic area which is 18 miles away from Suzhou city, locates to the east of the ancient canal, with a population of 33.5 thousand. The beautiful Town of Tongli is totally surrounded by waters, setting itself in the embrace of Tongli, Jiuli, Yeze, Nanxing and Pangshan lakes. The Town was divided into 7 small islands by fifteen tiny rivers running lengthways, with 49 ancient bridges crossing the water which joint the islands into one again. Architectures abound along the rivers, making a perfect combination of bridges, running rivers and houses. As the most intact river-ancient towns in Jiangsu province, it is listed as the Key Culture Relic under Provincial Protection as well as one of the 13 scenic spots in the Tai scenic area.