Because of its idyllic location, as well as its favourable connection to the Grand Canal, numerous aristocrats and businessmen settled here and made Tongli a cultural city.  In the Ming and King dynasties alone, 38 private residences and 47 temples were established.  In the alleys of the old town one can still find numerous traditional and historic buildings as well as countless shops and a rich variety of beautiful and low priced handicraft.

The heart of the city and a ‘must’ for each visitor is the famous Retreat and Reflection Garden (Tuisi garden), a classical Chinese garden, which was declared World Heritage by UNESCO (pictures to the left).  It is a relatively small but most enchanting garden, in the middle of which is a pond with goldfish, surrounded by time honoured trees, classical pavilions and  bizarre rock formations – really a place of retreat and contemplastion.