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The 1000-year-old township of Tongli took its original shape during the time of the Song Dynasty (960-1279). It is located 10 km west of Zhouzhuang and 18 km from Suzhou City. The community is surrounded by five lakes – Tongli, Jiuli, Yeze, Nanxing and Pangshan. It is a genuine water town, where waterside buildings are found everywhere. The township is administrated by Wujiang City of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province.
Tongli became a protected site in 1982, the first and only whole town under such protection in the province. In 1995, it was listed as a historical settlement of cultural interest. The Retreat and Reflection Garden in Tongli was inscribed in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in 2000 as extension to the Classic Gardens of Suzhou.
Tongli is most characteristic in the following ways:
1. Its surrounding water and many bridges. There are more than 40 antique bridges in the town which are 100 or more years old, built in the era of feudal dynasties.
2. Its ancient buildings dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties. According to township records, 38 sizable residential compounds and 47 Buddhist or Taoist temples were constructed in the town during the years between 1271 and 1911.
3. It is the hometown of many historical literary figures. Since the Song and Yuan dynasties, a great number of writers retired to this peaceful town and built their houses and gardens here.
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