"Scenic old water town, but it's also true that once you have seen one, you've pretty much seen all. It's rather similar to Zhujiajiao, Zhou Zhuang and even Panlong Tiandi that I've just been to. But maybe because this is quite out of the way, it's less crowded, for a Sunday. I felt cheated paying ¥55 for a full ticket that included a number of the museums in there, where some didn't bother to check for tickets, another was not opened. I only made it to one that would have cost just ¥15 for single entry.

古砖瓦博物馆 (in the old town)
A collection of and showcase of Chinese expertise in tile production. Worth seeing. Opened 0800-1700 hrs, ¥15 entry fee.

Walking ahead from here to the middle section, it gets more lively, with the shops. Tried 袜底酥, apparently a recognized heritage snack. Aunty gave me a piece fresh from the oven so it was hot, crispy and flaky but nothing spectacular though. For ¥2, it's a cheap snack to try, but certainly not something I'll travel the distance for."

Daphne Yeo

"The ancient town is very large and has maintained its original ancient style. There are not many tourists. You can feel the Jiangnan style by strolling on the stone road. It is recommended to visit it at dusk on non-working days. With the red lights, the sky and water complement each other, you will linger and enjoy a special feeling. There are several large parking lots nearby. There are restaurants, shops, Zen temples, and museums around and in the ancient town."

fang wang

"I visited this place 33 years ago in the year 1991 when China opened up for foreigner, this allowed me to make my first visit to Shanghai, Suzhou and Wuxi for a month.

It was through good friends in Shanghai that made it possible for me to temporary stay in a house with an very old bed in a small bedroom at this peaceful place, whenever I need to stop over from time to time as I was moving around...

This beautiful place was an original community for the Chinese people to live and work. I truely enjoyed the original life style of the people here, as they were still very much remain the same as the original Chinese people, whom were not yet adopting to the commercialisation lifestyles as the West did.

There was a gentleman at a Lake Side restaurant which was above the water, he was the owner of the restaurant and cooked very well for me whenever I returned in the evening.

A small hospital with mud floor that happily serving the local community was an essential part of the people's life.

There was a little Pre-school that attracts the little ones with beautiful uniforms in the morning, that caused me to discover their healthy pink faces.

I saw housewives cooking Dumplings Infront of their little houses to provide breakfast for the workers whom were leaving for work.

The original Chinese people here were mostly kind and warm that made me felt like returning to my own original Chinese Kampong.

There was a Bus Station outside the town which could bring you to the nearby City and Train Station...

Over the years, there were many redevelopment projects taking place here as China becomes richer.

This includes the present TAN's Tomb, as it was just a tiny piece of empty land with a few wooden sticks that stuck on that island 34 years ago...

TAN's Tomb disappeared automatically whenever there was heavy rain as the lake water rises.

The local told me that originally there was a wooden structure on that tiny island where the tomb located, but it was wasted away due to the sinking island and lack of maintenance.

This is definitely a Very Good place to visit as it could really bring you a life long Good memory...

I could never forget the benefits of staying here even just for a little while, as I was Born Again Spirituality 4 years later in 1995.

Therefore it is really a BLESSING to be here."

Meng Kwang TAN