On weekends and holidays, many folks from Shanghai love nothing more than to head out west into the countryside to reconnect with traditional Chinese culture and history in a handful of charming, historic towns, whose islands and canals make them feel like magical, Far-East versions of Venice. Visitable in one day but ideally for an overnight, many are serviced by public or tourist buses from Shanghai (tourist buses from the Shanghai Sightseeing Bus Center), in addition to all manner of guided tours which can be organized via your hotel or numerous travel agencies/tour operators.

Tongli, an hour-and-a-half drive from Shanghai and a half hour outside the big city of Suzhou. This collection of small islands amid five lakes and 15 rivers, like many of the other local water towns, dates back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279), though much of what you see now is from the Ming (14th-17th centuries) and Ching (17th to early 20th), all built in the same distinctive traditional style. If you’re in this neck of the woods, don’t pass up a visit to one of these – truly a magical experience like none other I’ve had in China.

Read more in my post 8 Extraordinary ´Water Towns´ Near Shanghai.