Tongli, a picturesque and elegant town, located on the bank of Taihu Lake and the shore of Great Canal, about 18 kilometres to Suzhou, has become world-known for its having wonderful scenery, classic building and precious relics.
Tuisi (Pondering Over after Retirement) Garden is one of the major scenic spots in Tongli, Chen Congzhou, a renowned gardening artist, once described Tongli as “a museum of Chinese classic buildings”, while Tuisi Garden is none other than a pearl in this museum. In 2000, it was listed as one of Unesco’s World Cultural Heritage sites. Endowed with both historical and cultural relics, Tongli has attracted many film and TV makers to use this garden as their permanent base for exterior shooting. As a consequense, ever since 1984, about one hundred works have been produced, including the well-received “The family”, “Spring”, “Autumn”, “A Dream of Red Mansion” and “An Unofficial Biography of Emperor Qianlong”. In April 1999, this place was formally designated by the Association of Chinese Film Makers as China Tongli Film Shooting Base.