Roaming through the narrow roads are a rich variety of shops that sell an abundance of cheap, local crafts and clothing. You might find, that just like me, you arrive with a fat wallet, but end up trading that for a fat bag of goodies. Crafts like what this woman here is making--painting inside a glass ball is a special product of Suzhou you might want to consider.

Besides satisfying your eye, of course, a belly of delicious snacks is guaranteed.

Is this even natural? This is bright orange and bright green. These are actually delicious local pastry, and it's so green because its made of a vegetable paste, inside is a sweet sweet bean paste, looks good. The shop owner is making some more now.

Question, how do u know you are in an ancient water village? Answer, because we have these cute little accessories, like this, the water town fish. Actually, I think it's a bag. And then, you have these cute little hats. Looks good. Hey, and of course if you have kids in the house you can always buy then a cute pair of shoes.

Geared up, but what about my attire?

Do I look like a water village girl now? I think I'll take it.

The architecture of Tongli can be thought of as a museum of buildings. It is believed that about 40 percent of the houses in the town go as far back as the Ming and Qing dynasties. That's from as early as the 14th century. Many are large residences are decorated with carved wooden windows, tiled roofs, and red lanterns. It's a wonderful place to find tranquility and peace that sharply contrasts with the buzzing activity by the waters. And undoubtedly, a great place to hang up your hat for a rest. Hotel? Residence? You can decide for yourself.

Whoa, not bad. I can't believe this is a hotel. It looks like somebody's home. And look in case you want to greet your guests, you have a nice tea set here. There you go. What else do we have here? Well, take a look at this. This piece of wood has such fine carvings on it, from plants to phoenixes and flowers. This room is like a piece of art in itself. Not to mention it smells pretty good too. And finally, the bed. I'm sure I will sleep well tonight. Goodnight.