Tongli Gengle Hall

Tongli Gengle Hall

Gengle Hall in Tongli is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Gengle Hall, situated in Xiliuwei, midway along Lujia Dai and facing east toward the river, was built during the Ming Dynasty by Zhu Xiang, a recluse scholar. The record was written by Mo Dan, a local scholar who served as the Academic Director of the Nanjing Imperial College at the time. Zhu Xiang, styled Tingrui and also known by his literary name Gengle, gave the hall its name after his alias. He was once offered an official position by Jiangsu Governor Zhou Wenxiang for his contributions to the construction of Baodai Bridge, but Zhu refused the position and chose to retire, citing illness. Respected by high-ranking officials of the time, he devoted his later years to a secluded life, wandering the countryside with neighbors and elders. Poems were dedicated to him by notable figures such as Zhou Wenxiang, Wu Puan, Zhao Banjiang, and Mo Luxiang, with Mo also composing the written record. In his later years, he further distanced himself from worldly affairs, spending his days roaming the landscape with fellow villagers.

Gengle Hall follows the traditional layout of front residence and rear garden. The front residence consists of an entrance hall, main hall, and residential tower, while the rear garden features a lotus pond, zigzag bridge, Three Friends Pavilion, winding corridor, Mandarin Duck Hall, Swallow Wing Tower, Ancient Pine Studio, Huanxiu Pavilion, and Ink Fragrance Pavilion. To the west of the garden is a west gate that leads to the outskirts, making it a typical Ming and Qing dynasty residence. Covering an area of 4,268 square meters (six mu and four fen), it originally had five courtyards and 52 rooms, though over time it has not retained its original structure. Currently, there are three courtyards and 41 rooms, including towers, gardens, studies, pavilions, halls, and terraces.

The first section of the front residence is the entrance hall, featuring five open bays with dark brown wooden doors and bamboo threshold boards, giving it a solemn and simple appearance. The second and third sections are both residential towers—the front residential tower is tall and spacious, while the rear one is slightly shorter, though its upper floor remains bright and airy.

The front residential tower, being the second section, has a layout of three bright and two dark rooms with five bays. A courtyard separates it from the entrance hall, and two wing rooms on both the north and south sides connect them.

The rear residential tower, the third section, also features a layout of three bright and two dark rooms across five bays. The upper level contains bedrooms, and the lower level serves as a hall. There are two courtyards between the front and rear towers, divided by a gate tower. Flanking the gate tower and the rear tower on the north and south are additional wing rooms. The hall is relatively low, while the upper floor is lofty and bright. Transitional eaves wrap around where the tower connects to the wing rooms, featuring seating ledges known as “Wu King Rests.” The roof is a flush gable type, with the outer side of the gable walls mimicking wooden bracketing. The front step columns are wrapped with square, rounded corners—a design feature characteristic of Qing-era architecture imitating Ming style.

After liberation, Gengle Hall was repurposed as a social welfare institute. Restoration began in 1998, and it opened to the public in 2001. During the renovation, the Pan Family Hall and its rear structures were restored to the north of the corridor. These now form part of the Gengle Hall site. Additionally, a street-spanning corridor was added in front of the Gengle Hall entrance.

Address: Shangyuan Street, Tongli Town, Wujiang District, Suzhou City

Type: Museum / Historic Building

Recommended Visit Duration: About 1 hour

Phone: 0512-63333120

Opening Hours:

April–October: 7:30–17:30; November–March: 7:30–17:15

Ticket Information:

No separate ticket required. Included in the Tongli Ancient Town admission.

Tongli Town: One of China’s Six Ancient Water Towns in the Jiangnan region. Originally called “Futu” (Rich Land), it was renamed “Tongli” (Same Land) during the Tang Dynasty by splitting the characters of its former name. Established in the Song Dynasty, Tongli boasts over 1,000 years of history as of 2015 and is a classic water town preserving traditional Chinese culture.

Located in Wujiang District, Suzhou City, Tongli Town is 18 km from downtown Suzhou and 80 km from Shanghai. Covering 33 hectares, it is embraced by five lakes, connected by 49 bridges, and crisscrossed by a network of rivers dividing the town into seven islands. The ancient town features waterside houses and boat-accessible homes; well-preserved bridges from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties dot the area. In 1982… More details about Tongli Town++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units