Village upon water - Tong Li

Yesterday we ventured to another ancient village by the water called Tong Li (同里) and it turned out to be a disappointment.

Tong Li is one of the six famous 'water villages' in the area and is named "the Venice of the Oriental". I could almost imagine how nice it was and how significant it might be with its grandness and wealthiness. But then, somewhere along the way, the essence of 'water village' has been lost. Sadly, it has now been turned into popular tourist destination, artificially remodified and very much commercialized.

Or maybe my impression of it was tarnished once I'd learnt of the over-priced admission tickets.