Shanghai Tong Li "Water Town"

Boats ply the Tong Li "water town" as residents relax in the shade.

Bustling sun-drenched landing site.

A short drive from the city are several ancient water towns such as Tong Li where living on the banks of canals is still a way of life. These rustic villages some dating back to the Ming Dynasty are increasingly serving the tourist trade with quaint souvenir shops, restaurants and tea houses. Petrol driven or muscle-powered, boats that used to carry the village produce are switching to canal cruises for day trippers. One thing remains unchanged – mail still comes by boat for some residents located beside the canals. As boats laden with sightseers zip past each other on the busy waterways, villagers while away the hours watching the world go by, sipping tea and playing their traditional board games like chess, or shuffling cards, cigarettes dangling from their lips, not minding the myriad tourists ogling and clicking away.