Speaking of tourist attractions in Suzhou, there are so many! But if you’re looking for free and fun spots, you’ll need to do some filtering, as many attractions charge admission fees. So today, I’m going to recommend some excellent free attractions in Suzhou. They’re free to enter and offer lots of fun! Let’s check them out. Don’t forget to bookmark this page!
1、Jinji Lake Scenic Area
The Jinji Lake Scenic Area covers a total area of 11.5 square kilometers, with 7.4 square kilometers of water. It is divided into five functional zones: the Cultural & Exhibition Zone, the Fashion Shopping Zone, the Leisure & Dining Zone, the City Sightseeing Zone, and the Central Water Zone. It features ten iconic landmarks – “Suzhou Center,” “Oriental Gate,” “Music Fountain,” “Jinji Lake Bridge,” “Cultural & Art Center,” “Moonlight Wharf,” “Eslite Bookstore,” “Guojin Center,” “Wanghu Corner,” and “Li Gongti.” Entry is free (excluding some paid amusement facilities, subject to the official website of the scenic area).
2、Shantang Street
Shantang Street is 3,600 meters long and can be divided into two sections: the eastern section starts from Changmen Ferry to Bantang Bridge, and the western section runs from Bantang Bridge to Tiger Hill. It is a free tourist attraction in Suzhou. The entire street follows a parallel pattern of river and road, with exquisite and elegant architecture, white walls and black tiles, harmonious proportions, and a sense of spaciousness, embodying the essence of Suzhou’s ancient city style. The houses have their front doors facing the street and their back doors facing the river, creating a seamless connection between the pedestrian path and the water. Along both sides of the river, houses line up side by side, facing each other across the water, creating a unique “waterway running alongside the street, river and street side by side” in Suzhou’s water alleyways. Stone bridges and willows, red railings and green trees, painted boats and green waves have captivated countless poets and writers throughout history, inspiring them to compose countless verses of praise.
3、Liri Ancient Town
Liri Ancient Town is one of the most worthwhile free ancient towns to visit in Suzhou. The T-shaped city river is over 2,000 meters long, with over 4,000 meters of ancient stone banks built during the Ming and Qing dynasties, spanning ten ancient stone bridges built from the Yuan to the Qing dynasties. The types of river wharves are numerous, including water-running wharves, double-falling wharves, single-falling wharves, and cantilevered wharves. The double-falling wharves and single-falling wharves are further divided into concave and convex types. The stone banks and wharves are carved with various cable-ship stones, including Hidden Eight Immortals, Pen Nib, Ruyi, Rhinoceros Horn, Double Peach, Double Tangerine, Ruyi Obtaining Deer, Bottle with Bee Monkey, Bottle with Three Halberds, and Five-colored Flag, totaling 254, making it the most in ancient towns of the Jiangnan region.
4、Taicang Park
Taicang Park boasts beautiful scenery and is a traditional Jiangnan-style garden that blends gardening, history, and culture. It is a crucial tourist attraction for exploring the ancient charm of Taicang and a great free park to enjoy in Suzhou. The park features over 20 attractions, including “Yanshan Hall,” “Jiashu Pavilion,” “Nodding Stone,” “Fensheng Pavilion,” “Xiaofei Rainbow,” “Nine-bend Bridge,” and many others. Among them, Yanshan Hall is the main building of the park, towering nearly 10 meters high. The building is in the style of a gable-roofed structure, with fish and dragons facing each other at the ends of the ridgepole, double lions holding embroidered balls on the sloping ridges, creating a magnificent and majestic appearance. The interior of the hall features exquisite carvings, with cloud-embracing mountains on the beams and rafters, and plum blossom and chrysanthemum patterns on the brackets and friezes.
5、Suzhou Museum
The Suzhou Museum was established in 1960 and is a well-preserved historical building from the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. According to MAIgoo editors, the museum has been open to the public free of charge since May 18, 2008. Admission is free, and free guided tours are provided by volunteer explainers every day. To ensure the safety of the artifacts and the orderly flow of visitors, and to create a pleasant environment within the museum, the museum implements a real-name system with timed appointments for visitors. Those who have not made reservations are not allowed to make phone reservations or queue for entry. Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00-17:00 (entry is closed at 16:00), closed on Mondays (except for national statutory holidays).
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