I explored 3 lesser-known ancient towns in Suzhou and finally understood what "uncrowded water town life" really means

Last week, I took my parents to Suzhou and deliberately avoided the crowded Zhouzhuang and Tongli. Instead, I chose 3 ancient towns that local friends secretly recommended—Lili, Zhenze, and Luxu. Walking on the bluestone paths, my dad suddenly said, "This is the Jiangnan from our childhood textbooks, not streets full of trendy shops, but grandmas washing vegetables by the river and the sound of oars slicing through the water."

The first stop was Lili Ancient Town, just a 40-minute drive from Suzhou, with a parking fee of 10 yuan for the whole day. As soon as we entered the town, I was drawn to a stall selling fried glutinous rice balls. The grandma kneaded the dough and put the red bean paste-filled glutinous rice balls into the oil. With a sizzling sound, white smoke rose. One bite and it was crispy outside, soft inside, sweet but not cloying. Walking along the river, 12 ancient bridges hid under the shade of trees. The most interesting was the "Dark Alley," so narrow that only one person could pass through. Locals say passing through the dark alley can "bring good luck." My parents and I lined up to go through it, and my dad joked, "Maybe I'll win the lottery when I get back."

In the evening, we took a punt boat in Lili. The boatwoman wore a blue cloth headscarf and sang Suzhou folk tunes softly while rowing. Passing by the water market, we saw someone selling freshly caught water caltrops by the river, 5 yuan a bag, juicy when peeled. The boatwoman recommended trying Lili’s old street sausage. We found an old shop; the sausage was stewed until tender and tasted especially delicious dipped in soy sauce. My mom kept saying, "This tastes better than the braised snacks in the city."

The next day, we went to Zhenze Ancient Town. At the entrance, we saw the Ciyun Zen Temple pagoda, its white walls and black tiles reflected in the river, looking beautiful even without photo editing. Walking along the river, we met a grandma weaving homespun cloth. The loom clicked rhythmically, and the indigo-patterned cloth she made was very attractive. I bought a piece as a tablecloth, and she even gave me a small cloth bag. Zhenze’s Dingsheng cake is also famous. The soft cake filled with red bean paste had a fragrant rice aroma. My parents said it tasted more authentic than the pastries they ate in childhood.

On the last day, we visited Luxu Ancient Town, the most "original" of the three. There were no tourists, only locals washing clothes and chatting by the river. We rested in an old teahouse, ordered two cups of green tea and a plate of sunflower seeds, and listened to an elderly man at the next table tell stories about Luxu. He said boats here used to sail directly to Shanghai. Although big boats don’t run often now, the river is still clear. At the teahouse entrance, an old man sold maltose candy, tapping the sugar blocks with a small hammer. I bought a piece; it was sweet and sticky on my teeth, like going back to childhood.

Actually, none of these three ancient towns require expensive entrance fees. Only Lili’s Liu Yazi Former Residence and Zhenze’s Ciyun Temple charge about ten yuan, making them very cost-effective. The transportation is also convenient—within an hour’s drive from Shanghai or Suzhou. After taking the high-speed train to Suzhou South Station, it’s just a 10-minute taxi ride to Lili. If you want to stay overnight, I recommend a riverside guesthouse in Lili, where you can hear the sound of oars at night and wake up to birdsong in the morning—very comfortable.

Thinking back to the scenes in Luxu, I feel a bit nostalgic: grandmas picking vegetables by the river, grandpas playing chess by the bridge, sunlight filtering through leaves onto the bluestone, even time seemed to slow down. If you go to Suzhou and don’t want to squeeze into popular ancient towns, you should really try these places.

By the way, if you go to Suzhou, would you rather try Lili’s fried glutinous rice balls first or visit the Ciyun Pagoda in Zhenze? Or do you know other lesser-known ancient towns in Suzhou? Chat with me in the comments~

Post by AIB. Lou 2630 | Aug 22, 2025