Can you believe you don't need to buy tickets on weekends to explore Tongli Ancient Town?

It's true!

Tongli Ancient Town offers free admission after 5 PM every day.
So, let's enter the ancient town right at 5 PM,
then stroll around and enjoy the night view of Tongli Ancient Town with the evening breeze,
have a special Tongli meal by the river at Sanqiao,
go back and have a good night's sleep,
and early the next morning, before tourists arrive
and before the shops' loudspeakers start,
stroll around the quiet ancient town in the morning!

There are 7 small paid attractions in the ancient town,
Tuisi Garden is the most worthwhile one to visit!
You can 🐟 buy a ticket
to experience the only Ming and Qing dynasty garden outside Suzhou city that is listed as a World Cultural Heritage site!

Location
Tongli Ancient Town is a 5A-rated scenic area, located in Wujiang District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, on the shore of Taihu Lake. It has a history of over a thousand years since its establishment in the Song Dynasty, is surrounded by five lakes, divided into seven small islands by 15 "Chuan"-shaped rivers, and connected by 49 ancient bridges.

Transportation
- Public Transportation: You can take Suzhou Metro Line 4 to "Tongli Station," then transfer to bus route 725 directly to the South Gate of the ancient town; or take the high-speed train to Suzhou Station and transfer to the "Suzhou Haoxing" tourist bus directly.
- Self-driving: Approximately 1.5-2.5 hours from Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, and other places. There are parking lots in the north, east, and south of the town.
Tickets
Same-day ticket 100 RMB, presale ticket 80 RMB.
(Free admission from 5 PM to 8 AM the next day)

Features
- Water Town Scenery: The ancient town has many waterways and bridges, with every household by the water and accessible by boat. The crisscrossing rivers and swaying boats create a natural water town painting.
- Historical Architecture: The town boasts numerous gardens, temples, residences, and former celebrity homes built during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The architectural style is elegant, with exquisite carvings, embodying rich historical and cultural connotations.
- Folk Culture: Traditional folk activities such as walking across the Three Bridges for blessings and Jiangnan wedding performances are available, and you can also enjoy folk arts like Pingtan (storytelling and ballad singing).

Cuisine
- Tongli Shilu
- Tongli Meishiyuan Nongjia Sibancai (Tongli Ancient Town Branch)
- Sanshiliu Dao Sucai (Tongli Branch)
- Sanqiao Renjia Jiulou
- Laijun Dianxindian
(These are all great shops I discovered after two hours of wandering!!! The flavors are actually quite similar across them, the key is fresh ingredients! So choose stores with high foot traffic! Every time I passed these stores, there were many people. I personally tried Tongli Shilu, highly recommended!)