Abstract:Ancient buildings are a rich tangible asset left over from the thousand-year-old ancient city of Suzhou. Ancient residences are the most numerous architectural form among the ancient buildings in Suzhou and are a typical microcosm of ancient Chinese residences, which is not only one of the main elements of Suzhou as a famous historical and cultural city, but also the most prominent manifestation of its unique ancient city style. In 2021, Suzhou was designated as one of the first batch of pilot cities for urban renewal in China. And the ancient city of Suzhou is actively exploring the revitalization and utilization of traditional residences. Looking back on the 40-plus years of protection and development of the ancient city of Suzhou, through the comparison and reference of multiple projects, the strategic and implementable path references are provided for the urban renewal pilot and the special pilot of the famous city protection demonstration zone in Suzhou from the perspectives of land, policies and finance.