Lingyan Mountain resort, located in Mudu ancient town in Suzhou of Jiangsu province, opened to the public for free on October 31.

The move is welcomed by both visitors and citizens who come to the place for morning exercise.

A project to improve the environment of the “two mountains and one town” began in May this year. The location of Tianping Mountain, Lingyan Mountain and Mudu ancient town is important to Suzhou.

Lingyan Mountain is one of the major scenic spots of Wuzhong district in Suzhou. The culture of “number one scholars,” referring to those that placed first in imperial exams in ancient times, and Wu-Yue sites in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) both arose on Lingyan Mountain. It opened to the public in 2002. Visitors had to pay for tickets in the past.

“Opening the resort for free will benefit the public, and it will promote the development of Mudu ancient town,” said Gu Xuefeng, an official at the management committee of the Mudu tourism area.

Around 200,000 people visit Lingyan Mountain resort every year, and ticket income reaches 1.2-1.3 million yuan. Huang Fuyuan, a manager of Mudu Tourism Development Company, said many more visitors are expected to come to Lingyan Mountain resort thanks to the free entrance. Workers of the resort have attached great importance to safety warnings, direction signs and fire prevention measures. Safety guards, cleanliness and facility maintenance are also important.

The resort opens from 5 am to 4:30 pm every day.