St. John's Church, Suzhou

St. John's Church is a Protestant place of worship in Gusu District built with Gothic elements and brick walls. Inside, the building accommodates roughly 800 worshippers across multiple levels and maintains its original layout.

The building was established in 1881 when an American missionary founded it as East Soochow Methodist Church to serve the growing Christian community. It has continued to evolve since then and remains a trace of that early missionary period.

The church shows how Western religious traditions took root in Suzhou and remain visible to visitors today. The building brings Methodist practices into a local setting and reflects the meeting of different faiths in the city.

The building sits in a convenient location in central Suzhou with good access to public transportation. Visitors should check ahead to confirm visiting hours, as it primarily functions as an active place of worship.

A Nobel Prize winner had close family ties to this church through his grandfather, who served as its first head pastor. This connection shows how deeply the institution is rooted in the city's local history.