Soo-chow
Suzhou (蘇州 / 苏州 pinyin: su1 zhou1) is one of the most famous cities in China. It lies in the lower reaches of the Yangtze and on the shores of lake Taihu in the province of Jiangsu. It is part of the Golden Triangle region. The city enjoys advantageous geography and excellent land, water and air transportation.
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| Suzhou |
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Area
- Total Area |
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8,848 km² |
Population
- Total population
- Urban population |
Number ? in Jiangsu Province
5.78 million
2.05 million |
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| Political division |
Prefecture-level city |
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History
Suzhou, the cradle of Wu culture, is one of the oldest towns in the Yangzi Basin. 2500 years ago, local tribes who named themselves "Gou Wu" in the late Shang Dynasty lived in the area which would become Suzhou. In 514 BC, during the Spring and Autumn Period, King Helu of Wu established "Great City of Helu", the ancient name for Suzhou, as his capital.
In the course of the history of China, it has been a metropolis of industry and commerce in the south-eastern coast of China. The city was renamed Suzhou in A.D. 581 under Sui Dynasty.
When the Grand Canal was completed, Suzhou found itself placed strategically on a major trading route.
In 1981, this ancient city was listed by the State Council as one of the four cities (the other three being Beijing, Hangzhou and Guilin) where the protection of historical and cultural heritage as well as natural scenery should be treated as a priority project.
Gardens in Suzhou were added to the list of the World Heritage Sites in 1997 and 2000.
Districts and Satellite cities
Water and Mountains
Attractions
Culture
- Chinese opera: Kunqu Opera, Suzhou Opera and Ballad-sing;
- Silk
- Handicrafts: Suzhou embroidery, fans, national musical instruments, scroll mounting, lanterns, mahogany furniture, jade carving, silk tapestry, traditional painting pigments of Jiangenxutang Studio, the New Year's wood-block prints of Taohuamu Studio
- Paintings
- Calligraphic art
- Cuisine: Yangcheng Lake huge crab
Famous people
Quotes
- "A very great and noble city... It has 1600 stone bridges under which a galley may pass." - Marco Polo
- "Capital of Silk", "Land of Abundance", "Gusu city", "Oriental Venice", "cradle of the Wu Culture", and "World of Gardens"
- - nicknames of Suzhou
- "Paradise in Heaven, Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth." - Chinese old saying
See also
Colleges and universities
External links
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