Tania in China

Where am I? Suzhou

Suzhou is a famous city with a long history on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The city is renowned for its beautiful stone bridges, pagodas, and meticulously designed gardens, which has become a great tourist attraction. Suzhou has also been an important center for China's silk industry since the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and continues to hold that prominent position today.

In 514 BC, King Helu of Wu established "Great City of Helu", the ancient name for Suzhou, as his capital. In 473 BC, Wu was defeated by Yue, another kingdom to the east that was soon annexed by Chu in 306 BC. The golden era of Suzhou was over. Remnants of this culture include the remainders of the 2,500 year old wall and the gate through it at Pan Gate.

When the Grand Canal (a 1100 mile long canal from Beijing to Hangzhou, dug between 400BC and 500AD) was completed, Suzhou found itself strategically located on a major trade route. In the course of the history of China, it has been a metropolis of industry and commerce in the south-eastern coast of China. Many of the famous private gardens were constructed by the gentry of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Many gardens were devastated during World War II, but in the early 1950s restoration was done on Zhuo-Zheng Yuan (Humble Administrator's Garden), Dong Yuan (East Garden), and others, to bring them back to life.

Being one of the most prosperous cities in China, Suzhou's development has a direct correlation with the growth of its satellite cities. Suzhou's jurisdictional areas are home to many high-tech development enterprises.

Nicknames of Suzhou: "Capital of Silk", "Land of Abundance", "Gusu city", "Oriental Venice", "Cradle of the Wu Culture", and "World of Gardens"

Chinese saying: "In heaven, there is paradise. On earth, there are Suzhou and Hangzhou."

posted by Tania @ 10:03 PM