Suzhou (; ;
Suzhounese: ''sou¹ tseu¹'' ,
Mandarin
Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to:
Language
* Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country
** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China
** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...
: ),
alternately romanized as Soochow, is a major city in southern
Jiangsu
Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, Postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an Eastern China, eastern coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is o ...
province,
East China
East China () is a geographical and a loosely defined cultural region that covers the eastern coastal area of China.
A concept abolished in 1978, for economical purposes the region was defined from 1949 to 1961 by the Chinese Central Governme ...
. Suzhou is the largest city in Jiangsu, and a major economic center and focal point of
trade
Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market.
An early form of trade, barter, saw the direct excha ...
and
commerce
Commerce is the large-scale organized system of activities, functions, procedures and institutions directly and indirectly related to the exchange (buying and selling) of goods and services among two or more parties within local, regional, nation ...
.
Administratively, Suzhou is a
prefecture-level city
A prefecture-level city () or prefectural city is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China (PRC), ranking below a province and above a county in China's administrative structure.
During the Republican era, many of China' ...
with a population of 6,715,559 in the city proper, and a total resident population of 12,748,262 as of the 2020 census in its administrative area. The city jurisdiction area's north waterfront is on a lower reach of the
Yangtze
The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest river in Asia, the third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains (Tibetan Plateau) and flows ...
whereas it has its more focal south-western waterfront on
Lake Tai
Taihu (), also known as Lake Tai or Lake Taihu, is a lake in the Yangtze Delta and one of the largest freshwater lakes in China. The lake is in Jiangsu province and a significant part of its southern shore forms its border with Zhejiang. With ...
– crossed by several waterways, its district belongs to the
Yangtze River Delta
The Yangtze Delta or Yangtze River Delta (YRD, or simply ) is a triangle-shaped megalopolis generally comprising the Wu Chinese-speaking areas of Shanghai, southern Jiangsu and northern Zhejiang. The area lies in the heart of the Jiangnan reg ...
region. Suzhou is now part of the Greater Shanghai metro area, incorporating most of Changzhou,
Wuxi
Wuxi (, ) is a city in southern Jiangsu province, eastern China, by car to the northwest of downtown Shanghai, between Changzhou and Suzhou. In 2017 it had a population of 3,542,319, with 6,553,000 living in the entire prefecture-level city ar ...
and Suzhou urban districts plus
Kunshan
Kunshan is a county-level city in southeastern Jiangsu province with Shanghai bordering its eastern border and Suzhou on its western boundary. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Suzhou.
Name
There is a strong pos ...
and
Taicang
Taicang is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China. The city located in the south of the Yangtze River estuary opposite Nantong, being bordered by Shanghai proper to the south, while the river also delineates ...
, with a population of more than 38,000,000 residents as of 2020. Its urban population grew at an unprecedented rate of 6.5% between 2000 and 2014, which is the highest among cities with more than 5,000,000 people.
Founded in 514BC, Suzhou has had a long and productive history. Local museums host abundant displays of its relics and many sites of historical interest exist. Around AD100, during the
Eastern Han Dynasty
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...
, it became one of the ten largest cities in the world, mostly due to emigration from
northern China
Northern China () and Southern China () are two approximate regions within China. The exact boundary between these two regions is not precisely defined and only serve to depict where there appears to be regional differences between the climate ...
. Since the 10th century, Suzhou has been an important center of China's industry and foreign trade. During the late 15th century to the 19th century, Suzhou was a national economic, cultural, and commercial center, as well as the largest non-
capital city
A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, Department (country subdivision), department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city ...
in the world, until it was overtaken by Shanghai. Since major
economic reforms began in 1978, Suzhou has become one of the fastest growing major cities in the world, with GDP growth rates of about 14% in the past 35 years.
With high life expectancy and per capita incomes, Suzhou's
Human Development Index
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistic composite index of life expectancy, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income indicators, whi ...
ratings is roughly comparable to a moderately developed country, making it one of the most highly developed and prosperous cities in China.
Suzhou is also famous for its classical gardens, date back to the 6th century BC, when the city was founded as the capital of the
state of Wu
Wu (; Old Chinese: ''*'') was one of the states during the Western Zhou dynasty and the Spring and Autumn period. It was also known as Gouwu ( /''*''/) or Gongwu ( /''*''/) from the pronunciation of the local language.
Wu was located at the ...
. Inspired by these royal hunting gardens built by the King of Wu, private gardens began emerging around the 4th century and finally reached the climax in the 18th century.
Suzhou is also one of the
top 50 major cities in the world by scientific research outputs as tracked by the
Nature Index The Nature Index is a database that tracks institutions and countries and their scientific output since its introduction in November, 2014. Each year, Nature Index ranks the leading institutions (which can be companies, universities, government agen ...
, and home to multiple
major universities in China, including
Soochow University,
Suzhou University of Science and Technology,
Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU; ) is an international joint university based in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. Founded in 2006 and resulting from a partnership between the University of Liverpool and Xi'an Jiaotong University, it is the f ...
and
Changshu Institute of Technology.
The city's canals, stone
bridges
A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whic ...
,
pagodas, and
meticulously designed gardens have contributed to its status as one of the top tourist attractions and liveable cities in China. The
Classical Gardens of Suzhou
The Classical Gardens of Suzhou ( Chinese: 苏州园林; pinyin: ''Sūzhōu yuánlín''; Suzhounese ( Wugniu): ''sou1-tseu1 yoe2-lin2'') are a group of gardens in the city of Suzhou, in Jiangsu, China, which have been added to the UNESCO World Her ...
were added to the list of the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
s in 1997 and 2000. Suzhou is often dubbed the "
Venice of the East" or "Venice of China".
Names
During the
Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou dynasty ( ; Old Chinese ( B&S): *''tiw'') was a royal dynasty of China that followed the Shang dynasty. Having lasted 789 years, the Zhou dynasty was the longest dynastic regime in Chinese history. The military control of China by th ...
, a settlement known as Gusu after nearby
Mount Gusu
Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest.
Mount or Mounts may also refer to:
Places
* Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England
* Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...
() became the capital of the
state of
Wu. From this role, it also came to be called Wu as well. In 514BC,
King Helü of Wu established a new capital nearby at Helü City and this grew into the modern city. During the
Warring States period
The Warring States period () was an era in History of China#Ancient China, ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded ...
, Helü City continued to serve as the local seat of government. From the areas it administered, it became known as Wuxian (. "
Wu County
Wu County or Wuxian (; 221 B.C. – December 2000) is a former county and city located in modern Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province. Its name refers to its former status as the capital of the state of Wu during the Spring and Autumn period.
Histo ...
") and Wujun ("
Wu Commandery
Wu Commandery was a commandery of imperial China. It covers parts of the contemporary Northern Zhejiang and Southern Jiangsu. The capital of Wu commandery was Wu (today's Suzhou). Major counties of Wu commandery include Wu (county), Yuhang county, ...
").
Under the
Qin Qin may refer to:
Dynasties and states
* Qin (state) (秦), a major state during the Zhou Dynasty of ancient China
* Qin dynasty (秦), founded by the Qin state in 221 BC and ended in 206 BC
* Daqin (大秦), ancient Chinese name for the Roman Emp ...
, it was known as Kuaiji after its greatly enlarged commandery, which was named for the
reputed resting place of
Yu the Great
Yu the Great (大禹) was a legendary king in ancient China who was famed for his introduction of flood control, his establishment of the Xia dynasty which inaugurated dynastic rule in China, and his upright moral character. He figures prominen ...
near modern
Shaoxing in
Zhejiang
Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...
.
The name "Suzhou" was first officially used for the city in AD 589 during the
Sui dynasty
The Sui dynasty (, ) was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 581 to 618. The Sui unified the Northern and Southern dynasties, thus ending the long period of division following the fall of the Western Jin dynasty, and layi ...
. ''Su'' ( or ) in its name is a contraction of the old name Gusu. It refers to the mint
perilla (''
shiso''). The ''zhou'' originally meant
something like a province or county (cf.
Guizhou
Guizhou (; formerly Kweichow) is a landlocked province in the southwest region of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Guiyang, in the center of the province. Guizhou borders the autonomous region of Guangxi to t ...
), but often came to be used
metonymously for the capital of such a region (cf.
Guangzhou
Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...
,
Hangzhou
Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, whi ...
, etc.). Suzhou is the
Hanyu Pinyin
Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally written in Chinese for ...
spelling of the Putonghua pronunciation of the name. Prior to the adoption of pinyin, it was variously
romanized
Romanization or romanisation, in linguistics, is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and ...
as Soo-chow, Suchow, or Su-chow.
History
Suzhou, the cradle of
Wu culture, is one of the oldest towns in the
Yangtze
The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest river in Asia, the third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains (Tibetan Plateau) and flows ...
Basin. By the
Spring and Autumn period
The Spring and Autumn period was a period in Chinese history from approximately 770 to 476 BC (or according to some authorities until 403 BC) which corresponds roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou period. The period's name derives fr ...
of the Zhou, local Baiyue tribes named the
Gou Wu
Wu (; Old Chinese: ''*'') was one of the states during the Western Zhou dynasty and the Spring and Autumn period. It was also known as Gouwu ( /''*''/) or Gongwu ( /''*''/) from the pronunciation of the local language.
Wu was located at the ...
are recorded living in the area which would become the modern city of Suzhou. These tribes formed villages on the edges of the hills above the wetlands surrounding
Lake Tai
Taihu (), also known as Lake Tai or Lake Taihu, is a lake in the Yangtze Delta and one of the largest freshwater lakes in China. The lake is in Jiangsu province and a significant part of its southern shore forms its border with Zhejiang. With ...
.
Sima Qian
Sima Qian (; ; ) was a Chinese historian of the early Han dynasty (206AD220). He is considered the father of Chinese historiography for his ''Records of the Grand Historian'', a general history of China covering more than two thousand years b ...
's ''
Records of the Grand Historian
''Records of the Grand Historian'', also known by its Chinese name ''Shiji'', is a monumental history of China that is the first of China's 24 dynastic histories. The ''Records'' was written in the early 1st century by the ancient Chinese hist ...
'' records traditional accounts that the
Zhou lord
Taibo
Taibo () (circa 1150 BCE), or Wu Taibo, was the eldest son of King Tai of Zhou and the legendary founder of the State of Wu. His exact birth and death dates are unknown.
Biography
According to Sima Qian, Taibo was the founder of the State of Wu. ...
established the
state of Wu
Wu (; Old Chinese: ''*'') was one of the states during the Western Zhou dynasty and the Spring and Autumn period. It was also known as Gouwu ( /''*''/) or Gongwu ( /''*''/) from the pronunciation of the local language.
Wu was located at the ...
at nearby Wuxi during the 11th centuryBC, civilizing the local people and improving their agriculture and mastery of irrigation. The Wu court later moved to Gusu within the area of modern Suzhou. In 514BC, King Helü of Wu relocated his court nearby and called the settlement Helü City after himself. His minister
Wu Zixu
:''Note: names are in simplified characters followed by traditional and Pinyin transliteration.''
Wu Yun (died 484 BC), better known by his courtesy name Zixu, was a Chinese military general and politician of the Wu kingdom in the Spring and Aut ...
was closely involved with its planning and it was this site that grew into present-day Suzhou. The height of his tower on Gusu Hill (''Gusutai'') passed into Chinese legend. In 496BC, King Helü was buried at
Tiger Hill
The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on u ...
. In 473BC, Wu was defeated and annexed by
Yue, a kingdom to its southeast; Yue was annexed in turn by
Chu
Chu or CHU may refer to:
Chinese history
* Chu (state) (c. 1030 BC–223 BC), a state during the Zhou dynasty
* Western Chu (206 BC–202 BC), a state founded and ruled by Xiang Yu
* Chu Kingdom (Han dynasty) (201 BC–70 AD), a kingdom of the Ha ...
in 306BC. Remnants of the ancient kingdom include pieces of its 2,500-year-old city wall and the gate through it at
Pan Gate.
The city was originally laid out according to a symbolic three-by-three grid of nine squares, with the royal palace occupying the central position.
During the Warring States period, Suzhou was the seat of Wu County and Commandery. Following the
Qin Empire's conquest of the area in 222BC, it was made the capital of
Kuaiji Commandery
Kuaiji Commandery (Chinese: t , s , p ''Kuàijī Jùn''), formerly romanized as K'uai-chi Commandery, was a former commandery of China in the area of Hangzhou Bay. When first established, its capital was at Wu (present-day ...
, including lands stretching from the south bank of the
Yangtze
The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest river in Asia, the third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains (Tibetan Plateau) and flows ...
to the unconquered interior of
Minyue
Minyue () was an ancient kingdom in what is now the Fujian province in southern China. It was a contemporary of the Han dynasty, and was later annexed by the Han empire as the dynasty expanded southward. The kingdom existed approximately from ...
in southern Zhejiang. Amid the
collapse of the Qin, Kuaiji's governor Yin Tong attempted to organize his own rebellion only to be betrayed and executed by
Xiang Liang
Xiang Liang (died 208 BC) was a military leader who led a rebellion against the Qin dynasty.
Early life
Xiang Liang was from Xiaxiang (下相; present-day Suqian, Jiangsu) and was a descendant of a family who served the Chu state in the Warring ...
and his nephew
Xiang Yu
Xiang Yu (, –202 BC), born Xiang Ji (), was the Hegemon-King (Chinese: 霸王, ''Bà Wáng'') of Western Chu during the Chu–Han Contention period (206–202 BC) of China. A noble of the Chu state, Xiang Yu rebelled against the Qin dynas ...
, who launched their own rebellion from the city.
When the
Grand Canal was completed, Suzhou found itself strategically located on a major trade route. Suzhou served as the regional metropolis of industry and foreign commerce on the southeastern coast of China. During the
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
, the great poet
Bai Juyi
Bai Juyi (also Bo Juyi or Po Chü-i; ; 772–846), courtesy name Letian (樂天), was a renowned Chinese poet and Tang dynasty government official. Many of his poems concern his career or observations made about everyday life, including as g ...
constructed the Shantang Canal (better known as "
Shantang Street") to connect the city with Tiger Hill for tourists. In AD1035, the
Suzhou Confucian Temple
The Confucian Temple of Suzhou () and also known as the Suzhou Stone Inscription Museum and Suzhou Prefecture School (; a state-run school), is a Confucian temple located in the ancient city of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China, on the south bank ...
was founded by famed poet and writer
Fan Zhongyan. It became a venue for the
imperial civil examinations and then developed into the modern
Suzhou High School in the 1910s.
![Du Halde - Description de la Chine - Villes de la province de Kiang nan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Du_Halde_-_Description_de_la_Chine_-_Villes_de_la_province_de_Kiang_nan.jpg)
After February 1130, riots and unrest disrupted Suzhou. In 1356, Suzhou became the capital of
Zhang Shicheng
Zhang Shicheng (; 1321-1367), born Zhang Jiusi (), was one of the leaders of the Red Turban Rebellion in the late Yuan dynasty of China. Later, he established the ''Da Zhou'' (大周) kingdom with reigning name "Tianyou" ().
Early life
Zhang S ...
, King of
Wu. In 1367, Zhang's rival
Zhu Yuanzhang
The Hongwu Emperor (21 October 1328 – 24 June 1398), personal name Zhu Yuanzhang (), courtesy name Guorui (), was the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty of China, reigning from 1368 to 1398.
As famine, plagues and peasant revolts in ...
took the city after a 10-month siege. Zhu who was soon to proclaim himself the first emperor of the
Ming Dynasty
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
demolished the old city walls at the center of Suzhou's walled city and imposed crushing taxes on the city and prefecture's powerful families. Despite the heavy taxation and the forced exile of some prominent citizens' south, Suzhou was soon prosperous again. During the early Ming, Suzhou Prefecture supervised the Yangtze
shoal
In oceanography, geomorphology, and geoscience, a shoal is a natural submerged ridge, bank, or bar that consists of, or is covered by, sand or other unconsolidated material and rises from the bed of a body of water to near the surface. It ...
s which later became
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
's
Chongming Island.
["Chongming County" in the ''Encyclopedia of Shanghai'', pp. 50 ff.]
Shanghai Scientific & Technical Publishers (Shanghai), 2010. Hosted by the Municipality of Shanghai. For centuries the city, with its surroundings as an economic base, represented an extraordinary source of tax revenue.
When the shipwrecked Korean official
Choe Bu had a chance to see much of Eastern China from Zhejiang to Liaoning on his way home in 1488, he described Suzhou in his travel report as exceeding every other city. Many of the area's private gardens were constructed by the imperial gentry. The
Taipings captured the city in 1860, however, and many of its former buildings and gardens were "almost... a heap of ruins" by the time of their recovery by
Charles Gordon's
Ever-Victorious Army
"Ever Victorious Army" ( ''cháng shèng jūn'') was the name given to a small imperial army that fought rebels in late-19th-century China. It was directed and trained by Europeans. The Ever Victorious Army fought for the Qing dynasty against th ...
in November 1863. Nonetheless, by 1880, its population was estimated to have recovered to about 500,000, which remained stable for the next few decades. In the late 19th century, the town was particularly known for its wide range of silks and its Chinese-language publishing industry. The town was first opened to direct foreign trades by the
Treaty of Shimonoseki
The , also known as the Treaty of Maguan () in China and in the period before and during World War II in Japan, was a treaty signed at the , Shimonoseki, Japan on April 17, 1895, between the Empire of Japan and Qing China, ending the Firs ...
ending the
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War (25 July 1894 – 17 April 1895) was a conflict between China and Japan primarily over influence in Korea. After more than six months of unbroken successes by Japanese land and naval forces and the loss of the po ...
and by the
most favored nation clauses of earlier
unequal treaties with the
Great Powers
A great power is a sovereign state that is recognized as having the ability and expertise to exert its influence on a global scale. Great powers characteristically possess military and economic strength, as well as diplomatic and soft power in ...
. The new expatriates opened a European-and-Chinese school in 1900 and the
Suzhou railway station, connecting it with
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
, opened on 16 July 1906. Just prior to the
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, there were 7000 silk looms in operation, as well as a cotton mill and a large trade in rice.
As late as the early 20th century, much of the city consisted of islands connected by rivers, creeks, and canals to the surrounding countryside. Prior to their demolition, the city walls ran in a circuit of about with four large suburbs lying outside. The
Japanese invaded in 1937, and many gardens were again devastated by the end of the war. In the early 1950s, restoration was done on the
Humble Administrator's Garden and the
Lingering Garden
Lingering Garden (; Suzhou Wu: Leu yoe, ) is a renowned classical Chinese garden, dating back to 1593. It is located at 338 Liuyuan Rd. Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China (留园路338号). The garden is divided into 4 themed sections connected ...
.
Administrative divisions
The urban core of Suzhou is informally called the "Old Town." It is
Gusu District.
Suzhou Industrial Park
The China–Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park (), or Suzhou Industrial Park for short, abbreviated as SIP, is a county-level administrative area located in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. The industrial park was established in February 1994, as part of th ...
is to the east of the old town, and
Suzhou High & New Technology Development Zone is to the west. In 2000, the original Wu County was divided into two districts including
Xiangcheng and
Wuzhong. They now form the northern and southern parts of the city of Suzhou. In 2012, the original Wujiang City became Wujiang District of Suzhou City.
Suzhou is one of the most prosperous cities in China. Its development has a direct correlation with the growth of its
satellite cities, including
Kunshan
Kunshan is a county-level city in southeastern Jiangsu province with Shanghai bordering its eastern border and Suzhou on its western boundary. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Suzhou.
Name
There is a strong pos ...
,
Taicang
Taicang is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China. The city located in the south of the Yangtze River estuary opposite Nantong, being bordered by Shanghai proper to the south, while the river also delineates ...
,
Changshu
Changshu (; Suzhounese: /d͡ʐan¹³ ʐoʔ²³/) is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, and is part of the Yangtze River Delta. It borders the prefecture-level city of Nantong to the northeast across the Yangt ...
, and
Zhangjiagang
Zhangjiagang (), formerly Shazhou County (), is a county-level city under the administration of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China and one of the many ports along the Yangtze river.
With 1,246,762 inhabitants as of the 2010 census, the city is now ...
, which together with the city of Suzhou form the Suzhou prefecture. The Suzhou prefecture is home to many high-tech enterprises.
Geography
Suzhou is on the Lake Tai Plain south of the Yangtze River, about to the west of Shanghai and just over east of Nanjing.
Climate
Suzhou has a four-season
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
with hot, humid summers and cool, cloudy, damp winters with occasional snowfall (
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Cfa''). Northwesterly winds blowing from
Siberia
Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...
during winter can cause temperatures to fall below freezing at night, while southerly or southwesterly winds during the summer can push temperatures above . The hottest temperature recorded since 1951 was at on 7 August 2013, and the lowest at on 16 January 1958.
Cityscape and environment
File:Suzhou from Beisi Pagoda.jpg, Suzhou as viewed from Beisi Pagoda
The Beisi Pagoda (; Suzhou Wu: Poh zy thaeh, ) or North Temple Pagoda is a Chinese pagoda located at Bao'en Temple in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. The base of the pagoda has an octagonal frame, and the tower rises nine stories in a total he ...
File:Near-Pingjiang-Road.JPG, Pingjiang Road
Pingjiang Road (), historically known as Shiquan Li (Chinese:十泉里), is a street and historic district in Gusu District (formerly the Pingjiang District), northeastern Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. It is a well-preserved area and is part of the so ...
File:Changmen at Night.jpg, Changmen at night
File:Humble Administrator's Garden1.jpg, The Humble Administrator's Garden
File:Youyicun garden.jpg, An entrance to the Youyicun Garden
File:Xuanmiao Guan (Temple of Mystery), Suzhou.jpg, Xuanmiao Temple
Xuanmiao Temple () is a prominent Taoism, Taoist temple with a long history, located at the center of old Suzhou, Suzhou City.
The street along the east–west direction in front of the temple is called Guanqian Street, a famed business pedestri ...
File:Suzhoupic1.jpg, A canal in Suzhou
File:20090926 Suzhou Pan Men 5941.jpg, Picture of the Land and Water Gate
File:Panmen Scenic Area 1.jpg, View of Panmen Scenic Area and Ruiguang Pagoda
Classical Gardens of Suzhou
Suzhou is famous for its over 60
Classical Gardens, collectively a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
. The city has the most UNESCO-recognized gardens in the world.
The
Humble Administrator's Garden and
Lingering Garden
Lingering Garden (; Suzhou Wu: Leu yoe, ) is a renowned classical Chinese garden, dating back to 1593. It is located at 338 Liuyuan Rd. Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China (留园路338号). The garden is divided into 4 themed sections connected ...
are among the four most famous classical gardens in China. The
Canglang Pavilion
The Canglang Pavilion (; Suzhou Wu: Tshaon laon din, ), variously translated as the Great Wave Pavilion, Surging Wave Pavilion, or Blue Wave Pavilion, is one of the Classical Gardens of Suzhou that are jointly recognized as a UNESCO World Heritag ...
,
Lion Grove Garden
The Lion Grove Garden (; Suzhou Wu: Sy tsy lin yoe, ) is a garden located at 23 Yuanlin Road in Gusu District (formerly Pingjiang District), Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. The garden is famous for the large and labyrinthine grotto of ''taihu'' rocks ...
, Humble Administrator's Garden and Lingering Garden, respectively representing the garden styles of traditional architecture are called the four most famous gardens in Suzhou. Other gardens inscribed on the World Heritage List include the
Couple's Retreat Garden
Couple's Retreat Garden (; Suzhou Wu: Ngeu yoe, ) located in Suzhou city, Jiangsu province, China is a famous classical Chinese garden. It is recognized with other classical Suzhou gardens as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
History
The original gar ...
, the
Garden of Cultivation
The Garden of Cultivation () is one of the best preserved examples of a Ming Dynasty classical garden in Suzhou. It is part of the Classical Gardens of Suzhou on UNESCO's World Heritage Site list. "Due to its special history, this Garden was virt ...
, and the
Retreat and Reflection Garden
The Retreat & Reflection Garden (; Suzhou Wu: The sy yoe, ) is a notable classical garden in China. It is located in Tongli, Wujiang, Jiangsu, China. In 2001, it was recognized with the other Classical Gardens of Suzhou as a UNESCO World Herita ...
.
Temples
*
Hanshan Temple
*
Xiyuan Temple
*
Xuanmiao Temple
Xuanmiao Temple () is a prominent Taoism, Taoist temple with a long history, located at the center of old Suzhou, Suzhou City.
The street along the east–west direction in front of the temple is called Guanqian Street, a famed business pedestri ...
*
Lingyanshan Temple
Lingyanshan Temple () is a prominent Buddhist temple with a 1600-year history in Suzhou, was the palace for Xishi in BC494 located at the peak of Lingyan Hill.
References
Buddhist temples in Suzhou
{{Buddhist-temple-stub ...
*
Chongyuan Temple
Chongyuan Temple () is a Liang Dynasty Buddhist temple located along Yangcheng Lake at Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou, China.
History
The original Chongyun Temple was built in the 6th century during the reign of Emperor Wu of Liang. On its inau ...
Canals and Historic Districts
The Suzhou section of the Jiangnan Canal,
Grand Canal (China)
The Grand Canal, known to the Chinese as the Jing–Hang Grand Canal (, or more commonly, as the「大运河」("Grand Canal")), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the longest canal or artificial river in the world. Starting in Beijing, it passes ...
, includes ten city gates and over 20 stone bridges of traditional design and historic areas that have been well preserved, as well as temples and pavilions.
There are a full 24 waterways in Suzhou near the Grand Canal.
In 2015, both 800-year-old Pingjiang Road Historical Block () and 1,200-year-old Shantang Street Scenic Area () were added to the list of China's "National Historic and Cultural Streets".
Pingjiang Road runs parallel to the Pingjiang River for 1.5 kilometers and is lined with homes and some teahouses. Shantang Street, over twice as long at 3.8 km, is described by the
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as retaining "the alluring qualities of an old canal-side street: whitewashed buildings are completed by red-tasseled lanterns that swing softly in the breeze, adding to the charm of the river bank".
Boat tours are offered on the waterways of this city that was dubbed the "Venice of the East" by
Marco Polo
Marco Polo (, , ; 8 January 1324) was a Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His travels are recorded in ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' (also known as ''Book of the Marv ...
because of its criss-crossing canals and stone bridges. The Grand Canal (from Beijing to Zhejiang province) is a UNESCO
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
.
Resorts and natural reserves
Suzhou Taihu National Tourism and Vacation Zone () is in the western part of Suzhou, from the city center.
Skyscrapers
Gate to the East is a 301.8 meter, 74-story skyscraper in Suzhou's central business district, built in 2015 at a cost of 700 million
USD and is currently the tallest building in Suzhou.
Pan Gate
Pan Gate is on the southwest corner of the Main Canal or encircling canal of Suzhou. Originally built during the
Warring States
The Warring States period () was an era in ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded with the Qin wars of conquest ...
Period in the state of Wu, historians estimate it to be around 2,500 years old. It is now part of the ''Pan Gate Scenic Area''. It is known for the "three landmarks of Pan Gate". They are the
Ruiguang Pagoda, the earliest pagoda in Suzhou built in 247BC, the ''Wu Gate Bridge'', the entrance to the gate at that time over the water passage and the highest bridge in Suzhou at the time, and the ''Pan Gate''. The Ruigang Pagoda is constructed of brick with wooden platforms and has Buddhist carvings at its base.
Baodai Bridge
Baodai Bridge
The Precious Belt Bridge () or Baodai Bridge is a stone arch bridge near Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. The Precious Belt Bridge is located at the intersection of the Grand Canal and Tantai Lake, about 2.5 kilometer south east of Suzhou.
H ...
stretches across the Tantai Lake in the suburbs of Suzhou. To raise money to finance the bridge, the magistrate donated his expensive belt, hence the name. The bridge was first built in 806 A.D. in the
Tang Dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
and has 53 arches with a length of 317 meters. It was made out of stone from
Jinshan Mountain and is the longest standing bridge of its kind in China. The bridge was included on the list of national monuments (resolution 5-285) in 2001.
Tiger Hill
Tiger Hill
The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on u ...
is known for its natural environment and historical sites. The hill is so named because it is said to look like a crouching tiger. Another legend states that a white tiger appeared on the hill to guard it following the burial The hill has been a tourist destination for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, as is evident from the poetry and calligraphy carved into rocks on the hill. The Song Dynasty poet,
Su Shi said, "It is a lifelong pity if having visited Suzhou you did not visit Tiger Hill."
Pagodas
Yunyan Pagoda
The Tiger Hill Pagoda, more officially the Yunyan Pagoda (; Suzhou Wu: Yuin nge zy thaeh, or ; Suzhou Wu: Hou chieu thaeh, ), also sometimes translated as Huqiu Tower, is a Chinese pagoda situated on Tiger Hill in Suzhou city, Jiangsu Provi ...
(or Huqiu Tower), built in 961, is a
Chinese pagoda built on Tiger Hill in Suzhou. It has several other names, including the "Leaning Tower of China" (as referred to by historian O.G. Ingles)
[Ingles (1982), 144.] and the Yunyan Temple Tower. The tower rises to a height of 47 m (154 ft). It is a seven-story octagonal building built with blue bricks. In more than a thousand years the tower has gradually slanted due to forces of nature. Now the top and bottom of the tower vary by 2.32 meters. The entire structure weighs some , supported by internal brick columns.
[Ingles (1982), 145.] However, the tower leans roughly 3 degrees due to the cracking of two supporting columns.
Beisi Pagoda
The Beisi Pagoda (; Suzhou Wu: Poh zy thaeh, ) or North Temple Pagoda is a Chinese pagoda located at Bao'en Temple in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. The base of the pagoda has an octagonal frame, and the tower rises nine stories in a total he ...
or North Temple Pagoda is a Chinese pagoda at Bao'en Temple in Suzhou. It rises nine stories in a height of . It is the tallest Chinese pagoda south of the Yangtze river.
Twin Pagodas () lie in the Dinghui Temple Lane in the southeastern corner of the city proper of Suzhou. They are artistic and natural as they are close at hand. One of them is called "Clarity-Dispensing Pagoda," and the other, the "Beneficence Pagoda"; they are in the same form of architecture. There are many legends about this one-thousand-year-old pagodas. It is charming that the exquisite and straight Twin Pagoda look like two inserted writing brushes. There was originally a single-story house with three rooms just like a writing brush holder with the shadows of the two pagodas reclining on its roof at sunset. To the east of the pagoda is a square five-story bell building built in the Ming Dynasty which appears exactly like a thick ink stick. So there is a saying that "the Twin Pagodas are as writing brushes while the bell building as ink stick".
Museums
![Suzhou Museum 蘇州博物館](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Suzhou_Museum_%E8%98%87%E5%B7%9E%E5%8D%9A%E7%89%A9%E9%A4%A8.jpg)
The city's major museums include the
Suzhou Museum (designed by
I. M. Pei
Ieoh Ming Pei
– website of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners ( ; ; April 26, 1917 – May 16, 2019) was ...
),
Suzhou Silk Museum The Suzhou Silk Museum is a museum in Suzhou, China. It documents the history of silk production and Suzhou embroidery from around 2000 BC. Exhibits include old looms with demonstrations, samples of ancient silk patterns, and an explanation of ser ...
, and the
China Kunqu Museum The Suzhou Museum of Opera and Theatre or China Kunqu Museum is a theatre museum in Suzhou, China. It is located in a Ming dynasty theatre of latticed wood and has display halls with old musical instruments, hand-copied books, lyrics and scores, mas ...
.
Hospitals
As a result of its recent rapid population increase, healthcare demand in Suzhou is increasing rapidly. In July 2019,
Washington University School of Medicine
Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) is the medical school of Washington University in St. Louis in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1891, the School of Medicine has 1,260 students, 604 of which are pursuing a medical degree with or ...
announced a collaboration with Huici Health Management Co., and the
Xiangcheng District, to open the new Huici Medical Center, which will include a 1,000-bed hospital for adult and pediatric patients. Once the hospital is unveiled,
Washington University
Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...
doctors in
St. Louis will be able to provide long-distance health-care services to patients in China through a
telemedicine program.
Demographics
The population of Suzhou is predominantly
Han Chinese
The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctive va ...
. The official language of broadcast, instruction, etc. is
Mandarin Chinese
Mandarin (; ) is a group of Chinese (Sinitic) dialects that are natively spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. The group includes the Beijing dialect, the basis of the phonology of Standard Chinese, the official language of ...
, although many speak a
local dialect
Local may refer to:
Geography and transportation
* Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand
* Local, Missouri, a community in the United States
* Local government, a form of public administration, usually the lowest tier of administrat ...
known as
Suzhounese, a member of the
Wu language family
A language family is a group of languages related through descent from a common ''ancestral language'' or ''parental language'', called the proto-language of that family. The term "family" reflects the tree model of language origination in hist ...
. In addition to American and European expatriates, there is a large
Korean community in Suzhou. The
Industrial Bank of Korea
Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK; ) is a state-owned bank headquartered in Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea. Under the Industrial Bank of Korea Act, IBK was established to promote small and medium-sized businesses and improve their economic status by p ...
(IBK) estimated that there were 15,000 Koreans in the municipality in 2014. That year 850 Korean companies operated in Suzhou, and the Koreans made up the largest number of students at the
Suzhou Singapore International School.
Economy
Suzhou's economy is based primarily on its large manufacturing sector—China's first largest(from 2020)—including iron and steel, IT and electronic equipment, and textile products. The city's service sector is notably well-developed, primarily owing to tourism, which brought in a total of RMB 152 billion of revenue in 2013. Suzhou's overall GDP exceeded RMB 1.3 trillion in 2013 (up 9.6 percent from the year previous).
["China Regional Focus: Suzhou, Jiangsu Province"](_blank)
, ''China Briefing'', Shanghai, 2 May 2014.
The city is also one of China's foremost destinations for foreign investment, based on its relative proximity to Shanghai and comparatively low operating costs. The municipal government has enacted various measures to encourage
FDI in a number of manufacturing (e.g. pharmaceutical, electronic goods, automobile) and service (e.g. banking, logistics, research services) sectors. Included among these measures is a preferential tax policy for limited partnership venture capital enterprises in the Suzhou Industrial Park.
Suzhou is a highly developed economic region in China and is the economic centre, industrial, commercial and logistical hub city of Jiangsu province, as well as an important financial, cultural, artistic, educational and transportation centre.
Agriculture
In 2013, total grain production reached 1,311,200 tonnes, a decrease of 2.9%. Grain supply was effectively guaranteed through the vigorous construction of commodity grain production bases, wholesale grain markets and reserve systems.
Traditional handicrafts
Suzhou has a long history of reeling silkworms and has always been an important base for silk production in China. Since the Song and Yuan dynasties, Suzhou has been one of the centres of silk weaving and dyeing in the country, and in the Ming dynasty, the area around Suzhou, Song was the scene of the "clothing of the world".
Development zones
Suzhou Industrial Park
The Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) is the largest cooperative project between the Chinese and the Singaporean government. It is beside
Jinji Lake, which lies to the east of the Suzhou Old City. On 26 February 1994, Vice Premier
Li Lanqing
Li Lanqing (; born 22 May 1932) is a retired Chinese politician who served as first-ranked Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China between 1998 and 2003. He was a member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party ...
and Senior Minister
Lee Kuan Yew represented China and Singapore respectively in signing the Agreement to jointly develop Suzhou Industrial Park (originally called the Singapore Industrial Park). The project officially commenced on 12 May in the same year. SIP has a jurisdiction area of , of which, the China-Singapore cooperation area covers with a planned residential population of 1.2 million.
SIP is home to the Suzhou Dushu Lake Science and Education Innovation District, an area of universities and higher education institutions, including
Soochow University and
Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU; ) is an international joint university based in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. Founded in 2006 and resulting from a partnership between the University of Liverpool and Xi'an Jiaotong University, it is the f ...
. Suzhou Industrial Park is also a popular residential district for many foreigners who work and live in Suzhou, as well as 'new Suzhou' residents who migrated to the area in search of work opportunities.
Suzhou Industrial Park Export Processing Zone
The Suzhou Industrial Park Export Processing Zone was approved to be established by the government in April 2000, with a planning area of . It is in Suzhou Industrial Park set up by China and Singapore. Inside the Export Processing Zone, all the infrastructures are of high standard.
Suzhou New District
The Suzhou New District was established in 1990. In November 1992, the zone was approved to be the national-level hi-tech industrial zone. By the end of 2007, foreign-invested companies had a registered capital worth of US$13 billion, of which US$6.8 billion was paid in. SND hosts now more than 1,500 foreign companies. Some 40 Fortune 500 companies set up 67 projects in the district.
Sports
Suzhou Dongwu
Suzhou Dongwu Football Club () is a professional Chinese football club that currently participates in the China League One division under licence from the Chinese Football Association (CFA). The team is based in Suzhou, Jiangsu and their home st ...
currently play in
China League One
The Chinese Football Association China League (), also known as China League One or Chinese Jia League (中甲联赛), is the second level of professional football in China. Above League One is the Chinese Super League.
Prior to the formation of ...
, the third division of Chinese football. The 13,000 seat
Suzhou Industrial Park Sports Arena will be one of the venues for the
2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup
The 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup was the 18th tournament of the FIBA Basketball World Cup for men's national basketball teams. The tournament was hosted in China and was rescheduled from 2018 to 2019, becoming the first since 1967 FIBA World Ch ...
.
Transportation
Railway
Suzhou is on the Shanghai-Nanjing corridor which carries three parallel railways.
Suzhou railway station, near the city center, is among the busiest passenger stations in China. It is served by the
Beijing–Shanghai railway (mostly "conventional" trains to stations throughout China) and the
Shanghai-Nanjing intercity railway (high-speed D- and G-series trains providing frequent service primarily between Shanghai and Nanjing). It takes only 25 minutes to reach
Shanghai railway station
Shanghai railway station (; Shanghainese: ''Zånhae Hutsuzae'') is one of the four major railway stations in Shanghai, China, the others being Shanghai South, Shanghai Hongqiao, and Shanghai West (Shanghaixi).
The station is located on Moli ...
on the fastest G-series trains and less than 1 hour to Nanjing.
The
Suzhou North railway station
The Suzhou North railway station () is a high-speed railway station in Suzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. It will be served by the Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway. It is 10.5 kilometers away from Suzhou railway station.
See also ...
, a few kilometers to the north, is on the
Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway
The Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway (or Jinghu high-speed railway, from its name in Mandarin) is a high-speed railway that connects two major economic zones in the People's Republic of China: the Bohai Economic Rim and the Yangtze River ...
(opened 2011), served by high-speed trains to Beijing, Qingdao, etc.
Other stations on the Beijing–Shanghai railway and the Shanghai–Nanjing intercity railway serve other points in the same corridor within Suzhou Prefecture-level city, such as Kunshan. In between Suzhou and
Kunshan South railway station
The Kunshan South railway station () is a railway station on the Jinghu High-Speed Railway and the Huning Intercity Rail. The station is located in Kunshan City, Jiangsu, China.
The Kunshan South Station has 2 platforms and 6 tracks on the Shan ...
,
Suzhou Industrial Park railway station
Suzhou Industrial Park railway station or Suzhou Yuanqu railway station () is a railway station of Shanghai–Nanjing Intercity Railway located in Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
Layout
This station's area is ...
is also an important station for people visiting and living in the areas.
The northern part of the city, which includes Zhangjiagang, Changshu and Taicang, presently has no rail service. However, plans exist for a cross-Yangtze railway from Nantong to the Shanghai metropolitan area (the
Shanghai–Nantong railway), which will run through most of these county-level cities. Construction work is expected to start in 2013 and to take five and a half years.
Highways
The
Nanjing-Shanghai Expressway connects Suzhou with Shanghai, alternatively, there is the Yangtze Riverine Expressway and the
Suzhou-Jiaxing-Hangzhou Expressway. In 2005, the
Suzhou Outer Ring
Suzhou (; ; Suzhounese: ''sou¹ tseu¹'' , Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Soochow, is a major city in southern Jiangsu province, East China. Suzhou is the largest city in Jiangsu, and a major economic center and focal point of trade ...
was completed, linking the peripheral county-level cities of Taicang, Kunshan, and Changshu.
China National Highway 312 also passes through Suzhou.
Air transport
Suzhou is served by three airports,
Sunan Shuofang International Airport (co-owned by
Wuxi
Wuxi (, ) is a city in southern Jiangsu province, eastern China, by car to the northwest of downtown Shanghai, between Changzhou and Suzhou. In 2017 it had a population of 3,542,319, with 6,553,000 living in the entire prefecture-level city ar ...
and Suzhou),
Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (one hour drive), and
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (two hours drive).
Water transport
Port of Suzhou, on the right bank of the Yangtze River, dealt with 428 million tons of cargo and 5.86 million
TEU containers in 2012, which made it the busiest inland river port in the world by annual cargo tonnage and container volume.
Metro
The
Suzhou Rail Transit currently has five lines in operation and five other lines under construction. The masterplan consists of nine independent lines.
Line 1 Line 1 or 1 line may refer to:
Public transport Africa
* Line 1 (Algiers Metro), Algeria
* Cairo Metro Line 1, Egypt
Asia China
* Line 1 (Beijing Subway)
* Line 1 (Changchun Rail Transit)
* Line 1 (Changsha Metro)
* Line 1 (Changzhou Metro)
* L ...
started operation on 28 April 2012,
Line 2 Line 2 or 2 Line may refer to:
Public transport Americas
*2 (New York City Subway service), a rapid transit service in the A Division of the New York City Subway
*2 Line (Sound Transit), a light rail line in Seattle, Washington
*Line 2 Bloor–Dan ...
started operation on 28 December 2013,
and
Line 4 started operation in 2017, Suzhou Railway Line 5 starts operation from June 2021. Line 6, Line 7 and Line 8 and Line S1 are under construction at the same time.
Tram
The Suzhou Tram system has two routes in the Suzhou New District.
Bus
Suzhou has public bus routes that run into all parts of the city. Fares are flat rated, usually 1 Yuan for a non-air-conditioned bus and 2 Yuan for an air-conditioned one. The
Suzhou BRT, a -long
bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit (BRT), also called a busway or transitway, is a bus-based public transport system designed to have much more capacity, reliability and other quality features than a conventional bus system. Typically, a BRT system includes ...
system opened in 2008, operates 5 lines using elevated busways and bus-only lanes throughout the city.
Culture
![Xi Shi bridge in town of Mudu](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Xi_Shi_bridge_in_town_of_Mudu.JPG)
*
Opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
:
Kunqu originated in the Suzhou region, as does the much later
Suzhou Opera.
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
-singing, or Suzhou
pingtan, is a local form of storytelling that mixes singing (accompanied by the
pipa
The pipa, pípá, or p'i-p'a () is a traditional Chinese musical instrument, belonging to the plucked category of instruments. Sometimes called the "Chinese lute", the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body with a varying number of frets rang ...
and
sanxian) with portions in spoken dialect.
*
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...
: throughout China's Imperial past, Suzhou silk has been associated with high-quality silk products, supplying silks to ancient royal families. By the 13th century, Suzhou was already the center of the profitable silk trade.
*
Song brocade
A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at melody, distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various song form, forms, such as those includ ...
: Suzhou's Song brocade, with its flashy colors, exquisite patterns, strong and soft texture, is one of China's three famous brocades, together with Nanjing Yun brocade and Sichuan Shu brocade. Suzhou's brocade production can be traced back to the
Five Dynasties
The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (), from 907 to 979, was an era of political upheaval and division in 10th-century Imperial China. Five dynastic states quickly succeeded one another in the Central Plain, and more than a dozen conc ...
. It prospered in the
Song Dynasty
The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...
. After the government moved the capital southward, the country's political and cultural center moved to the
Yangtze
The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest river in Asia, the third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains (Tibetan Plateau) and flows ...
River area. To cope with the special need of artists, a type of very thin brocade for decorating paintings emerged in Suzhou. These brocades and paintings have been preserved. Whenever people talked about brocade, they mentioned the
Song Dynasty
The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...
, and thus Song brocade got its name and has been well-known ever since.
*
Handicrafts:
Suzhou embroidery,
fans,
Chinese musical instruments,
scroll
A scroll (from the Old French ''escroe'' or ''escroue''), also known as a roll, is a roll of papyrus, parchment, or paper containing writing.
Structure
A scroll is usually partitioned into pages, which are sometimes separate sheets of papyrus ...
mounting,
lantern
A lantern is an often portable source of lighting, typically featuring a protective enclosure for the light sourcehistorically usually a candle or a wick in oil, and often a battery-powered light in modern timesto make it easier to carry and h ...
s,
mahogany
Mahogany is a straight-grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus ''Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: Unive ...
furniture,
jade
Jade is a mineral used as jewellery or for ornaments. It is typically green, although may be yellow or white. Jade can refer to either of two different silicate minerals: nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in the amphibole group of ...
carving,
silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...
tapestry
Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven by hand on a loom. Tapestry is weft-faced weaving, in which all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike most woven textiles, where both the warp and the weft threads may ...
, traditional painting pigments of Jiangenxutang Studio, the New Year's wood-block prints of Taohuawu Studio.
* Chinese painting, Paintings
* Chinese calligraphy, Calligraphic art
* Chinese cuisine, Cuisine: Yangcheng Lake large crab
* Suzhou Silk Hand Embroidery Art
* Suzhou is the original place of "Mo Li Hua, Jasmine", a song sung by Chinese singers or actresses thousands of times on the occasions of almost every important meetings or celebrations. Jasmine is the symbol of Suzhou as well as Tai Hu Lake.
* Suzhou Gardens: Gardens in Suzhou have an ancient history. The first garden in Suzhou belonged to the emperor of Wu State in Spring and Autumn Period (600 BC). More than 200 gardens existed in Suzhou between the 16th and 18th centuries. Gardens in Suzhou were built according to the style of Chinese Paintings. Every view in a garden can be seen as a piece of Chinese Painting and the whole garden is a huge piece of Chinese Paintings. At present, the Humble Administrator's Garden, built in 16th, is the largest private garden in Suzhou. It belonged to by Wang Xianchen, an imperial censor.
* Suzhou embroidery together with embroidery of Hunan, Sichuan and Guangdong are called as the "Four Famous Embroideries". Suzhou tapestry method is done in fine silks and gold thread. Other art forms found in this area are sculpture, Song brocade, jade and rosewood carving.
* The Suzhou Museum has a rich collection of relics from many eras. The collection includes revolutionary records, stele carving, folk customs, drama and verse, Suzhou embroidery, silk cloth, gardens, coins and Buddhist artifacts.
* Wedding gowns
Notable people
Education
High schools
* Changshu High School
* Dulwich College Suzhou
* Dulwich International High School Suzhou
* Kunshan Senior High School
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* Suzhou Experimental High School
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Suzhou High School
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Suzhou Singapore International School
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* Suzhou No.10 High School
* Suzhou Wuxian High School ()
* Taicang Senior High School
* Zhenze Middle School
Universities and colleges
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Changshu Institute of Technology
* Duke Kunshan University
* KEDGE Business School
* Jiangnan Social University
* Jiangsu University Zhangjiagang Campus
* Renmin University of China Suzhou Campus
* Skema Business School – Chinese campus of the French business school
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Soochow University
* Suzhou Polytechnic Institute of Agriculture
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Suzhou University of Science and Technology
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Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU; ) is an international joint university based in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. Founded in 2006 and resulting from a partnership between the University of Liverpool and Xi'an Jiaotong University, it is the f ...
Under construction
*Nanjing University Suzhou Campus
*Northwestern Polytechnical University Taicang Campus
Postgraduate institutions
* Southeast University-Monash University Joint Graduate School
* Suzhou Dushu Lake Higher Education Town (National University of Singapore and Fudan Joint Graduate School, Nanjing University Graduate School, etc.)
Others
* Japanese School of Suzhou
* Overseas Chinese Academy Chiway Suzhou ()
See also
* List of twin towns and sister cities in China
* Port of Suzhou
Citations
Works cited
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General references
Economic profile for Suzhouat Hong Kong Trade Development Council, HKTDC
External links
Official Resourcefor English-speaking travelers
Official websitefor Suzhou's municipal government
Suzhou city guide with open directory(Jiangsu Network)
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{{Authority control
Suzhou,
Cities in Jiangsu
Jiangnan
Populated places established in the 6th century BC
Port cities and towns in China
Prefecture-level divisions of Jiangsu
Yangtze River Delta