Suzhou is a city located on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Lake Taihu in the province of Jiangsu, China. The city is renowned for its beautiful stone bridges, pagodas, and meticulously designed gardens, which have become a great tourist attraction. The greater Suzhou area covers 8,488 sqkm and has a total population of 5.9 million, including five counties: Zhangjiagang, Changshu, Taicang, Kunshan and Wujiang. Suzhou became a Friendship City with Jacksonville in 2004.

History

Suzhou, the cradle of Wu culture, is one of the oldest towns in the Yangtze Basin. Some 2,500 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 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. By the time of the Qin Dynasty, the city was known as Wu County. Xiang Yu staged his historical uprising here in 209 BC, which contributed to the overthrow of Qin. During the Sui Dynasty, the city was renamed Suzhou in 589 AD. When the Grand Canal 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 southeastern coast of China.

Culture

Both of the city’s classical gardens and Kun Opera are listed in the World Cultural Heritage Catalogue. The area is rich in Chinese opera: Kunqu originates in the Suzhou region, as does the much later Suzhou Opera. Ballad-singing, or Suzhou pingtan, is a local form of storytelling that mixes singing (accompanied on the pipa) with portions in spoken dialect. Silk and handicrafts are important, and the Suzhou area features embroidery, fans, national musical instruments, scroll mounting, lanterns, mahogany furniture, jade carving, silk tapestry, paintings and calligraphic art.

Business

Suzhou has been an important centre for China's silk industry since the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and continues to hold that prominent position today. Additionally, the Suzhou High & New Technology Development Zone – known as Suzhou New District (SND) – was certified by StatCouncil of PRC in 1992. It was one of the first industrial parks open to APEC economies as well as an export base of national hi-tech products.

For more information about Suzhou, visit http://www.suzhou.gov.cn/english/index.shtml.