苏州市 - The City of Suzhou

Following my time in Nanjing, my next stop was the beautiful city of Suzhou (苏州). Strategically located in the southern part of Jiangsu Province (江苏省) in the Yangtze River Delta region, Suzhou has long been the center of China's silk industry. However, Suzhou's most wide acclaim draws forth from its fabled natural beauty, incredible landscaped spaces, and mild climate, which have all long positioned Suzhou as the subject for artists and poets alike.

Suzhou has many canals coursing their way throughout the city.

Suzhou, originally known as Helu (阖闾), was founded approximately 2,500 years ago, during the Spring and Autumn period as the capital of the State of Wu (吴国). Just as Hubei Province comprises much of the territory of the ancient State of Chu (discussed earlier at Wuhan), Jiangsu Province comprises a large portion of the former State of Wu. As a result, the people of Shanghai, Suzhou, and surrounding areas speak a dialect of Chinese known as Wuhua (吴话). Wuhua, however, is mutually unintelligible with other dialects of Chinese, so local residents are also required to learn Mandarin Chinese as well (which is the language of business and governance throughout China). The form of Wuhua in Shanghai, commonly referred to as Shanghainese, is the most widely spoken form of Wuhua, but I was told on several occasions (in and outside of Suzhou) that the form spoken in Suzhou (known as Suzhouhua, 苏州话) is considered to be the most beautiful of all Chinese dialects due to its softness and accent (similar in the U.S. to the romanticized perception of the American Southern accents - think Gone with the Wind, etc.).

One of the plethora of bridges in Suzhou traversing the network of canals and natural water bodies - each conveying a unique charm

Suzhou has many traditional scholars gardens created over several dynasties which cause the city to be a major draw for tourists, both domestic and foreign. These gardens are incredible examples of traditional Chinese landscape design undergirded by philosophy. I had the great opportunity to visit quite a few of these gardens during my time in Suzhou - as you will see from the next series of posts. As you compare these gardens to Liang's Garden in Foshan (post from July 23rd), notice the aesthetic differences between the two styles.