WU CULTURE
 Suzhou
was the capital of the Wu State during the Spring and
Autumn Period. In 514 BC, by the command of King He Lu
of Wu, his senior minister Wu Zixu built the great city
of Helu, and its wall measured 23.5 kilometers in the
circumference with 8 pairs of land-and-water gates. The
city began to take the name of Suzhou and GuSu city during
the Sui Dynasty. Numerous changes have taken place in
Suzhou through its vast history. Yet, in spite of repeated
devastation, the city is still seated exactly on the original
site as it was 2500 years ago, which is indeed an instance
rarely found in the world.
 With
favorable natural conditions and fertile soil, Suzhou
has long been know as the "home of silk" and
a ¡°land of fish and rice¡±, reflected in the
saying "Good harvest in Suzhou and Huzhou suffices
to feed all under heaven." Well developed in agriculture
with abundant produce and stable and high yields, Suzhou
has always been regarded through the ages as "granary"
in China. On account of its facilities of communication
and flourishing commerce. Suzhou is also a rich and popular
place in the southern Yangtze Delta. In the recent years,
the quickened pace of reform and opening up in China has
resulted in future development of Suzhou¡¯s economy,
and made Suzhou an important industrial city in China. |
