Suzhou

Suzhou

Suzhou
苏州
—  Prefecture-level city  —
苏州市
A canal in Suzhou
Location in Jiangsu
Suzhou is located in China
Suzhou
Location in China
Coordinates: 31°18′N 120°36′E / 31.3°N 120.6°E / 31.3; 120.6Coordinates: 31°18′N 120°36′E / 31.3°N 120.6°E / 31.3; 120.6
Country People's Republic of China
Province Jiangsu
County-level divisions 11
Established 514 BC
Government
 - Type Prefecture-level city
 - CPC Suzhou Secretary Jiang Hongkun (蒋宏坤)
 - Mayor Yan Li (阎立)
Area
 - Prefecture-level city 8,488.42 km2 (3,277.4 sq mi)
 - Urban 1,649.72 km2 (637 sq mi)
Population (2010(CENSUS))
 - Prefecture-level city 10,465,994
 - Density 1,233/km2 (3,193.4/sq mi)
 Urban 4,074,000
 - Urban density 2,469.5/km2 (6,396/sq mi)
Time zone Beijing Time (UTC+8)
Postal code 215000
Area code(s) 512
GDP 2009
 - Total CNY 774.020 billion (USD 113.39 billion)
 - Per capita CNY 117,200 (USD 17,169)
 - Growth increase 11.0%
City flower Osmanthus
City tree camphor laurel
Regional dialect Wu: Suzhou hua (苏州话)
License plate prefix 苏E
Website http://www.suzhou.gov.cn/
Suzhou
Simplified Chinese 苏州
Traditional Chinese 蘇州
Wu soutseu
Old Names for Suzhou
Simplified Chinese 1. 吴

2. 姑苏
3. 吴都
4. 吴中
5. 东吴
6. 吴门
7. 平江

Traditional Chinese 1. 吳

2. 姑蘇
3. 吳都
4. 吳中
5. 東吳
6. 吳門
7. 平江

Suzhou (Chinese: ; pinyin: Sūzhōu; Suzhou dialect: [səu tsøʏ]), previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part of the Yangtze River Delta region. Administratively, Suzhou is a prefecture-level city with an urban population of over 4 million expanding to over 10 million in the administrative area.

Originally founded in 514 BCE, Suzhou has over 2,500 years of rich history, and relics of the past are abundant to this day. The city's canals, stone bridges, pagodas, and meticulously designed gardens have contributed to its status as one of the top tourist attractions in China. Since the Song Dynasty (960-1279), it has also been an important centre for China's silk industry. The classical gardens in Suzhou were added to the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1997 and 2000. Suzhou is often dubbed the "Venice of the East" or "Venice of China".

Contents

History

Suzhou, the cradle of Wu culture, is one of the oldest towns in the Yangtze Basin. 2500 years ago in the late Zhou Dynasty, local tribes who named themselves Gou Wu (勾吳) lived in the area which would become the modern city of Suzhou. These tribes formed villages on the edges of hills above the wetlands around Lake Tai, their territorial range was centered on Wuxi.

In 514 BC, during the Spring and Autumn Period, King Helu (闔閭/阖闾) of Wu established "Great City of Helu", the ancient name for Suzhou, as his capital. In 496 BC, Helu was buried in Huqiu (Tiger Hill 虎丘).

In 473 BC Wu was defeated by Yue, a kingdom to the east which was soon annexed by the Chu in 306 BC. The golden era of Suzhou ended with this conquest. Remnants of this culture include remainders of a 2,500 year old city wall and the gate through it at Pan Gate.

By the time of the Qin Dynasty, the city was known as Wu County. Xiang Yu (项羽) staged his historical uprising here in 209 BC, which contributed to the overthrow of Qin.

During the Sui Dynasty - in 589 AD - the city was renamed Suzhou.

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 on the south-eastern coast of China.

During the Tang Dynasty (825 AD), the great poet Bai Juyi (白居易) constructed the Shantang Canal (called "Shantang Street" or 山塘街) to connect the city with Huqiu for tourists. In 1035 AD, the temple of Confucius was founded by famed poet and writer Fan Zhongyan (范仲淹). It became the venue for imperial civil examinations.

In February 1130, the advancing Jin army from the north ransacked and massacred the city. This was followed by the Mongol invasion (1275).

In 1356, Suzhou became the capital of Zhang Shicheng, one of the leaders of the Red Turban Rebellion against the Yuan Dynasty and the self-proclaimed King of Wu. In 1367 Zhang's main rival, Nanjing-based Zhu Yuanzhang took the city after a 10-month siege. Zhu - who was soon to proclaim himself as the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty - demolished the royal city (in the centre of Suzhou's walled city), and imposed crushing taxes on the city's and prefecture's powerful families.

Despite the heavy taxation and the resettlement of some of Suzhou's prominent citizens' to the area of Hongwu's capital, Nanjing, Suzhou soon was prosperous again. When in 1488 the shipwrecked Korean official Choe Bu had a chance to see much of Eastern China - from Zhejiang to Liaoning - on his way home, he described Suzhou in his travel report as exceeding every other city in China he had seen. Many of the famous private gardens were constructed by the gentry of the Ming and Qing dynasties. However, the city was to see another disaster in 1860 when Taiping soldiers advanced on and captured the city. In November 1863 the Ever Victorious Army of Charles Gordon recaptured the city from the Taiping forces.

The next crisis that met the city was the Japanese invasion in 1937. Many gardens were devastated by the end of the war. In the early 1950s, restoration was done on gardens such as Zhuo-Zheng Yuan (Humble Administrator's Garden) and Liu Yuan (Lingering Garden) to bring them back to life.

Administrative divisions

An old area in Pingjiang Road

The urban core of Suzhou is informally called Old Town Suzhou. It is divided among Pingjiang District, Canglang District, and Jinchang District. Suzhou Industrial Park is on the west of the old town, and Suzhou High & New Technology Development Zone is on the east. 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.

Changmen at Night

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, Taicang, Changshu, Wujiang and Zhangjiagang, which together with the city of Suzhou form the Suzhou prefecture. The Suzhou prefecture is home to many high-tech enterprises.

Prosperous Suzhou by Qing Xu Yang

Suzhou has jurisdiction over (at county level):

  • Districts:
    • Canglang District (沧浪)
    • Jinchang District (金阊)
    • Pingjiang District (平江)
    • Suzhou Industrial Park (工业园区)
    • Suzhou High & New Technology Development Zone (高新区)
    • Xiangcheng District (相城)
    • Wuzhong District (吴中)
Districts Area(km²) Population
Canglang 25 394 958
Jinchang 37 290 811
Pingjiang 22 268 686
Suzhou Industrial Park 288 695 246
Suzhou New District 258 572 313
Xiangcheng District 416 693 576
Wuzhong District 672 1158410


County-level city Area(km²) Population
Changshu 1263 1510103
Taicang 649 712069
Kunshan 928 1646318
Wujiang 1192 1275090
Zhangjiagang 813 1248414

Geography

Suzhou is located on the Taihu Lake Plain, about 100 kilometres (62 mi) to the west of Shanghai, and more than double that east of Nanjing.

Climate

Suzhou has a four-season, monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate with hot, humid summers, and cool, cloudy, damp winters with occasional snowfall. Northwesterly winds blowing from Siberia during winter can cause temperatures to fall below freezing at night, while southerly or southwesterly winds during the summer can push temperatures above 35 °C (95 °F).


Climate data for 上海 (1971−2000)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 8.1
(46.6)
9.2
(48.6)
12.8
(55)
19.1
(66.4)
24.1
(75.4)
27.6
(81.7)
31.8
(89.2)
31.3
(88.3)
27.2
(81)
22.6
(72.7)
17.0
(62.6)
11.1
(52)
20.2
(68.4)
Average low °C (°F) 1.1
(34)
2.2
(36)
5.6
(42.1)
10.9
(51.6)
16.1
(61)
20.8
(69.4)
25.0
(77)
24.9
(76.8)
20.6
(69.1)
15.1
(59.2)
9.0
(48.2)
3.0
(37.4)
12.9
(55.2)
Precipitation mm (inches) 50.6
(1.992)
56.8
(2.236)
98.8
(3.89)
89.3
(3.516)
102.3
(4.028)
169.6
(6.677)
156.3
(6.154)
157.9
(6.217)
137.3
(5.406)
62.5
(2.461)
46.2
(1.819)
37.1
(1.461)
1,164.7
(45.854)
Humidity 75 74 76 76 76 82 82 81 78 75 74 73 76.8
Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 9.7 10.3 13.9 12.7 12.1 14.4 12.0 11.3 11.0 8.1 7.0 6.5 129.0
Sunshine hours 123.0 115.7 126.0 156.1 173.5 147.6 217.8 220.8 158.9 160.8 146.6 147.7 1,894.5
Source: China Meteorological Administration

Landmarks

The Humble Administrator's Garden
An entrance to the Youyicun garden
Xuanmiao Temple in Suzhou
A canal in downtown Suzhou

Gardens

Suzhou is famous for its classical gardens. Zhuozheng Yuan (Humble Administrator's Garden; Chinese: 拙政园) and Liuyuan (Lingering Garden; Chinese: 留园) are among the four most famous classical gardens in China. Canglang Pavilion (Great Wave Pavilion; Chinese: 沧浪亭), Shizi Lin (Lion Grove Garden; Chinese: 狮子林), Zhuozheng Yuan and Liuyuan, respectively representing the garden building style of the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasty, are called the four most famous gardens in Suzhou.

Zhuozheng Yuan, Liu Yuan, Wangshi Yuan (Master of the Nets Garden; Chinese: 网师园) and Huanxiu Mountain Villa(The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty; Chinese: 环秀山庄) were added to the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1997. Shizi Lin, Canglang Pavilion, Ou Yuan (Couple's Retreat Garden; Chinese: 藕园), Yi Pu (Garden of Cultivation; Chinese: 艺圃) and Tuisi Yuan (The Retreat & Reflection Garden; Chinese: 退思园) were added to the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2000.

Tiger Hill (Chinese: 虎丘) is a popular tourist destination and is known for its natural beauty as well as 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 of King Helü. 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. A famous Song Dynasty poet, Su Shi said, "It is a lifelong pity if having visited Suzhou you did not visit Tiger Hill."

Temples

Hanshan Temple (Cold Mountain Temple; Chinese: 寒山寺) is a Buddhist temple and monastery in Suzhou. It is located near Fengqiao (Maple Bridge; Chinese: 枫桥), about 5 kilometres west of the old city of Suzhou. The Hanshan Temple is famed in East Asia because of the well-known poem "A Night Mooring near Maple Bridge" (夜泊枫桥) written by Zhang Ji (张继), a poet of the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Xiyuan Temple (Monastery Garden; Chinese: 西园寺), built in the Yuan Dynasty, is the largest Buddhist temple in Suzhou. It consists of two major parts - the Temple of Jiezhuanglu and the West Garden. It is located close to the Lingering Garden, which was originally called the East Garden.

Xuanmiao Temple (Chinese: 玄妙观) (originally built in 276) is a prominent Taoist temple with a long history, located at the center of old Suzhou City. The street along east-west direction in front of the temple is called Guanqian Street (观前街), a famed business pedestrian street in Suzhou.

Canals

Within the city of Suzhou, there are areas featuring canals. Both eight hundred-year-old Pingjiang Road (平江路) and twelve hundred-year-old Shantang Road (山塘街) made it to the list of China's "famous history and culture streets", and both feature elegant bridges, flowing waters and unique architecture.

Others

Suzhou Taihu National Tourism and Vacation Zone (苏州太湖国家旅游度假区) is located in the western part of Suzhou, 15 km from downtown. Lake Tai has historically been considered a place of great natural beauty.

Pan Gate (Chinese: 盘门) is located on the south-west corner of the Main Canal or encircling canal of Suzhou. Originally built during the Warring States 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(Chinese: 瑞光塔), the earliest pagoda in Suzhou built in 247 BC, 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 Pan Gate. The Ruigang Pagoda is constructed of brick with wooden platforms and has simple Buddhist carvings at its base.

Picture of the Land & Water Gate

Baodai Bridge(Precious Belt Bridge; Chinese: 宝带桥) stretches across the Daitai Lake in the suburbs of Suzhou.The bridge was first built in 806 A.D. in the Tang Dynasty and has 53 arches with a total length of 317 meters. The bridge was included on the list of national monuments (resolution 5-285) in 2001.

Yunyan Pagoda (Chinese: 虎丘塔或者云岩寺塔) (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) 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 7,000,000 kilograms (15,000,000 lb), supported by internal brick columns. However, the tower leans roughly 3 degrees due to the cracking of two supporting columns.

Beisi Pagoda(Chinese: 北寺塔) or North Temple Pagoda is a Chinese pagoda located at Bao'en Temple in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. It rises nine stories in a total height of 76 m (243 ft). It is the tallest Chinese pagoda south of the Yangtze river.

Well-known museums include the Suzhou Museum (the newly built museum by I. M. Pei), Suzhou Silk Museum, and Suzhou Museum of Opera and Theatre.


Industry

  • Suzhou Industry Park
Nightscape of Suzhou's Jinjihu Lake

The Suzhou Industry Park (SIP) is the largest cooperation project between China and Singapore Government. It is located beside the beautiful Jinji Lake, which lies to the east of Suzhou Old city. On 26 February 1994, Vice Premier Li Lanqing and Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew represented China and Singapore respectively in signing the Agreement to jointly develop Suzhou Industrial Park. The project officially commenced on 12 May in the same year. SIP has a total jurisdiction area of 288 km2, of which, the China-Singapore cooperation area covers 80 km2 with a planned residential population of 1.2 million.

Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) - West Bank of Jin Ji Lake
  • 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 2.9 km2. It is located in Suzhou Industrial Park set up by China and Singapore. Inside the Export Processing Zone, all the infrastructures are of high-standard. With the information platform and electronic methods, all the customs declaration and other procedures can be handled on line. Investors can enjoy many preferential policies.

  • Suzhou Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone

The Suzhou Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone was established in 1990. In Nov. 1992, the zone was approved to be the national-level hi-tech industrial zone. By the end of 2007, foreign-invested companies had a total registered capital worth of USD 13 billion, of which USD 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.

Suzhou is the second largest industrial city (next to Shanghai) in China and also the second largest city among the cities in Yangtze Delta.

Transportation

Railway

CRH in Suzhou Railway Station

Suzhou is conveniently located on the Jinghu Railway linking Shanghai and Nanjing, the provincial capital, and to each there is hourly railway service. Suzhou Railway Station is among the busiest passenger stations in China, having 139 trains stopping daily. The station is currently being renovated and expanded to serve the needs of the future. It will possibly have a design similar to the Shanghai South Railway Station and Beijing South Railway Station. D-series trains take about 45 minutes to Shanghai and 1-1/2 hour to Nanjing. A new G-series high speed train is in operation since July 2010, and it only takes about 25 minutes for the top speed train among all the G-series to travel to Shanghai Hongqiao station. However, the price of the G-series ticket is twice than that of the D-series. The price of the G-series second class is about 40RMB ($6 US).

Expressway and highway

The Jiangsu-Shanghai Expressway connects Suzhou with Shanghai, alternatively, there is also the Yangtze Riverine Expressway and the Suzhou-Jiaxing-Hangzhou Expressway. In 2005, the new Suzhou Outer Ring was completed, linking the peripheral county-level cities of Taicang, Kunshan, and Changshu. China National Highway 312 also passes through Suzhou.

Air Transport

Although Wuxi Shuofang Airport and Guangfu United Airlines Airport serve as two municipal airports, and the State Council approved of the construction of an airport exclusively serving Suzhou in 2003, air transportation from Suzhou continues to be conducted primarily at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and Shanghai Pudong International Airport in Shanghai.

Water Transport

By water, Suzhou is connected with Zhangjiagang, Luzhi, Liujia, Changshou and Shimonoseki, Japan.

River-Pingjiang-Road.JPG

There are also some small rivers in the city serving as touristing lines.

Metro

The Suzhou Metro is currently being constructed, it consist of two independent lines, one running East<->West and one running North<->South serving Suzhou Industrial Park and Wuzhong Dirstrict. Two lines are scheduled to open in 2011.

Culture

The Yunyan Pagoda, or Huqiu Tower, a tower that is now leaning due to lack of foundational support (half soil, half rock), built during the latter part of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms era (907-960 AD).
The Beisi Pagoda of Suzhou, built between 1131 and 1162 during the Song Dynasty (with later renovations), 76 m (243 ft) tall.
The "xi shi" stone bridge
  • 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 by the pipa and sanxian) with portions in spoken dialect.
  • Silk
  • Handicrafts: Suzhou embroidery, fans, Chinese musical instruments, scroll mounting, lanterns, mahogany furniture, jade carving, silk tapestry, traditional painting pigments of Jiangenxutang Studio, the New Year's wood-block prints of Taohuawu Studio.
  • Paintings
  • Calligraphy|Calligraphic art
  • Cuisine: Yangcheng Lake large crab
  • Suzhou Silk Hand Embroidery Art
  • Suzhou is the original place of "Jasmine", a song sung by Chinese singers or actresses thousands of times on the occasions of almost every important meetings or celebrations. Jasmine is also 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 (BC 600). More than 200 gardens existed in Suzhou between 16th century and 18th century. 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.

Notable people

Politicians
  • Fan Zhongyan (范仲淹)
  • Yen Chia-kan 嚴家淦(1905-1993), President (1975-1978), Republic of China
  • Qian Dajun 钱大钧 General
  • Jin Renqing (金人庆) Minister of Finance
  • Yuan Weimin (袁伟民) Chinese sports administrator
Poets and Writers
  • Bai Juyi (白居易) (772–846) was a Chinese poet of the Tang dynasty. His poems mostly concern his responsibilities as governor of several small provinces. He is also renowned in Japan (where his name is read Hakkyo'i, はっきょい).
  • Fan Chengda (范成大) (1126-1193 AD)
  • Ye Shengtao (叶圣陶) (1894 — 1988) Writer, educator and publisher
  • Yu Pingbo (俞平伯) (1900–1990) Writer, historian and critic
  • Gu Jiegang (顾颉刚) (1893–1980) Historian
  • Su Tong (苏童) (1963 -) Writer
Playwrights
  • Feng Menglong (冯梦龙) (1574-1645 AD)
Artists
  • Shen Zhou (沈周) Painter
  • Tang Yin (唐寅) Painter
  • Wen Zhengming (文徵明) Painter
  • Wen Zhenheng (文震亨) (1585-1645 AD) Painter
  • Kuai Xiang (蒯祥) (1397-1481 AD) Architect and Engineer who is the designer of the Forbidden City.
  • I. M. Pei (贝聿铭) (1917- ) Architect
Scientists & Engineers
  • Tsung-Dao Lee (李政道) Physicist
  • Chien-Shiung Wu (吳健雄) Physicist
  • Zhang Guangdou (张光斗) Expert on Water Conservancy and Hydroelectric Engineering
  • Wang Ganchang (王淦昌) Physicist
  • M. T. Cheng (程民德) Mathematician
  • An Wang (王安) Computer Engineer and Inventor
  • Yang Jiachi (杨嘉墀) Space Automatic Control Scientist
  • Cheng Kaijia (程开甲) Physicist
  • Feng Duan (冯端) Physicist
  • Pan Chengdong (潘承洞) Mathematician
  • Thomas Dao (1921–2009), physician who developed breast cancer treatment alternatives.
  • Fei Xiaotong (费孝通) Social Scientist
  • Huston Smith Religious studies scholar
Philosophers
  • Gu Yanwu (顾炎武)
  • Zhang Taiyan (章太炎)
Entertainment
  • Fei Mu (费穆) Movie director
  • Wu Yonggang (吴永刚) Movie director
  • Josephine Siao (萧芳芳) Actress
  • Xia Meng (夏梦) Actress
  • Carina Lau (刘嘉玲) actress
  • Li Shaohong (李少红) Movie director
Others
  • Sun Tzu (孙武) Military General who wrote the Art of War
  • Lin Zhao (林昭) Dissident

Quotes

"A very great and noble city... It has 1600 stone bridges under which a galley may pass." - Marco Polo
"Capital of Silk", "Land of Abundance", "Gusu city" (姑苏), "Cradle of the Wu Culture", and "World of Gardens", "Oriental Venice or Venice of the East"- nicknames of Suzhou
"Heaven above, Suzhou and Hangzhou below." - Chinese saying
生在苏州,住在杭州,吃在广州,死在柳州。 "Born in Suzhou, live in Hangzhou, eat in Guangzhou, and die in Liuzhou." - Chinese saying.
"Beautiful or not beautiful, nothing is more beautiful than the waters of Taihu (Lake Tai). Related or not related, we are all the people of the same village." - Chinese saying

Education

High Schools

  • Suzhou High School
  • Suzhou No.10 High School
  • Suzhou No.1 High School
An exhibition of Penjing in one of the gardens in Suzhou.

Public institutions having full-time Bachelor's degree programs include:

  • Soochow University (苏州大学)
  • University of Science and Technology of Suzhou (苏州科技学院)
  • Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (西安交通利物浦大学)

Postgraduate Institution

  • Suzhou Graduate Town (National University of Singapore and Fudan Joint Graduate School, Nanjing University Graduate School, etc.)

Private Schools

  • EtonHouse International School-Suzhou
  • Dulwich College Suzhou
  • Suzhou Singapore International School
  • Skema Business School : Chinese campus of the French business school (MSc Doing business in Asia...)

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Due to the historical influence and contemporary position of Suzhou as not only an industrial but cultural hub, Suzhou (including 7 districts and 5 county-level cities under Suzhou's jurisdiction) has more than 50 sister cities, twin towns and provinces. This is a position that is unprecedented by any other Chinese city including Beijing and Shanghai which have 46 and 35 respectively.

Italy Venice, Italy
Canada Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Japan Ikeda, Osaka, Japan
Japan Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
United States Portland, Oregon, United States
Romania Tulcea County, Romania
South Korea Jeonju, South Korea
Japan Kameoka, Kyoto, Japan
Latvia Riga, Latvia
Egypt Ismaïlia, Egypt
France Grenoble, France
Netherlands Nijmegen, Netherlands
Denmark Esbjerg, Denmark
Germany Konstanz, Germany
New Zealand Taupo, New Zealand
Japan Nabari, Mie, Japan
Brazil Porto Alegre, Brazil
United States Jacksonville, Florida, United States
Finland Riihimäki, Finland
South Korea Taebaek, South Korea
Poland Nowy Sącz, Poland
Ukraine Kiev, Ukraine
Ukraine Zaporizhia, Ukraine
Australia Logan, Queensland, Australia
Madagascar Antananarivo, Madagascar
Argentina Santiago del Estero Province, Argentina
Chile Viña del Mar, Chile
South Korea Yeongju, South Korea
Japan Daisen, Tottori, Japan
Germany Riesa, Germany
New Zealand Rotorua, New Zealand
Malta Santa Luċija, Malta
Japan Hirokawa, Fukuoka, Japan
Australia Portland, Victoria, Australia
Japan Eiheiji, Fukui, Japan
Japan Marugame, Kagawa, Japan
Japan Ayabe, Kyoto, Japan
Japan Sendai, Kagoshima, Japan
Australia Townsville, Queensland, Australia
United States Whittier, California, United States
France Brest, France
United States South El Monte, California, United States
Namibia Grootfontein, Namibia
Japan Tahara, Aichi, Japan
Japan Tottori, Tottori, Japan
Italy Rosolina Italy
Japan Uchinada, Ishikawa, Japan
France Bourgoin-Jallieu, France
Japan Chiba, Chiba, Japan
South Korea Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, South Korea
Japan Nago, Okinawa, Japan
Mexico León, Guanajuato, Mexico

  1. ^ "Table showing land area and population". Suzhou People's Government. 2003. http://suzhou.sz2500.com/english/Survey/pic/d.jpg. Retrieved 2007-09-07. 
  2. ^ a b "2009年苏州市国民经济和社会发展概况" (in Simplified Chinese). Suzhou Municipal Statistic Bureau. 2010-01-20. http://221.224.13.103/dpt/show.asp?ID=50871. Retrieved 2010-05-05. 
  3. ^ Visit some of China's best gardens next week without a passport » Arts/Entertainment » Andover Townsman, Andover, MA. Andovertownsman.com. Retrieved on 2011-08-28.
  4. ^ Thorpe, Annabelle. "Suzhou real China outside Shanghai". The Times (London). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/destinations/china/article6732037.ece?print=yes&randnum=1151003209000. Retrieved 2010-05-24. 
  5. ^ Fussell, Betty (1988-03-13). "Exploring Twin Cities By Canal Boat". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1988/03/13/travel/exploring-twin-cities-by-canal-boat.html?pagewanted=all. Retrieved 2010-05-24. 
  6. ^ Linda Cooke Johnson, Cities of Jiangnan in Late Imperial China. SUNY Press, 1993. ISBN 079141423X, 9780791414231 On Google Books, pp. 26-27.
  7. ^ Brook, Timothy. (1998). The Confusions of Pleasure: Commerce and Culture in Ming China. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-22154-0. Page 45.
  8. ^ "中国地面国际交换站气候标准值月值数据集(1971-2000年)" (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. http://cdc.cma.gov.cn/shuju/index3.jsp?tpcat=SURF&dsid=SURF_CLI_CHN_MUL_MMON_19712000_CES&pageid=3. Retrieved 2010-11-10. 
  9. ^ Ingles (1982), 144.
  10. ^ a b Ingles (1982), 145.
  11. ^ Rightsite.asi | Suzhou Industry Park. Rightsite.asia (1994-02-26). Retrieved on 2011-08-28.
  12. ^ Rightsite.asia | Suzhou Industrial Park Export Processing Zone[dead link]
  13. ^ Suzhou Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone. Rightsite.asia. Retrieved on 2011-08-28.
  14. ^ "苏州轻轨1号线—4号线详细规划图 (Suzhou LRT Line 1-4 Detailed Map)" (in Chinese). Official Website of the Suzhou Government. 2007-03-20. http://www.suzhou.gov.cn/newssz/sznews/2007/3/20/sznews-8-52-22-3613.shtml. Retrieved 2009-11-16. 
  15. ^ "Suzhou Museum". http://www.szmuseum.com/szbwgen/index.html. 
  16. ^ Hevesi, Dennis. "Dr. Thomas Dao, Expert on Treatment of Breast Cancer, Dies at 88", The New York Times, 25 July 2009. Accessed 26 July 2009.
  17. ^ "Twin cities of Riga". Riga City Council. http://www.riga.lv/EN/Channels/Riga_Municipality/Twin_cities_of_Riga/default.htm. Retrieved 2009-07-27. 
All text on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. (See Terms of Use for details.)