Suzhou Travel Guide

A Brief History of Suzhou

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A Brief History of Suzhou

Dating back to more than 2,500 years, Suzhou is one of China's oldest cities. After the completion of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal the city began to thrive during the Sui Dynasty.  Suzhou served as the centre of silk tradealong the bustling waterway. Marco Polo once marvelled at the city’s prosperity and he recorded that its inhabitants were comprised of "prudent merchants, and, as already observed, skilful in all the arts".  Polo noted that a number of the Suzhou people were learned in natural science, were good physicians and able philosophers. In Polo’s words, the city of Suzhou was "great" and "noble".

During the Ming Dynasty, the industry of massive silk production developed in Suzhou. As a result, the local culture boomed and the Kunqu Opera and Pingtan Song were established. Sadly, Suzhou witnessed fatal destruction during the 1860s when the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom rebellion occupied the city. The period during World War II was also a nightmare for Suzhou when the Japanese army ravaged the city and left many ruins.

Since the foundation of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Suzhou has undergone stages of renovation and it has once again rightly reclaimed its fame. It has been chosen as one of China's 24 historical and cultural cities and is one of only four tourist cities with top environmental protection (the other three being Beijing, Hangzhou and Guilin). In 1997, Suzhou caught the world's attention by having its classic gardens placed on the UNESCO list as a World Cultural Heritage site.

 

 

 

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