Suzhou(simplifiedChinese:苏州;traditionalChinese:苏州;pinyin:Sūzhōu;ancientname:吴)isacityonthelowerreachesoftheYangtzeRiverandontheshoresofLakeTaihuintheprovinceofJiangsu,China.Thecityisrenownedforitsbeautifulstonebridges,pagodas,andmeticulouslydesignedgardenswhichhavecontributedtoitsstatusasagreattouristattraction.SincetheSongDynasty(960-1279),SuzhouhasalsobeenanimportantcentreforChina'ssilkindustryandcontinuestoholdthatprominentpositiontoday.ThecityispartoftheYangtzeRiverDeltaregion.TheGDPpercapitawas¥79,406(ca.US$10,087)in2006,rankedno.5among659Chinesecities. 　　Contents[hide] 　　1History 　　2Districtsandsatellitecities 　　3Climate 　　4Landmarks 　　5Transportation 　　6Culture 　　7Notablepeople 　　8Quotes 　　9Education 　　10Sistercities 　　11Seealso 　　12References 　　13Externallinks 　　[edit]History 　　Suzhou,thecradleofWuculture,isoneoftheoldesttownsintheYangtzeBasin.2500yearsagointhelateShangDynasty,localtribeswhonamedthemselves"GouWu"livedintheareawhichwouldbecomethemoderncityofSuzhou. 　　In514BC,duringtheSpringandAutumnPeriod,KingHelu(阖闾/阖闾)ofWuestablished"GreatCityofHelu",theancientnameforSuzhou,ashiscapital.In496BC,HeluwasburiedinHuqiu(TigerHill虎丘). 　　TheHumbleAdministrator'sGardenIn473BCWuwasdefeatedbyYue,akingdomtotheeastwhichwassoonannexedbytheChuin306BC.ThegoldeneraofSuzhouendedwiththisconquest.Remnantsofthiscultureincluderemaindersofa2,500yearoldcitywallandthegatethroughitatPanGate. 　　BythetimeoftheQinDynasty,thecitywasknownasWuCounty.XiangYu(项羽)stagedhishistoricaluprisingherein209BC,whichcontributedtotheoverthrowofQin. 　　DuringtheSuiDynasty-in589AD-thecitywasrenamedSuzhou. 　　WhentheGrandCanalwascompleted,Suzhoufounditselfstrategicallylocatedonamajortraderoute.InthecourseofthehistoryofChina,ithasbeenametropolisofindustryandcommerceonthesouth-easterncoastofChina. 　　DuringtheTangDynasty(825AD),thegreatpoetBaiJuyi(白居易)constructedtheShantangCanal(called"ShantangStreet"or山塘街)toconnectthecitywithHuqiufortourists.In1035AD,thetempleofConfuciuswasfoundedbyfamedpoetandwriterFanZhongyan(范仲淹).Itbecamethevenueforimperialcivilexaminations. 　　InFebruary1130,theadvancingJinarmyfromthenorthransackedandmassacredthecity.ThiswasfollowedbytheMongolinvasion(1275)anddestructionoftheroyalcity(inthecentreofthewalledcity)inthebeginningoftheMingDynasty(1367). 　　Thereafter,thecityhadamoreprosperoustime.ManyofthefamousprivategardenswereconstructedbythegentryoftheMingandQingdynasties.However,thecitywastoseeanotherdisasterin1860whenTaipingsoldiersadvancedonandcapturedthecity.InNovember1863theEverVictoriousArmyofCharlesGordonrecapturedthecityfromtheTaipingforces. 　　ThenextcrisisthatmetthecitywastheJapaneseinvasionin1937.Manygardensweredevastatedbytheendofthewar.Intheearly1950s,restorationwasdoneongardenssuchasZhuo-ZhengYuan(HumbleAdministrator'sGarden)andDongYuan(EastGarden)tobringthembacktolife.