Suzhou is located in the southeastern part
of Jiangsu Province. The city was established as the capital of the state of Wu
during the Warring States Period of the Eastern Zhou dynasty, c.476-221 BCE.
When the Grand Canal linking many older canals in China was constructed during
the Sui dynasty, Suzhou prospered, becoming a center of the silk trade. During
the Song dynasty, nearby Hangzhou became the imperial capital and Suzhou grew
as well, a convenient retreat for scholars, officials and merchants.
Marco Polo visited "Su-chau" and
remarked on the large size of the city, its prosperity, the silk trade and its
"6,000 stone bridges". He said that the name of the city meant
"Earth", and that there was another nearby city designated as
"Heaven". Other early sources referred to Suzhou as "Earthly
Paradise".
Today, we will appreciate the beautiful
scenery of The Classical Gardens of Suzhou together.
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