Basic overview
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Suzhou (Chinese pinyin: Sūzhōu, dialect: Suzhou dialect), a Chinese city, was called Wu in ancient times and is now referred to as Su. , has many ancient names and nicknames such as Gusu, Wudu, Wuzhong, Soochow, Wumen and Pingjiang. It was named Suzhou in the ninth year of Emperor Wen's reign (AD 589) of the Sui Dynasty. It was named after Gusu Mountain in the southwest of the city, and it has been called Suzhou to this day. It is a megacity in the Republic of China, a larger city approved by the State Council, and a municipality under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province. Its administrative level is a prefecture-level city, and it actually enjoys the treatment of a sub-provincial city. It is the economic and external leader of Jiangsu Province. A center of trade, industry, commerce and logistics, as well as an important center of culture, art, education and transportation, Suzhou is a famous historical and cultural city in China. This place has always been famous for its beautiful landscapes and elegant gardens. It is known as "the gardens south of the Yangtze River are the best in the world, and the gardens of Suzhou are the best in the south of the Yangtze River". The history of Suzhou classical gardens can be traced back to the gardens of King Wu in the Spring and Autumn Period in the 6th century BC. The earliest record of a private garden is Pijiang Garden built by Gu Pijiang in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (4th century). Gardening has flourished in the past dynasties, and there are more and more famous gardens. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Suzhou became the most prosperous area in China, with private gardens spread throughout the ancient city. In its heyday from the 16th to the 18th century, Suzhou had more than 200 gardens, and now there are dozens of them that are still well preserved. Therefore, Suzhou is known as the "Paradise on Earth". Suzhou is the oldest city extant according to valid data. Suzhou was the political center of the Wu Kingdom in the Spring and Autumn Period. It was the political and economic center of the south of the Yangtze River during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty. Sima Qian called it "a city in the east of the Yangtze River" (Sima Qian's "Historical Records: Biography of Huo Shi") "); in the Song Dynasty, the country's economic center of gravity moved southward. Lu You said that "Suzhou and Chang (zhou) are familiar, and the world is sufficient" (Lu You's "The Bull Run at the Watergate"). The people of the Song Dynasty further praised it as "there is heaven above, and Suzhou and Hangzhou below." , and Suzhou is "the most beautiful in the southeast"; during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it became one of the national economic and cultural centers that "clothes the world"; Cao Xueqin praised Suzhou in "A Dream of Red Mansions" as "the most wealthy and romantic person in the world." place".
The city covers an area of ??8,488 square kilometers, of which the urban area is 1,650 square kilometers. At the end of 2007, the city's total registered population was 6,244,311, including 2,353,019 people in municipal districts. The city's birth population in 2007 was 48,552, with a birth rate of 7.83‰. The city's population naturally increased by 8,049 people, with a growth rate of 1.30‰; Suzhou City has jurisdiction over Zhangjiagang City, Changshu City, Taicang City, Kunshan City, Wujiang City, Wuzhong District, Xiangcheng District, Pingjiang District, Canglang District, Jinchan District, as well as Suzhou Industrial Park and Suzhou High-tech Zone Huqiu District. In 1993, Suzhou was approved as a "larger city" by the State Council.
Geographical location
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Suzhou is located in the geographical center of the prosperous Yangtze River Delta region, on the shores of Taihu Lake and at the mouth of the south bank of the Yangtze River. , the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, the Beijing-Shanghai Railway and a number of expressways run through the entire territory. By the end of 2005, the city's permanent population exceeded 6 million, and the urban population exceeded 2 million. Suzhou is one of the first batch of national historical and cultural cities in China, a national key scenic tourism city, and one of the four national key environmental protection cities. Located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province, it is also the southernmost city in the province. It borders Shanghai to the east and the East China Sea; it embraces Taihu Lake to the west, with Wuxi at its back and Changzhou across the lake; it borders Zhejiang to the south, bordering Jiaxing, and the water surface of Taihu Lake under its jurisdiction is close to Huzhou; it pillows the Yangtze River to the north and faces Nantong and Taizhou across the river. The city center is 219 kilometers away from Nanjing to the west and 80 kilometers from Shanghai to the east. It is the southeastern gateway of Jiangsu Province, the throat of Shanghai, and the only way from central Jiangsu and northern Jiangsu to Zhejiang. It has a very advantageous geographical location.
Administrative divisions
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Jinchang District (area 37 square kilometers, population 210,832 people. Postal code 215008)
(Zhushi Road Street) Shilu Street/Liuyuan Street/Huqiu Street/Baiyangwan Street/Caixiang Street
Pingjiang District (area 22 square kilometers, population 232,053 people. Postal code 215005)
(Zhuguanqian Street) Guanqian Street/Pingjiang Road Street/Sujin Street/Loumen Street/Chengbei Street/Taohuawu Street
Canglang District (area 25 Square kilometers, population 322,922 people, postal code 215006)
(Shuangta Street) Shuangta Street/Nanmen Street/Xujiang Street/Wumenqiao Street/Fengmen Street/Youxin Street<. /p>
Suzhou High-tech Zone
(Zhu Shishan Street) Shishan Street/Hengtang Street/ Fengqiao Street/Zhenhu Street/Hushuguan Town/Tong'an Town/Dongzhu Town
Suzhou Industrial Park has a population of 304,761 (in Loufeng Town) Loufeng Town/Weiting Town/Shengpu Town
Wuzhong District (area 672 square kilometers, population 571,851. Postal code 215128)
(Zhu Changqiao Street) Changqiao Street/Yuexi Street/Guoxiang Street/ Hengjing Street/Xiangshan Street/Suyuan Street/Longxi Street/Chengnan Street/Jiaozhi Town/Mudu Town/Xukou Town/Linhu Town/Dongshan Town/Guangfu Town/Xishan Town
Xiangcheng District (Zhuyuanhe Street) (area 416 square kilometers, population 361,082 people.
Postal code 215131)
(Zhuyuanhe Street) Yuanhe Street/Taiping Street/Huangqiao Street/Beiqiao Street/Wangting Town/Huangdai Town/Weitang Town/Yangchenghu Town
< p>Changshu City (in Yushan Town) (area 1,263 square kilometers, population 1,061,410 people. Postal code 215500)Yushan Town/Meili Town/Haiyu Town/Xingang Town/Guli Town/ Shajiabang Town/Zhitang Town/Dongbang Town/Shanghu Town/Xinzhuang Town
Kunshan City (Zhuyushan Town) (area 927 square kilometers, population 679,846. Postal code 215300)< /p>
Yushan Town/Bacheng Town/Zhoushi Town/Lujia Town/Huaqiao Town/Dianshanhu Town/Zhangpu Town/Zhouzhuang Town/Qiandeng Town/Jinxi Town
Zhangjiagang City (Zhu Yangshe Town) (area 813 square kilometers, population 893039 people. Postal code 215600)
Yangshe Town/Tangqiao Town/Jingang Town/Jinfeng Town/Leyu Town/Fenghuang Town /Nanfeng Town/Daxin Town
Wujiang City (in Songling Town) (area 1,192 square kilometers, population 793,172. Postal code 215200)
Songling Town/Shengze Town /Tongli Town/Fenhu Town/Pingwang Town/Hengshan Town/Qidu Town/Zhenze Town/Taoyuan Town
Taicang City (Zhuchengxiang Town) (area 642 square kilometers, population 463825 People. Postal code 215400)
Chengxiang Town/Shaxi Town/Liuhe Town/Fuqiao Town/Huangjing Town/Shuangfeng Town/Ludu Town
Natural environment
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Suzhou is located in the temperate zone and has a subtropical monsoon oceanic climate with four distinct seasons, a mild climate and abundant rainfall. The city's terrain is low and flat, with plains accounting for 55% of the total area. It has dense water networks, fertile land and rich products. It mainly grows rice, wheat, and rape, and produces cotton, sericulture, and forest fruits. Its special products include Biluochun tea, Yangtze saury, Taihu whitebait, and Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs. Suzhou is a well-known land of fish, rice and silk. It is known as the "Paradise on Earth".
The Suzhou area is densely covered with river networks. The urban area is the center of the Jiangnan water network and the area with the densest concentration of rivers in the country. It is surrounded by the country's famous high-yield rice areas and has developed agriculture. It has the "Water Country Zeguo" and the "World Granary" ", "Land of Fish and Rice". This place is rich in resources and has outstanding people. Because of its prosperous and long-lasting culture and economy from ancient times to the present, it is known as the "Paradise on Earth" and is also known as the "Silk City (Silk House)" and "Garden City". reputation. It is also known as the "Oriental Venice" and "Oriental Water City (Oriental Water City)" because of the characteristics of an ancient water town with small bridges and flowing water. Today's Suzhou has become an international metropolis with "a garden in the city" and "a city in the garden", with mountains, water, city, forest, garden and town integrated into one, a perfect combination of classical and modern, ancient charm and modern style, and harmonious development. In 2004, the World Heritage Conference was successfully held. In 2006, the third National Sports Conference was held.
Traffic conditions
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Suzhou has had the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal running through it since ancient times. The Beijing-Shanghai Railway and many national highways such as 312 and 204 pass through Suzhou. Surrounding Suzhou are Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, Pudong Airport, and Wuxi Shuofang Airport. In 2007, Suzhou was building a light rail. It is expected to be put into use around 2009. Its highway density reaches the level of Germany, and it is a highway transportation hub city awarded by the Ministry of Transportation.
History and Culture
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Suzhou was founded in 514 BC. King Wu Fucha’s father Helu ordered the Chu rebel general Wu Zixu to build the city. Helu City has a history of more than 2,500 years. During the Spring and Autumn Period, this was the capital of the State of Wu, and many monuments related to Xi Shi, Wu Zixu, etc. are still preserved. In the ninth year of Emperor Kaihuang's reign in the Sui Dynasty (AD 589), it was first called Suzhou and it is still used today. Suzhou City was built early and is large in scale, with water and land running parallel to each other, and adjacent rivers and streets. The ancient city is still located on the original site, which is rare at home and abroad. Suzhou gardens are among the best in the world and have been included in the World Cultural Heritage List. Among the four famous gardens in China, Suzhou occupies the Humble Administrator's Garden and the Liuyuan Garden. The profound cultural accumulation of Tiger Hill, "the number one scenic spot in Wuzhong", makes it It has become a must-visit place for tourists in Suzhou; and the poem "Mooring at Maple Bridge at Night" by the Tang Dynasty poet Zhang Ji has made tourists from ancient and modern times rush to visit Maple Bridge and hear the bells of Hanshan Temple. The natural scenery outside the city of Suzhou is beautiful. Lingyan, Tianping, Tianchi and Dongting mountains are dotted on the shore of Taihu Lake, forming a lake and mountain scenery rich in Jiangnan style. Suzhou has both the beauty of gardens and the beauty of mountains and rivers. The natural and cultural landscapes complement each other, and the literati and poets chant and chant, making Suzhou a veritable "paradise on earth". Suzhou gardens are "literati freehand landscape gardens" with profound cultural implications. Ancient gardeners all had a high level of cultural accomplishment and were good at poetry and painting. When designing gardens, they often took paintings as the basis and poetry as the theme. They created poetic landscapes by digging ponds, mountains, and planting flowers and trees. It is called "silent poetry and three-dimensional painting". Traveling in the garden is like reading poetry or appreciating paintings.
In order to express the interests, ideals and pursuits of the garden owner, the garden architecture and landscape also have poems and inscriptions such as plaques and couplets. Some use the quiet fragrance of lotus to describe their character ("Yuanxiang Hall" in the Humble Administrator's Garden). Elegant vanilla is used to describe one's noble character (Humble Administrator's Garden, "Xiangzhou"); some admire the ancients, like boats floating freely and contentedly (Yiyuan, "Huafangzhai"); and others express the garden owner's desire for a tranquil life in the Four Gardens. (Master of the Nets Garden "True Meaning", Liuyuan "Little Taoyuan") and so on. These bookish poems and inscriptions blend naturally and harmoniously with the buildings, landscapes, flowers and trees in the garden, so that every mountain, water, plant and tree in the garden can create a profound artistic conception. Wandering among them, you can feel Gain spiritual edification and enjoyment of beauty. Among them, Canglang Pavilion, Lion Grove Garden, Humble Administrator's Garden and Liuyuan Garden respectively represent the Song Dynasty (960-1278 AD), Yuan (1271-1368 AD), Ming (1368-1644 AD) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD). The artistic styles of the four dynasties (2000) are known as the "Four Famous Gardens in Suzhou". The Humble Administrator's Garden and the Liuyuan Garden are among the "Four Famous Gardens in China", and the Master of the Nets Garden is also quite famous.
Many ancient cultural sites have been discovered in Suzhou, especially the Liangzhu Culture in the late Neolithic Age. The famous ones include Zhaolingshan Site, Shaoqingshan Site, Chuodun Site, Caoxieshan Site, and Luo Dun site, etc., among which the Zhaolingshan site was listed as one of the top ten major archaeological discoveries in the country in 1992. Paradise Suzhou, Oriental Water City - Typical "small bridges, flowing water, people" Suzhou is a famous ancient capital in China. It was the capital of many regimes such as Wu in the Spring and Autumn Period, Yue in the Warring States, Sun Wu in the Three Kingdoms, and Zhang Wu in the late Yuan Dynasty. The capital is also the oldest existing city in China. According to the research of the famous historian Mr. Gu Jiegang, it is the first ancient city in China. She is the birthplace and master of Wu culture, and an important birthplace of Chinese civilization. It is a city with developed traditional culture, profound historical heritage, and beautiful scenery. It has a world cultural heritage and one of China's top ten scenic spots, Suzhou Gardens. and a large number of other natural attractions and historical monuments. Suzhou has a recorded history of more than 4,200 years and is a world-famous historical and cultural city and a typical garden city. It is one of the first batch of historical and cultural cities in the country. The density of historic sites in the ancient city ranks third in China after Beijing and Xi'an. It is generally believed that Suzhou City was built in 514 BC and has gone through more than 2,500 years of vicissitudes. Suzhou is also the most exquisite city in China. The ancient city basically maintains the ancient double chessboard pattern of "water and land running parallel, rivers and streets adjacent", the river system of "three verticals, three horizontals and one ring" and "small bridges and flowing water, white walls and black tiles, famous historical sites". The unique style of the garden. Among them, the ancient city of Suzhou is the "double heritage" of Suzhou Gardens, a world cultural heritage, and Kun Opera, a world intangible cultural heritage. Currently on the national preparatory list for applying for world cultural heritage are the Suzhou Ancient City Historic District and the Jiangnan Water Town Ancient Town. Suzhou is the city with the most world cultural heritage in China. So far, nine gardens have been listed as world cultural heritage. Kun Opera and Guqin, one of the representatives of the Yushan School, are listed as world intangible cultural heritage. Suzhou currently has 2 national historical and cultural cities (Suzhou, Changshu), 3 Chinese historical and cultural towns (Kunshan Zhouzhuang, Wujiang Tongli, Suzhou Jiaozhi), and 7 Jiangsu Province historical and cultural towns (Suzhou Dongshan, Suzhou Xishan, Suzhou Xishan, Suzhou Guangfu, Suzhou Mudu, Wujiang Zhenze, Taicang Shaxi, Kunshan Qiandeng), as well as a large number of well-preserved ancient towns (such as Lili and Shengze in Wujiang, Jinxi in Kunshan, Liuhe in Taicang, etc.), ancient towns Villages (Dongshan Village and Mingyue Bay in Wuzhong District).
Origin of the name
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According to legend, at the end of the Shang Dynasty, Duke Gu of Zhou Dynasty had three sons: the eldest son Taibo and the second son Zhong. Yonghe's youngest son's calendar. Ji Li had a son, Chang. Gu Gong Danfu thought that Chang had the ability to develop the royal family and wanted to pass the throne to Ji Li and then to Chang. After Taibo and Zhongyong understood this intention, in order to respect their father's wishes and avoid giving up the throne, they fled to the south of the Yangtze River, which was known as the land of Jingman at that time. And he followed the local customs and "cut off his hair and got tattoos" on his own. It means that they are already Jingman people and can no longer go back to inherit the throne. Their righteous deeds, as well as the advanced culture and agricultural production technology of the Zhou people they brought, were supported by the local residents. In Meili (now Meicun, Wuxi County), Taibo was elected as the ruler, and the country was named " "Yunwu" ("Yun" in Yunwu is a sound word in Jingman language, which has no actual meaning. Yunwu is Wu. Due to a clerical error, Yunwu was also mistakenly written as Gouwu).
From the 19th year of Taibo's reign until Shoumeng succeeded to the throne (585 BC), the Wu Kingdom began to have accurate chronology. With the rise of Wu State, the capital city of Meili has become increasingly unable to meet the needs of national development. Suzhou, located on the northeastern shore of Taihu Lake, has superior natural conditions, convenient transportation, fertile land, rich products, and a large population. In the fifth year (561 BC), the capital was officially moved to Suzhou. And after many years of continuous operation, it has reached considerable scale. However, since there are no records in historical records, the city site at that time cannot be verified. Since then, Suzhou at that time was called the State of Wu.
In 514 BC, King Helu of Wu ordered Wu Zixu to supervise the construction of a city with a double chessboard pattern on land and water. Since then, Suzhou’s geographical location has evolved to this day. In 522 BC, Qin Shihuang established Kuaiji County and Wu County in the capital city of Wu. From then on, Suzhou at that time was called Wu County, or sometimes Wuzhou. In 589 AD, the Sui Dynasty changed Wuzhou to Suzhou (named after Mount Gusu in the west of Suzhou City, where the name of Suzhou originated. In addition, Mount Gusu was named after King Helu of Wu built Gusu Terrace, and there are still ruins on the mountain).
In 778 AD, the Tang Dynasty established Suzhou as the only "Xiongzhou" in the south of the Yangtze River (prefectures in the Tang system were divided into seven levels, and "Xiongzhou" was the second level). From then on, the name of Suzhou was fixed as a general name. In 1113 AD, the Song Dynasty changed Suzhou into Pingjiang Prefecture.
Based on historical changes, Suzhou has many nicknames: Gusu, Wu, Wuxian, Soochow, Pingjiang, Wuzhong, etc. And because of the criss-crossing rivers in Suzhou, it is also known as the water city, water city, and water town. The 13th-century "Marco Polo's Travels" praised Suzhou as the Venice of the East. The ancient city of Suzhou was praised by the French Enlightenment thinker Montesquieu as "miraculous workmanship".
The best time to travel to Suzhou
The most beautiful season in Suzhou is of course the warm and pleasant spring. Whether it is brilliant spring or lingering spring rain, Suzhou gardens are a moving picture. Suzhou has a north subtropical monsoon climate, with a mild and humid climate and four distinct seasons. As the seasons change, Suzhou gardens are either blooming with flowers, or shaded by green trees, or wrapped in silver, showing a myriad of beauties.
In addition, various seasonal delicacies such as bayberry, loquat, sugar lotus root, hairy crab, and pickled fresh food are on the market in turn, which is a feast for the eyes and a feast for the mouth.
Suzhou Opera
China's opera art has gone through a long process of development. During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, it gradually evolved into a relatively complete art form. With the changes of the times, it continued to innovate and Development is rich. Chinese opera occupies a unique position in the history of Chinese culture and art, as well as in the world's art treasure house.
Suzhou is one of the first batch of key protected historical and cultural cities announced by the State Council. It is an ancient city with a history of more than 2,500 years. Suzhou not only created rich material wealth for the Chinese nation, but also wrote a glorious chapter for the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation. Among them, Suzhou's opera art is particularly eye-catching and plays an extremely important role in the history of the development of Chinese opera. status.
Suzhou is the hometown of Kun Opera and Su Opera. Known as a treasure of opera art, Kun Opera originated in the Taicang area of ??Kunshan during the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty. From the turn of Longqing and Wanli in the Ming Dynasty to the Kangxi and Jiaqing years of the Qing Dynasty, Kun Opera flourished rapidly due to innovation. In towns and villages in Suzhou, people are so obsessed with Kun Opera that they organize amateur classes and hold singing activities. The annual Huqiu Opera Festival attracts almost every household, with "thousands of singers" ". In its heyday, Kun Opera was centered in Suzhou and spread to almost all major cities across the country, dominating the theater scene for more than 200 years. With the prosperity of Kun Opera, a large number of excellent actors and famous writers emerged, leaving a large number of famous legendary scripts for future generations.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Suzhou's opera industry entered a new stage of development under the guidance of the party's policy of "introducing the old and bringing forth the new" and "letting a hundred flowers bloom". In order to save and inherit Kun Opera and develop Su Opera, as early as the early 1950s, the Suzhou Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal People's Government of the Communist Party of China attached great importance to the work of Jiangsu and Kun Opera. Major national Kun Opera activities are also held in Suzhou, which has a great promotion effect on Suzhou's opera art. The creation and performance of some new plays, such as Kun Opera "The Injustice of Dou E", Su Opera "Drunken Return", "Dou Gong Sends Off His Son", Peking Opera "Li Huiniang", comedy "Satisfied Not Satisfied", etc., have had a certain impact across the country. ; At the same time, it also cultivated a group of outstanding actors. In the past half century, the opera art in Suzhou has made gratifying development.
Suzhou opera has a long history. In history, countless playwrights, composers, and actors have made outstanding contributions to the development of opera, but they are rarely recorded in previous local historical records. For example, the acting deeds and artistic achievements of many actors have been lost to history, or their names and fragments can only be seen in some notes; for many plays, only their names or fragments of songs remain. Another example is the modern "The Legend of Fire" Kun Opera. Some of the historical facts of the Kun Opera training center are so long ago that it is difficult to agree even if the people involved recall them. Many of the stages where famous dramas were performed back then are hard to find. It can be seen from this that the compilation of opera chronicles is pioneering and salvage to a certain extent.
"Masterpieces of Human Oral and Intangible Heritage" - Kunqu Opera and Guqin
In 2006, the protection of intangible cultural heritage in Suzhou was comprehensively strengthened, and 18 projects were included in the first batch of national-level directory, ranking first among cities nationwide. The 3rd China Kun Opera Art Festival and the 3rd China Suzhou Pingtan Art Festival were successfully held. The Zhouzhuang International Tourism Festival was selected as one of the top ten tourism festivals in China in 2006. Literary and artistic creation has achieved new results, and a number of outstanding dramas (programs) have won national and provincial awards. New breakthroughs have been made in cultural theory innovation projects and theoretical research. The Kunqu Opera Heritage Protection, Inheritance and Promotion Project won the only special prize in the first Innovation Award of the Ministry of Culture. The new Suzhou Museum project was successfully completed and opened, and the Suzhou Folk Museum expansion and protection project and the Zhongwang Mansion maintenance project were successfully completed. The three publishing houses published 287 new books, 24 sets of electronic audio and video products, 13 newspapers and 28 periodicals. The radio and television industry continues to develop. At the end of the year, there were 1.7992 million cable TV users in the city. The work of "every household with rural cable TV" has made solid progress, with a net increase of 150,000 rural cable TV users.
Suzhou dialect
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Suzhou dialect, a Wu dialect, belongs to Wu dialect Taihu piece Suhujia piece.
It has long been one of the main representative dialects of Wu dialect (Shanghai dialect is also a representative dialect of Wu dialect, but in fact there is very little difference between Suzhou dialect and Shanghai dialect. Suzhou dialect is easier to be understood by people in urban Shanghai than some Wu dialects in the suburbs of Shanghai).
Suzhou dialect is famous for its soft and glutinous language, which is where the so-called Wu Nong Ruanyu (Nongzuorenjie) comes from. Both Kunqu Opera and Pingtan are written in Suzhou dialect, and it is popular throughout the Wu dialect of Taihu. The modern new Suzhou dialect has 28 initial consonants, 43 finals, and 7 tones. This tone system is also common in Wu dialect. The old-school Suzhou dialect has 27 initial consonants, 49 finals, and 7 tones. Many suburbs of Suzhou have retained the initial consonants of the upturned tongue, so some areas have 33 initial consonants.
Suzhou dialect is the representative of Wu dialect and has a high status in history. There are four major vernaculars in modern China: Jingbai, Yunbai, Subai and Yuebai. And Su Bai is undoubtedly the most popular language in Jiangnan area. Due to the development of the Jiangnan region, more Suzhou people are able to be liberated from labor and engage in other industries. Among them, reading is an industry that Suzhou people are engaged in most. From the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, the number one scholar in Suzhou accounted for a large proportion of all number one scholars, and it once reached one-fifth in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Most of the elites in the upper class are also from Suzhou. Su Bai changed from a popular language in Jiangnan to a popular language among scholar-bureaucrats in the Ming Dynasty. Yue Opera, Kun Opera, and Pingtan all use Su Bai as the standard pronunciation. Even the original Peking Opera used Su Bai. An ancient saying goes: "Those who are good at controlling the power of advance and retreat within the sea will be followed by Suzhou people who are elegant, and those who are vulgar will be vulgar." Most of the upper-class people in the upper class, especially those in the Jiangnan area, speak Suzhou dialect. Glory. Even people from different regions use Suzhou dialect when communicating. Compared with the official "Mandarin" Beijing and Bai, the status of Suzhou dialect in society at that time was equivalent to that of folk "Mandarin".
Gusu City was listed by the Ming Dynasty gentry and celebrities as one of the five must-visit cities when traveling around the world. From the concubines and their families, to the wives and daughters of officials, to the common women and even the entertainers, it was even more famous for its clothing. Wear Su-style clothes, learn Su Bai, practice and sing Wu songs, and take pride in them. Especially for all kinds of prostitutes, wearing Wu makeup, speaking in pure white, and being good at Wu songs have become essential skills. Otherwise, they are not enough to raise their own status.
"The Biography of Flowers on the Sea" is the most famous novel in Wu language, written by Han Bangqing, a native of Songjiang Prefecture, Jiangsu Province. The whole book is written in classical Chinese and Su Bai. The dialogues are all in Suzhou dialect, which is a distinctive feature of the book. The use of Su Bai is also a unique feature of Wu dialect novels that emerged in the 19th century.
Socioeconomic
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Suzhou’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2006 was 482.026 billion yuan, ranking first in mainland China 5th (after Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen), 2nd in East China (after Shanghai), and 1st among prefecture-level cities in China. The per capita GDP is 78,236 yuan (more than 10,000 US dollars), ranking second in mainland China (after Shenzhen) and first in East China (surpassing Shanghai).
According to comparable prices, it increased by 15.5% over the previous year, of which the added value of the tertiary industry was 157.422 billion yuan, the ratio of the tertiary industry was 1.9:65.4:32.7, and the proportion of the tertiary industry increased by 1.5% compared with the previous year. percentage point. The per capita regional GDP (calculated based on registered population) has exceeded 10,000 US dollars. The city's local general budget revenue exceeded 40 billion yuan, completing 40.023 billion yuan, an increase of 26.3% over 2005.
Agriculture
The city’s total output value of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery was 17.236 billion yuan. The production structure was adjusted at an accelerated pace, and pollution-free agricultural products continued to increase. The city added 35 pollution-free agricultural products, 188 green foods and 4 organic foods, and the total number of "three-product" products reached 1,250 by the end of the year. Agricultural industrialization management accelerated development, and the sales revenue of 68 provincial leading enterprises increased by 15%. The city has initially formed four leading industries: high-quality grain and oil, specialty aquatic products, efficient horticulture, and ecological forestry. Agriculture has achieved comprehensive efficiency gains, and ecological and tourism agriculture have developed rapidly.
The rural management mechanism continues to innovate, and the "three major cooperation" reforms are vigorously promoted. There were 366 new economic cooperation organizations of various types in the city, bringing the total to 1,282, and the total number of farmers holding shares and joining cooperatives reached 506,700.
The construction of rural infrastructure has been solidly advanced, and the comprehensive environmental improvement work has achieved results. The city completed a total of 38.58 million cubic meters of farmland water conservancy. 7,072.43 hectares of new forest and green space were added in rural areas, 2,618 kilometers of rivers at all levels were dredged and renovated, 204 kilometers of polders were heightened and reinforced, and 183 kilometers of bank protection projects were built. Regional centralized water supply has been fully realized, with the rural tap water penetration rate reaching 99% and the rural sanitary household toilet penetration rate reaching 94%. The level of agricultural mechanization has steadily improved. At the end of the year, the total power of agricultural machinery was 1.8679 million kilowatts, and the electricity consumption in agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery was 294 million kilowatt-hours.
Industry and Construction
The city’s total industrial output value reached 1,531.594 billion yuan, of which the total output value of industrial enterprises above designated size exceeded 1 trillion yuan for the first time, reaching 1,254.387 billion yuan, which was higher than the previous year respectively. Increases of 26.3% and 24%. Among the industries above designated size in the city, the output value of state-owned industry was 3.052 billion yuan, the output value of collective industry was 13.922 billion yuan, the output value of private industry was 201.938 billion yuan, and the output value of foreign-invested industry was 831.942 billion yuan.
The output value of heavy industry was 845.243 billion yuan, and the output value of light industry was 409.144 billion yuan, an increase of 27.1% and 18% respectively. The level of heavy industry reached 67.4%. Industrial economic benefits have steadily improved. The main business revenue of industrial enterprises above designated size was 1.24 trillion yuan, an increase of 24.5% over the previous year, and the production and sales rate reached 98.5%; profits and taxes were 79 billion yuan, an increase of 35%, of which profit was 58 billion yuan, an increase of 38%. .
The construction industry continues to develop healthily. The city's construction enterprises achieved a construction output value of 53.5 billion yuan, an increase of 12.8% over the previous year.
Transportation Industry
In 2006, Suzhou's transportation capacity continued to increase, and port transportation developed by leaps and bounds. The passenger volume of road and water transport reached 353 million passengers, and the passenger turnover volume was 20.174 billion passenger-kilometers, an increase of 15.0% and 5.1% respectively over the previous year; the freight volume was 106 million tons, and the cargo turnover volume was 7.220 billion ton-kilometers, an increase of 2.3% respectively over the previous year. and 5.5%. The cargo throughput of Suzhou Port reached 151 million tons, an increase of 26.6%, and the container volume exceeded 1 million TEUs, reaching 1.242 million TEUs, an increase of 65.1%. At the end of the year, the city had 1.5337 million motor vehicles, including 559,400 cars, an increase of 8.5% and 24.5% respectively over the previous year.
Postal and Telecommunications Information Industry
In 2006, the scale of Suzhou Postal and Telecommunications business expanded steadily. The city's postal business revenue was 849 million yuan; 112 million letters were sent, 4.8755 million express mail items, and 262 million newspapers and periodicals; the postal savings balance at the end of the year was 16.667 billion yuan, an increase of 25.1% over the previous year. The city's total telecommunications business revenue was 10.415 billion yuan. At the end of the year, the total capacity of local telephone exchanges was 7.264 million; there were 2.025 million PHS users; and 7.3 million mobile phone users, an increase of 29.7% over the previous year.