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CHINA | Suzhou, China Travel Guide
Thursday, April 18, 2024
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A Brief History of Suzhou
Suzhou History
Supposedly founded by the mythical emperor, He Lu in 600 BC, Suzhou didn’t really begin to develop for another thousand years. The construction of the Grand Canal (see callout below) under the Sui dynasty, which runs from Hangzhou straight past the city, transformed Suzhou from a sleepy backwater into an industrial hub. With the arrival of the Tang dynasty in 618 AD came the development of the Silk Road across Central Asia, and Suzhou prospered as a result of its silk production. The establishment of the Southern Song dynasty in 1126 brought the formation of a new capital in nearby Hangzhou. The resulting influx of academics, merchants and government officials to the new capital directed yet more wealth to Suzhou. That laid the foundations for the development of Suzhou’s Chinese gardens. During the Ming dynasty, Suzhou continued to flourish. It became a center for the arts, especially wood-block carving and silk weaving. The already established gardens were expanded and it is estimated that, in Suzhou’s heyday, the city had as many as 200 of these exquisite retreats.
Despite the Taiping Uprising in the 1860s, which destroyed much of nearby Hangzhou, and Japanese occupation during World War II, Suzhou remained well preserved. Its 2,500-year-old city walls provided excellent protection from attacks and it wasn’t until 1949 that they were totally demolished. Although a large amount of Suzhou’s old city still remains, it is being lost at a rapid rate. Today, some of the best examples of Ming architecture are found lining the canals, while the waterways themselves remain a focal point for everyday life in Suzhou, despite their foul-smelling slickness.
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