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SUZHOU: Suzhou, an ancient city in East China's Jiangsu Province, has again attracted world attention, having been chosen as the host city for the 28th session of the World Heritage Committee, which will be held from June 28 to July 7.
Popularly referred to as a "paradise on earth" in ancient times, Suzhou is most famous for its classic gardens. Nine gardens in Suzhou are included on UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage List. And Suzhou's Kunqu Opera was also classed as a "Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage" by UNESCO in 2001.
But Suzhou has much more to offer than its beautiful gardens and marvelous Kunqu Opera.
The fabric of the city's history is resplendent with its many strands of local history and culture.
Suzhou people trace their history back to the end of the Shang Dynasty around 1100 BC. When Taibo, together with his brother Zhongyong, both princes of Zhou, fled from China's northwest to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, they were elected as leaders of the local people, laying the foundation of the ancient Gou-Wu State.
That is why Suzhou was originally called Wu.
In 514 BC, Wu Zixu, the prime minister of King Helu, supervised the re-construction of Suzhou, and that marked the beginning of today's city.
The city, at that time a town, was called Helu. It had a circumference of 23.5 kilometres, with walls and a moat and eight gates, traces of which can still be found today.
Through its history, Suzhou has seen many changes, including its name. The present name was adopted in AD 589 during the Sui Dynasty (AD 581-618). But it has remained at the same site and retained its original construction for more than 2,500 years.
With its grid structure of roads and waterways, ancient Suzhou used to be one of the largest cities in China.
Records indicate that its main avenue was 45 metres wide, and its main canal 38 metres wide.
The Pingjiang Map, inscribed on a stone tablet that dates back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279), preserved the...