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Suzhou

Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names | 2005 | | Copyright

Suzhou, China Wumen, Wuzhou, Gusu, Pingjiang (Jiangsu) Two towns, one in Anhui Province and the other in Jiangsu Province, have this name, previously known with the spelling Soochow. Although they have the same Romanization, the characters for Su are different. The more famous of the two, in an area of rivers and canals, is in Jiangsu. In 560 bc King Wu established his capital here, expanding the city wall and moat, and building huge gates, mén. The city was therefore named Wumen ‘Wu Gates’. Later it was renamed Wuzhou after the king's name and zhōu. In 589, with the Sui dynasty conquest of southern China, it was renamed Suzhou after Mt Gusu to the west, although it was also called Gusu with sū ‘perilla’, a type of ornamental plant. In 724–78 it was called the Wu Prefecture, but thereafter Suzhou became the accepted name, although Pingjiang from píng ‘peaceful’ or ‘calm’ and jiāng ‘river’ was also used following the establishment of Pingjiang Jùn ‘district’. The Suzhou in Anhui takes its name from the ancient Kingdom of Su.

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JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Suzhou." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Suzhou." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Suzhou.html

JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Suzhou." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Suzhou.html

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Suzhou

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

Suzhou Soochow , or Wuxian , city (1994 pop. 710,900), SE Jiangsu prov., E central China, on the Grand Canal near Tai Lake. Suzhou, famous for its silks since the Sung dynasty, is still a silk center; it also has cotton and embroidery manufactures and food-processing, pharmaceutical, and computer and electronics industries. On the city's outskirts are a small integrated steel complex and plants making chemicals, paper, machine tools, and motor vehicles.

Suzhou was capital of the Wu kingdom in the 5th cent. BC, from whence it derives the name Wuxian; it was renamed Suzhou in the 6th cent. AD The city was almost destroyed in the Taiping Rebellion but was quickly rebuilt. In 1896, it became a treaty port. It was occupied by the Japanese in World War II, and in 1949 it passed to the Chinese Communists. Suzhou is famous for its beauty, with many canals crossed by arched bridges and lovely gardens. A nine-storied pagoda there (c.250 ft/80 m high) is among the tallest in China. The city has several institutions of higher learning; the Suzhou Museum was designed by I. M. Pei.

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Suzhou

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Copyright

Suzhou (Soochow, Su-chow) City on the Grand Canal, Jiangsu province, e central China. Capital of the Wu kingdom in the 5th century bc, its famous silk industry developed under the Sung dynasty in the 12th century. Since 100 bc, it has been noted for its many gardens, temples, and canals. Industries: silk, cotton, embroidery, chemicals. Pop. (1994) 776,000.

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"Suzhou." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Suzhou.html

"Suzhou." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Suzhou.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Suzhou New District rated AAA by China Knowledge. News Wire article from: China Knowledge Newswires; 6/2/2011
	Suzhou Industrial Park rated AAA by China Knowledge. News Wire article from: China Knowledge Newswires; 6/1/2011
	Suzhou Gaohua Made Its First Investment in Suzhou. Newspaper article from: ACN Newswire; 5/10/2010