What Kind of City Is Suzhou?
This article is specially produced by Zhongjun Group
In the 2018 national urban GDP rankings
It has long stood shoulder to shoulder with renowned cities
Even today, it far surpasses the prosperous Chengdu
(In 2018, Suzhou's GDP ranked 7th among Chinese cities, chart by Zheng Borong/Planet Research Institute)
Sharply contrasting with the distant skyscrapers
(Nearby Suzhou Ancient City and the distant Suzhou Industrial Park, photographer @Vitamin)
Covering approximately 22.63 square kilometers
Equivalent to over 30 Beijing Forbidden Cities in size
(The above area refers to Suzhou's historical and cultural conservation zone, including the ancient city, Shantang and Shangtang lines, as well as three areas: Tiger Hill, Lingering Garden, and Hanshan Temple, totaling 22.63 square kilometers—the primary focus of this article; below is a section of Suzhou Ancient City, photographer @Tony Star)
Despite enduring over 2,500 years of upheavals
(Suzhou Ancient City was founded in 514 BC during the Spring and Autumn Period. Over 2,500 years, it was relocated only briefly for about 35 years, remaining otherwise at its original site. Below is a quote from historian Gu Jiegang)
"Suzhou's antiquity ranks first in the nation, a relic from the Spring and Autumn Period."
The phrase "Heaven above, Suzhou and Hangzhou below"
Perfectly captures people's yearning for it
("Heaven above, Suzhou and Hangzhou below" originates from Fan Chengda's Song Dynasty work *Wu Jun Zhi*, referring to Suzhou and Hangzhou; below is an image of Suzhou's canalside homes, photographer @Vitamin)
China's third-largest freshwater lake lies here
(Please view horizontally—Lake Tai, anciently called "Zhenze" or "Five Lakes," spans about 2,400 square kilometers today, equivalent to 36,000 hectares, photographer @Zhao Yongqing)
The rolling Tianmu Mountains gradually level off here
Leaving only low hills rising from the land
The highest elevation is no more than 341.7 meters.
(Qionglong Mountain is the highest peak in Suzhou, with an elevation of 341.7 meters; the picture below shows Shangfang Mountain, with an elevation of less than 100 meters, photographer @ Zhang Mingchen)
Until they merge into rivers and flow into the sea.
(Among the ancient three rivers of Taihu Lake, only Loujiang and Songjiang remain today, and Songjiang has been renamed Wusong River, which is called Suzhou Creek after entering Shanghai; the picture below shows Suzhou Creek flowing through downtown Shanghai, image source @ VCG)
Particularly including Yangcheng Lake, Shihu Lake, Jinji Lake, etc.
(Shihu Lake, photographer @ Wu Minjun)
It is truly a "land of water and marshes."
(The above data is cited from "Suzhou Geography" edited by Xu Shuying et al.; the picture below shows Suzhou Taihu Lake Wetland National Park, photographer @ Li Weilin)
Combined with the terrain's advantage of "the strategic barriers of three rivers and five lakes,"
It could also resist floods and foreign invasions.
In ancient times, it was considered a "geomantic treasure land" for building capitals and cities.
(The geographical environment of the ancient city of Suzhou, with the highlighted area showing the current administrative scope of Suzhou; map by @ Chen Siqi & Zheng Borong/Planet Institute)
Thus, around 2,500 years ago in the late Spring and Autumn period,
Under the direction of Wu Kingdom's minister Wu Zixu,
A brand-new capital city rose from the ground.
(Please view horizontally; Helu City was later called Wu Prefecture and was renamed Suzhou for the first time during the Sui Dynasty; the exact location of Helu City is still debated, and this reference follows the viewpoint of "Suzhou City Records"; the picture below shows Suzhou City after snow, image source @ VCG)
Guided by the principle of "utilizing natural resources and geographical advantages,"
Two gates were opened on each side of the city walls,
Consisting of paired water gates and land gates.
Among them, the water gates could both channel water and allow boat passage.
(The construction of the eight land and water gates was known as "modeling heaven and emulating earth." The *Guanzi* records: "Eight land gates symbolize the eight winds of heaven; eight water gates emulate the eight ears of earth." The diagram below shows the water and land gates of Pan Gate, illustrated by Li Qianlang from *Piercing Walls and Seeing Through Structures*.)
(A real-life view of Pan Gate, photographed by Zhang Haoyi.)
established a milestone "water city"
in the history of Chinese urban planning.
Moreover, the main waterways within the city were wide and open,
spanning about 70% of the width of the Forbidden City's moat.
(According to the *Yuejue Shu*, during the era of Helü's Great City, the waterways could reach 36 meters in width, while the average width of the Forbidden City's moat is about 52 meters. Below is Pingjiang Road and its adjacent canal, photographed by Fu Ding.)
Yet, in the end, it failed to achieve eternal dominance.
Under the grand strategies of Emperor Wen and Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty,
a great canal running north-south was fully completed.
It connected five major river systems: the Hai River, Yellow River, Huai River, Yangtze River, and Qiantang River.
(Today's section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal near Taierzhuang, Shandong, with multiple vessels docked in line, waiting to pass through the lock. Image source: VCG.)
The canal surged in from the northwest,
reaching directly to the foot of Chang Gate on the northwestern side of the city wall.
(The positional relationship between the canal and Suzhou City during the Sui and Tang dynasties, illustrated by Chen Siqi & Zheng Borong/Planet Research Institute.)
"Three horizontal and four vertical great rivers, over 300 lanes within the city walls."
(The quote is from *Wudi Ji*, where "horizontal" refers to east-west and "vertical" to north-south. Below is Shantang River and its adjacent streets, photographed by wenidon.)
coinciding with the prevailing wind direction of the local summer monsoon.
They also served as ventilation corridors for the city.
(The orientation of the longitudinal canals in Suzhou's ancient city, illustrated by Zheng Borong/Planet Research Institute.)
The waterways are straight and crisscrossed, resembling a chessboard.
The streets intersect in a grid-like pattern, also akin to a chessboard.
(Suzhou's dual-chessboard layout, referencing the distribution of waterways and streets during the Song Dynasty. In the early Song, for defensive purposes, the eight water and land gates were reduced to six. By the Southern Song, the Xu Gate was closed, leaving five. Map by Zheng Borong/Planet Research Institute.)
The total length of the city's waterways spans 87-92 kilometers.
Enough to stretch from Suzhou all the way to Shanghai.
(Cited from the Ming Dynasty's "Comprehensive Records of Water Conservancy in Wu.")
Beyond the three horizontal and four vertical main rivers, countless smaller waterways crisscross like warp and weft.
Creating a network of waterways and streets of varying sizes,
Where the layout of "two streets flanking one river" is visible.
The streets on either side sometimes differ in width, height, or elevation,
With one side as a marketplace and the other as residences,
Known as "Shangtang" (upper bank) and "Xiatang" (lower bank).
(The "one river, two streets" type can be seen today in the northern section of Lindun Road and the southern end of Pingjiang River in Suzhou's ancient city. Map by Zheng Borong & Chen Ruiting/Planet Research Institute.)
(A real-world example of the "one river, two streets" type, photographed in Tongli, Suzhou. Photographer: Hao Chuanjun.)
Forming narrow, secluded water alleys without streets.
(The "river without street" type can be found near Shantang River, Xueshi Street, Taohuawu Avenue, and Shiquan Street today. Map by Zheng Borong & Chen Ruiting/Planet Research Institute.)
(A real-world example of the "river without street" type. Image source: VCG.)
Becoming the common "one river, one street" pattern.
(The "one river, one street" type is widely distributed in today's Pingjiang Historical District and near Shantang Street. Map by Zheng Borong & Chen Ruiting/Planet Research Institute.)
(A real-world example of the "one river, one street" type, photographed on Shantang Street. Photographer: Li Jiafeilan.)
A variety of bridges were thus born.
The city of Suzhou boasts no fewer than 300 bridges.
"Green waves flow east, west, south, and north; red-railed bridges number three hundred and ninety."
(The above lines are quoted from Bai Juyi's "Leisurely Stroll on the Third Day of the First Month" of the Tang Dynasty. Due to the color of the wooden bridges, the poet referred to them as "red-railed." The image below shows Baodai Bridge, spanning over 300 meters with 53 arches, located at the mouth of Tantai Lake in the southeast corner of the ancient city. Please view horizontally. Image source @VCG)
(Midu Bridge, 81.3 meters long, photographer @Mr. Tao)
(Canals and small bridges in Suzhou, photographer @Mr. Tao)
A Suzhou of "small bridges, flowing water, and homes."
(Quoted from Du Xunhe's "Seeing Off a Traveler to Wu" of the Tang Dynasty)
When you arrive in Gusu, you will see houses lining the rivers.
The ancient palace has little idle land, and the waterways are dotted with small bridges.
The "water-land chessboard" formed by canals and streets
horizontally supports the city's framework.
Then, the various buildings filling the "chessboard" grid
(The Pingjiang Map, a stone inscription from the Southern Song Dynasty, is the earliest and most detailed surviving urban plan in China, marking over 610 place names, including transportation routes and various buildings. The image below shows the structure of the Pingjiang Map and some place names. Map by @Zheng Borong/Planet Research Institute)
Their height generally exceeds 30 meters.
Compared to the surrounding delicate and compact residences,
among them, the Bao'en Temple Pagoda in the northern part of the city
is an extremely prominent landmark in Suzhou.
(Bao'en Temple Pagoda, also known as Beisi Pagoda, was first built during the Three Kingdoms period and rebuilt in the Song Dynasty after being destroyed. Image source @VCG)
It stands in harmony with the Bao'en Temple Pagoda, one to the south and the other to the north.
(Ruiguang Pagoda, photographer @Li Binghang)
yet it presents a unique symmetrical aesthetic
(Twin Pagodas of Luohan Temple, built in the Northern Song Dynasty, photographer @Lu Wen)
If we are to speak of the oldest surviving Buddhist pagoda in Suzhou
(Yunyan Pagoda, also known as Tiger Hill Pagoda, photographer @Teacher Tao)
yet it has stood firm for hundreds of years to this day
(Quoted from Wang Yucheng's "Tiger Hill" of the Song Dynasty)
Leaving the city, one first sees the pagoda; entering the temple, one can climb the mountain
(Quoted from Du Mu's "Spring in Jiangnan" of the Tang Dynasty, showing the abundance of Buddhist temples in the Jiangnan region during the Southern Dynasties)
Four hundred eighty temples of the Southern Dynasties, how many towers stand in the misty rain
further extending their lifespans
Suzhou once had over 100 pagodas
with more than 20 remaining well-preserved to this day
allowing modern people to glimpse fragments of the past
(The line "Outside Gusu City, the Cold Mountain Temple; at midnight, the bell sounds reach the traveler's boat" has immortalized Hanshan Temple; the image below shows today's Hanshan Temple, with Fanyin Pavilion in front and Puming Pagoda behind, image source @VCG)
are occupied by some special structures
They are tall, majestic, and imposing
with heights generally ranging between 16-37 meters
Historically, Suzhou had 17 city gates
some were merely openings dug into the city walls
Some were topped with tall and magnificent pavilions
(From Lu Ji's "Wu Qu Xing" of the Jin Dynasty)
How towering the Chang Gate, with flying pavilions spanning the flowing waves
(Xiangmen, located on the east side of Suzhou, photographer @ Qiuluo)
Similarly, there stand grand and majestic
Featuring double eaves and nine ridges
Supported by a total of 100 inner and outer pillars
Holding up a massive hall covering over 1,000 square meters
With a history so ancient and a scale so grand
(Sanqing Hall, built in the Southern Song Dynasty, is the largest surviving wooden structure from the Song Dynasty in China, photographer @ Lu Wen)
Then there is the Dacheng Hall on the southwest side of the ancient city
It features double eaves and five ridges
The most prominent landmark of Suzhou Confucian Temple
(The Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City also has a double-eaved hip roof. Below is the Dacheng Hall of Suzhou Confucian Temple, photographer @ Teacher Tao)
Used for teaching and cultivating talents
This "temple-school integration" system
Nurtured Suzhou's cultural legacy and produced countless talents
During the Qing Dynasty, it produced 26 top scholars in imperial examinations
(Suzhou Prefectural School was originally called "Zhouxue." Below is the statue of Confucius in Suzhou Confucian Temple, with the Dacheng Hall in the background, image source @ VCG)
Including pagodas, Taoist temples, city gates, prefectural schools, etc.
Shaped a Suzhou city of morning bells and evening drums
What kind of Suzhou is it again?
Clustered between Henghe River and Heng Street
Leaving only narrow passages for people to pass through
(Alley near Pingjiang Road, photographer @Mr. Tao)
The deep alleys are quiet and secluded, ideal for living
While the streetside is bustling and noisy, suitable for business
Thus, most buildings along the street are residential shops
Either with shops in front and residences behind, or residences above and shops below
(Shantang Commercial Street in snow, photographer @Zhou Banxian)
"Hundreds of neighborhoods, thousands of secluded alleys"
But rather a market-and-neighborhood system similar to Chang'an City
Whether it's the "neighborhoods" where commoners lived
Suzhou rapidly became a national hub of wealth and taxation
Trading venues open at fixed times and locations
Gradually unable to meet the soaring trade demands
Thus, from the Song Dynasty onward, the "market-and-neighborhood system" gradually dissolved
Replaced by the "street-neighborhood system" where residences were arranged along streets and alleys
Which is the scene people see today
(Neighborhoods in Suzhou city, photographer @wenidon)
The Grand Canal, Shantang River, and the city moat
converge here along with the waterways entering the city
(Please view horizontally, outside Changmen Gate, photographer @ Zhang Mingchen)
The commercial trade within the city was drawn here
from Changmen Gate to Tiger Hill and from Changmen Gate to Xumen
(Changes in the city's commercial center, map by @ Chen Ruiting & Zheng Borong & Zhao Bang/Planet Research Institute)
A massive 12-meter-long scroll
records scenes from Tiger Hill and Shantang River to Changmen Gate and Fengmen
featuring over 10,000 figures, more than 2,000 buildings,
over 400 boats, and more than 200 shops
(Please view horizontally, "Prosperous Suzhou" by Xu Yang of the Qing Dynasty, also known as "Gusu Scenic Spots," the image below shows a section from Tiger Hill in the northwest to outside Fengmen in the southeast, ultra-long image warning, image source @ Wikimedia Commons)
"A land of piled gold and jade, a place of gentle wealth and luxury"
Such a Suzhou, prosperous since ancient times,
was not only a gathering place for wealthy merchants
but also a result of the collision and creativity of these two groups
(This and the following mainly refer to Suzhou's private gardens, the image below shows the Humble Administrator's Garden and Suzhou Museum, photographer @ wenidon)
These gardens resemble patches of mountain forests within the city
(Quoted from "The Craft of Gardens" by Ji Cheng of the Ming Dynasty)
Thus, the use of ponds, waterfalls, springs, and streams
(Lingering Garden, built in the Ming Dynasty and flourished in the Qing Dynasty, its central water features are among its highlights, photographer @ Vitamin)
as well as the moss-covered Yellowstone being the most typical
The bizarre rocks in the garden either resemble towering peaks or dot the woods
(Lion Grove Garden, named for its rockeries resembling lions, photographer: Wang Yafei)
The growth of plants shapes the garden's four seasons
(Lingering Garden, photographer: Wu Minjun)
Various structures are spaced flexibly and arranged freely
Most are light and simple, with very few ornate carvings or elaborate decorations
Thus blending seamlessly with the mountains, water, and plants
(Humble Administrator's Garden, photographer: Fang Thomas)
The golden age of Suzhou gardens was during the Ming Dynasty
With a total of 271 gardens at its peak
Today, 108 of them still remain
All testaments to the city's glorious past
(Distribution of preserved gardens in Suzhou's historic urban area, mapping by Chen Siqi & Zheng Borong/Planet Research Institute)
Suzhou is not truly "everlasting"
The city was once reduced to ashes by war
(Quoted from Tang Dynasty's Li Yanshou's "History of the Southern Dynasties: Biography of Hou Jing," during the Hou Jing Rebellion of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Jiangnan region suffered severe famine due to war, drought, and locust plagues)
But after repeated collapses and upheavals
(Suzhou city under sunlight, with the distant new urban area faintly visible, photographer: Tian Chunyu)
It saw the resurgence of areas like Guanqian Street and Shilu Road
Becoming the new commercial core of Suzhou
(Guanqian Commercial Street, photographer @wenidon)
Causing the silting and pollution of the city's waterways to worsen
Coupled with urban construction burying numerous canals
Less than 30% of what existed during the Ming Dynasty
(Changes in Suzhou's waterways, mapping by Zheng Borong & Zhao Bang/Planet Research Institute)
People began to re-explore the direction of urban development
(In 1986, the first edition of the "Suzhou Urban Master Plan" was issued, requiring comprehensive protection of the ancient city's character while developing new districts; below is the new Suzhou Museum, completed in 2006, designed by I.M. Pei, photographer @Vitamin)
To preserve the composition of pagodas, city gates, and pavilions
(The quietly standing Bao'en Temple Pagoda and Pingmen, photographer @Mr. Tao)
Suzhou is no longer the Suzhou of old
It will take on the mission it has carried for millennia
(In the distance is the modern Suzhou Industrial Park, photographer @Vitamin)
Replaced by a more modern living experience
Zhongjun Group, with reverence for this ancient land
Built Zhongjun Tianhui in Gusu District, Suzhou
Offering both bustling urban amenities
And proximity to a cluster of UNESCO World Heritage sites
Embracing a dual lifestyle of ancient essence and modern vibrancy
(Zhongjun Tianhui residential area, located in Gusu District, adjacent to the district government)
Thus began Zhongjun's "Gusu Story"
Tianhui is the 13th "Tian"-series project by Zhongjun worldwide
Belonging to the highest-tier sequence in Zhongjun's product line
It is rooted in the city's millennia-old geographical heritage
Integrating advantages in transportation, healthcare, education, and commercial districts
Creating a distinctive living experience
(Interior environment of Zhongjun Tianhui Residential Area, hotline: 0512-63889999)
Suzhou is no longer what it used to be
Among small bridges, flowing water, black-tiled roofs, white walls, and pavilions
Lies its innate elegance, prosperity, wealth, and romantic charm
A vitality that has endured for 2,500 years
(Who first saw the moon above this city? In what year did this moon first shine upon people? Photographer: Zhang Mingchen)
Design/Illustration: Zheng Borong & Chen Ruiting
Reviewers: Wang Zhaoyang, Li Zhangziwei & Lusumao
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