Suzhou History

Suzhou is one of the most ancient towns in the Yangtze Basin. About 2,500 years ago in Shang Dynasty, local tribes Gou Wu lived in the area which would become the modern city of Suzhou. In the Spring and Autumn Period, it was named the Great City of Helu. Wu Zixu, the prime minister of King Helu, supervised the reconstruction of Suzhou, which marked the beginning of today’s city.

In 473 B.C. the Wu State was defeated by the Yue State, a kingdom to the east which was soon annexed by the Chu State in 306 B.C. The golden era of Suzhou ended with this conquest. In the Qin Dynasty, the city was known as Wu County. Xiang Yu staged his historical uprising here in 209 B.C. which contributed to the overthrow of Qin. It was renamed Suzhou in 589 A.D. during the Sui Dynasty. When the Grand Canal was completed, Suzhou found itself located on a vital trade route. With the prosperous business of silk and other popular products along the waterways, Suzhou has been a metropolis of industry and commerce on the south-eastern coast of China.

Suzhou’s good fortune ran out in 1860 due to the Taiping soldiers and then again in 1937 through Japanese invasion.

In 1981, Suzhou City was listed by the State Council as one of the four cities of historical and cultural heritage protection. Since then, the city developed into one of the most prosperous one in China.