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Suzhou Facts & Worksheets

Suzhou or Soochow, is a major city located in southeastern Jiangsu Province of East China, about 100 km (62 mi) northwest of Shanghai.

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Suzhou or Soochow, is a major city located in southeastern Jiangsu Province of East China, about 100 km (62 mi) northwest of Shanghai. It is a major economic center and focal point of trade and commerce, and the second largest city in the province, after its capital Nanjing.

See the fact file below for more information on the Suzhou or alternatively, you can download our 20-page Suzhou worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

DESCRIPTION

  • Suzhou is located on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the shores of Lake Tai and belongs to the Yangtze River Delta region.
  • Suzhou is a prefecture-level city (formerly known as province administered city) with a total resident population (as of 2013) of 10.58 million in its administrative area.
  • Suzhou’s canals, stone bridges, pagodas, and meticulously designed gardens have contributed to its status as one of the top tourist attractions in China.

NAMES AND NICKNAMES

  • Suzhou is the Hanyu Pinyin spelling of the Putonghua pronunciation of the name. Prior to the adoption of pinyin, it was variously romanized as Soo-chow, Suchow, or Su-chow.
  • During the Zhou Dynasty, a settlement known as Gusu after nearby Mount Gusu became the capital of the state of Wu. With this, it also came to be called Wu as well.
  • In 514 BC, King Helu of Wu established a new capital nearby at Helu City and grew it into the modern city.
  • During the Warring States period, Helu City continued to serve as the local seat of government. From the areas it administered, it became known as Wuxian (Wu County) and Wujun (Wu Commandery).
  • Under the Qin dynasty, it was known as Kuaiji after its greatly enlarged commandery, which was named for the reputed resting place of Yu the Great near modern Shaoxing in Zhejiang.
  • The name Suzhou was first officially used for the city in AD 589 during the Sui dynasty. The sū means a contraction of the old name, Gusu refers to the mint perilla (shiso). The zhou originally meant something like a province or county but often came to be used metonymously for the capital of such a region (e.g. Guangzhou, Hangzhou, etc.).
  • “Capital of Silk,” “Land of Abundance,” “Gusu city,” “Cradle of the Wu Culture,” and “World of Gardens,” “Oriental Venice” or “Venice of the East” are the nicknames of Suzhou.

HISTORY

  • Suzhou can be traced down to the late Shang Dynasty and was once the center of Wu culture.
  • Gou Wu and other Local tribes were documented as living in this area before it officially became a city.
  • The Suzhou that we know now was established between 770-476 BCE during a historical time of warfare.
  • Meanwhile, Suzhou was established, but the city wasn’t really on the radar in China until 1,000 years later.
  • It was the construction of the Grand Canal between 581-618 CE that put Suzhou on the map where millions of people were forced into labor and died from starvation while building it.
  • The city was at the center of an important trade route after building it.

HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL SITES

  • Suzhou is a city full of natural beauty and historical significance. Here are some of historical and cultural places you must visit: Pan Gate, Tiger Hill (Huqiu), Xuanmiao Guan, Huqiu Temple, Cold Mountain Temple (Hanshan Si), Yunyan Pagoda, Ruiguang Pagoda, Lingering Garden (Liu Yuan), Master of the Nets Garden (Wang Shi Yuan), Garden of Cultivation, The Retreat & Reflection Garden, Humble Administrator’s Garden (Zhuozheng Yuan), Gate of the Orient, Suzhou Museum: Contemporary museum built by architect I. M. Pei.
  • Suzhou was later positioned as a major player in China’s economy for commerce and industry.
  • Over the years, the city became more well-connected and started to see a small population of tourists.
  • Suzhou encountered a few attacks and invasions over the years.
  • However, it was eventually declared the capital.
  • Famous leaders assembled here which is how the famous gardens came to be. Even after many of these private gardens were established, Suzhou saw invasions that caused damage to many of them.
  • During 1950, these gardens were officially restored and made to be the highlight of a visit.

DEMOGRAPHICS

  • Predominantly, the population of Suzhou is Han Chinese. Putonghua is the official language for broadcasting, instructing, etc. Suzhounese is a local dialect used by many. On the other hand, these American and European expatriates was added by a large Korean community in Suzhou.
  • There were 15,000 estimated Koreans at the municipality in 2014. That year, 850 Korean companies operated in Suzhou, and the Koreans made up the largest number of students at the Suzhou Singapore International School.

CLIMATE

  • Suzhou is located in a subtropical monsoon climate zone, so the weather is mild and moist with four distinct seasons – Spring, Summer, Winter, and Autumn.

ECONOMY

  • Primarily, Suzhou’s economy is based on its large manufacturing sector—China’s second largest—including iron and steel, IT and electronic equipment, and textile products. The city’s service sector is notably well-developed, primarily owing to tourism.
  • Additionally, Suzhou is one of China’s foremost destinations for foreign investment, based on its relative proximity to Shanghai and comparatively low operating costs.
  • Included also in their income, the preferential tax policy for limited partnership venture capital enterprises in the Suzhou Industrial Park.

CULTURE

  • Suzhou has given birth to the Gusu culture. It is the birthplace and center of Wu culture in history, consequently, all areas from garden architectures, silk embroidery, and folk customs, to painting, calligraphy, seal cutting and poetry genres have been accumulated there from the Gusu culture.
  • All of these illustrious cultural achievements were the historical and typical contribution of the Wu culture – a special and remarkable contribution to Chinese culture.

QUOTES

  • “A very great and noble city… It has 1600 stone bridges under which a galley may pass.”—Marco Polo.
  • “Born in Suzhou, live in Hangzhou, eat in Guangzhou, and die in Liuzhou.”—Chinese saying.
  • “Paradise above, Suzhou and Hangzhou below.” by Chinese saying.

Suzhou Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Suzhou across 20 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Suzhou worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Suzhou or Soochow, which is a major city located in southeastern Jiangsu Province of East China, about 100 km (62 mi) northwest of Shanghai. It is a major economic center and focal point of trade and commerce, and the second largest city in the province, after its capital Nanjing.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Suzhou Facts
  • Front Page
  • Brief Four Facts
  • Name It
  • Suzhou Essay
  • Fill It In
  • Suzhou Collage
  • Jasmine
  • Suzhou Acrostic Poem
  • Seasons Of The World
  • Symbolic Suzhou

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Link will appear as Suzhou Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, November 25, 2019

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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