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Suzhou is located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province , bordering Shanghai on the east, Zhejiang Province on the south, the Taihu Lake in the west and the Yangtze River in the north. It covers an area of 8,488 square kilometers of which the city proper covers 1,650 square kilometers. Total population is 5.91 million, of which 2.17 million are in the city proper.
Suzhou is a well - known tourist and cultural city, as well as a coastal economic opening area, with 2500 years long history. In ancient times Suzhou gave birth to many remarkable politicians, philosophers, strategists, scientists and artists, represented by Sun Wu, Fan Zhongyan, Shen Kuo, Tang Ying, Gu Yanwu, Kuai Xiang. In modern times, prominent people from Suzhou emerge in large numbers in various fields. Suzhou's painting, calligraphy, seal cutting, opera, medicine and architecture all have different schools and achievements. Its traditional handicrafts such as embroidery and Taohuawu woodcut picture enjoy a high reputation at home and abroad.
Built in 514BC., the city still stands at its original location in the Spring and Autumn Period. Well preserved are its double chessboard layout of "water and land in parallel, canal and street in neighbor", its network of rivers and canals composing three vertical, three horizontal and one ring, and its unique landscape of "small bridge, flowing water, white wall, black tile, cultural relics and classic gardens". In today's Suzhou there are 487 cultural relics under municipal-and-upper level protection, of which 15 are under state-level protection and 101 are under provincial protection. Over 60 classical gardens are well preserved and 9 of them are listed in the Catalog of World Cultural Heritage, namely, Humble Administrator's Garden, Lingering Garden , Master-of-nets Garden, Mountain Villa of Embracing Beauty, Surging Wave Pavilion, Lion Grove Garden , Garden of Cultivation , Garden of Couple's Retreat, Garden of Retreat and Reflection. Other famous tourist attractions include Tiger Hill, Panmen Scenic Area, Shihu Lake , Lingyan Hill, Tianping Hill and Yushan Hill.
Situated at the temperate zone and with subtropical oceanic monsoon climate, Suzhou enjoys four distinct seasons, a mild temperature and abundant rainfall. The city spreads on a low terrain, with the plain covering 55% of the total area. With a network of rivers and canals as well as a fertile land, the city is rich in a variety of agricultural products. Major crops vary from rice to wheat, rape, cotton, mulberry, and fruit. Its specialties include Biluochun Tea, Dao Fish from Yangtze River , Silver Fish from Taihu Lake and Hairy Crabs from Yangchenhu Lake . As a well-known " Land of Fish and Rice" as well as a "Silk Capital", Suzhou enjoys a fame of " Paradise on Earth".
In 1998 Suzhou was awarded "Excellent Tourist City of China ".
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