Name	Suzhou
Official name	苏州市
Native name	苏州
Settlement type	Prefecture-level city
Motto
Map caption	Location in Jiangsu
Dot x	|dot_y
Pushpin map	China
Pushpin label position
Pushpin map caption	Location in China
Pushpin mapsize	275
Coordinates display	inline,title
Coordinates region	CN
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	People's Republic of China
Subdivision type1	Province
Subdivision name1	Jiangsu
Subdivision type2	County-level divisions
Subdivision name2	11
Subdivision name4
Government type	Prefecture-level city
Leader title	CPC Suzhou Secretary
Leader name	Jiang Hongkun (蒋宏坤)
Leader title1	Mayor
Leader name1	Yan Li (阎立)
Established title	Established
Established date	514 BC
Established title2
Established title3
Established date3
Unit pref
Area footnotes
Area total km2	8488.42
Area land km2
Area urban km2	1649.72
Area blank1 sq mi
Population as of	2010(CENSUS)
Population total	10465994
Population density km2	auto
Population urban	4074000
Population density urban km2	auto
Population density blank1 sq mi
Timezone	Beijing Time
Utc offset	+8
Elevation footnotes
Elevation ft
Postal code type	Postal code
Postal code	215000
Area code	512
Blank name	GDP
Blank info	2009
Blank1 name	- Total
Blank1 info	CNY 774.020 billion (USD 113.39 billion)
Blank2 name	- Per capita
Blank2 info	CNY 117,200 (USD 17,169)
Blank3 name	- Growth
Blank3 info	11.0%
Blank4 name	City flower
Blank4 info	Osmanthus
Blank5 name	City tree
Blank5 info	camphor laurel
Blank6 name	Regional dialect
Blank6 info	Wu: Suzhou hua (苏州话)
Blank7 name	License plate prefix
Blank7 info	苏E
Website	http://www.suzhou.gov.cn/
Footnotes	}}

Suzhou (; Suzhou dialect: ), previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part of the Yangtze River Delta region. Administratively, Suzhou is a prefecture-level city with an urban population of over 4 million expanding to over 10 million in the administrative area.

Originally built in 514 BCE, Suzhou has over 2,500 years of rich history, and relics of the past are abundant to this day. The city's canals, stone bridges, pagodas, and meticulously designed gardens have contributed to its status as one of the top tourist attractions in China. Since the Song Dynasty (960-1279), it has also been an important centre for China's silk industry.

In 1981, Suzhou was listed by the State Council, the PRC government, as one of four cities (the other three being Beijing, Hangzhou and Guilin) where ''the protection of historical and cultural heritage as well as natural scenery should ideally be treated with utmost care''. The classical gardens in Suzhou were added to the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1997 and 2000. Suzhou is often dubbed the "Venice of the East" or "Venice of China".

History

Suzhou, the cradle of Wu culture, is one of the oldest towns in the Yangtze Basin. 2500 years ago in the late Zhou Dynasty, local tribes who named themselves ''Gou Wu'' (勾吳) lived in the area which would become the modern city of Suzhou. These tribes formed villages on the edges of hills above the wetlands around Lake Tai, their territorial range was centered on Wuxi.

In 514 BC, during the Spring and Autumn Period, King Helu (闔閭/阖闾) of Wu established "Great City of Helu", the ancient name for Suzhou, as his capital. In 496 BC, Helu was buried in Huqiu (Tiger Hill 虎丘).

In 473 BC Wu was defeated by Yue, a kingdom to the east which was soon annexed by the Chu in 306 BC. The golden era of Suzhou ended with this conquest. Remnants of this culture include remainders of a 2,500 year old city wall and the gate through it at Pan Gate.

By the time of the Qin Dynasty, the city was known as Wu County. Xiang Yu (项羽) staged his historical uprising here in 209 BC, which contributed to the overthrow of Qin.

During the Sui Dynasty - in 589 AD - the city was renamed Suzhou.

When the Grand Canal was completed, Suzhou found itself strategically located on a major trade route. In the course of the history of China, it has been a metropolis of industry and commerce on the south-eastern coast of China.

During the Tang Dynasty (825 AD), the great poet Bai Juyi (白居易) constructed the Shantang Canal (called "Shantang Street" or 山塘街) to connect the city with Huqiu for tourists. In 1035 AD, the temple of Confucius was founded by famed poet and writer Fan Zhongyan (范仲淹). It became the venue for imperial civil examinations.

In February 1130, the advancing Jin army from the north ransacked and massacred the city. This was followed by the Mongol invasion (1275).

In 1356, Suzhou became the capital of Zhang Shicheng, one of the leaders of the Red Turban Rebellion against the Yuan Dynasty and the self-proclaimed King of Wu. In 1367 Zhang's main rival, Nanjing-based Zhu Yuanzhang took the city after a 10-month siege. Zhu - who was soon to proclaim himself as the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty - demolished the royal city (in the centre of Suzhou's walled city), and imposed crushing taxes on the city's and prefecture's powerful families.

Despite the heavy taxation and the resettlement of some of Suzhou's prominent citizens' to the area of Hongwu's capital, Nanjing, Suzhou soon was prosperous again. When in 1488 the shipwrecked Korean official Choe Bu had a chance to see much of Eastern China - from Zhejiang to Liaoning - on his way home, he described Suzhou in his travel report as exceeding every other city in China he had seen. Many of the famous private gardens were constructed by the gentry of the Ming and Qing dynasties. However, the city was to see another disaster in 1860 when Taiping soldiers advanced on and captured the city. In November 1863 the Ever Victorious Army of Charles Gordon recaptured the city from the Taiping forces.

The next crisis that met the city was the Japanese invasion in 1937. Many gardens were devastated by the end of the war. In the early 1950s, restoration was done on gardens such as Zhuo-Zheng Yuan (Humble Administrator's Garden) and Liu Yuan (Lingering Garden) to bring them back to life.

Administrative divisions

The urban core of Suzhou is informally called ''Old Town Suzhou''. It is divided among Pingjiang District, Canglang District, and Jinchang District. Suzhou Industrial Park is on the west of the old town, and Suzhou High & New Technology Development Zone is on the east. In 2000, the original Wu County was divided into two districts including Xiangcheng and Wuzhong. They now form the northern and southern parts of the city of Suzhou.

Suzhou is one of the most prosperous cities in China. Its development has a direct correlation with the growth of its satellite cities, including Kunshan, Taicang, Changshu, Wujiang and Zhangjiagang, which together with the city of Suzhou form the Suzhou prefecture. The Suzhou prefecture is home to many high-tech enterprises.

Suzhou has jurisdiction over (at county level):

Districts:

* Canglang District (沧浪)

* Jinchang District (金阊)

* Pingjiang District (平江)

* Suzhou Industrial Park (工业园区)

* Suzhou High & New Technology Development Zone (高新区)

* Xiangcheng District (相城)

* Wuzhong District (吴中)

County-level cities:

* Changshu (常熟)

* Taicang (太仓)

* Kunshan (昆山)

* Wujiang (吴江)

* Zhangjiagang (张家港)

Districts!!Area(KM²) !! Population
Canglang	25	394 958
Jinchang	37
Pingjiang	22
Suzhou Industrial Park	288
Suzhou New District	258
Xiangcheng District	416
Wuzhong District	672

County-level city!! Area(KM²)!! Population
Changshu	1263	1510103
Taicang	649
Kunshan	928
Wujiang	1192
Zhangjiagang	813

Geography

Suzhou is located on the Taihu Lake Plain, about to the west of Shanghai, and more than double that east of Nanjing.

Climate

Suzhou has a four-season, monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate with hot, humid summers, and cool, cloudy, damp winters with occasional snowfall. Northwesterly winds blowing from Siberia during winter can cause temperatures to fall below freezing at night, while southerly or southwesterly winds during the summer can push temperatures above .

Landmarks

Gardens

Suzhou is famous for its classical gardens. Zhuozheng Yuan (Humble Administrator's Garden; Chinese: 拙政园) and Liuyuan (Lingering Garden; Chinese: 留园) are among the four most famous classical gardens in China. Canglang Pavilion (Great Wave Pavilion; Chinese: 沧浪亭), Shizi Lin (Lion Grove Garden; Chinese: 狮子林), Zhuozheng Yuan and Liuyuan, respectively representing the garden building style of the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasty, are called the four most famous gardens in Suzhou.

Zhuozheng Yuan, Liu Yuan, Wangshi Yuan (Master of the Nets Garden; Chinese: 网师园) and Huanxiu Mountain Villa(The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty; Chinese: 环秀山庄) were added to the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1997. Shizi Lin, Canglang Pavilion, Ou Yuan (Couple's Retreat Garden; Chinese: 藕园), Yi Pu (Garden of Cultivation; Chinese: 艺圃) and Tuisi Yuan (The Retreat & Reflection Garden; Chinese: 退思园) were added to the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2000.

Tiger Hill (Chinese: 虎丘) is a popular tourist destination and is known for its natural beauty as well as historical sites. The hill is so named because it is said to look like a crouching tiger. Another legend states that a white tiger appeared on the hill to guard it following the burial of King Helü. The hill has been a tourist destination for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, as is evident from the poetry and calligraphy carved into rocks on the hill. A famous Song Dynasty poet, Su Shi said, "It is a lifelong pity if having visited Suzhou you did not visit Tiger Hill."

Temples

Hanshan Temple (Cold Mountain Temple; Chinese: 寒山寺) is a Buddhist temple and monastery in Suzhou. It is located near Fengqiao (Maple Bridge; Chinese: 枫桥), about 5 kilometres west of the old city of Suzhou. The Hanshan Temple is famed in East Asia because of the well-known poem "A Night Mooring near Maple Bridge" (夜泊枫桥) written by Zhang Ji (张继), a poet of the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Xiyuan Temple (Monastery Garden; Chinese: 西园寺), built in the Yuan Dynasty, is the largest Buddhist temple in Suzhou. It consists of two major parts - the Temple of Jiezhuanglu and the West Garden. It is located close to the Lingering Garden, which was originally called the East Garden.

Xuanmiao Temple (Chinese: 玄妙观) (originally built in 276) is a prominent Taoist temple with a long history, located at the center of old Suzhou City. The street along east-west direction in front of the temple is called Guanqian Street (观前街), a famed business pedestrian street in Suzhou.

Ancient water towns

Among the six most famous Chinese water towns, three are located in the Suzhou region, including Zhouzhuang (周庄), Tongli (同里) and Luzhi (甪直). Other well-known water towns in Suzhou include Mudu (木渎), Jinxi (锦溪), Guangfu (光福), Zhenze (震泽), Qiandeng (千灯), and Shaxi (沙溪).

Zhouzhuang is one of the most famous water towns in China. Zhouzhuang is located in Kunshan, 30 kilometers (18 miles) to the southeast of Suzhou City. Occupying an area of just over half a square kilometer (124 acres), over 60 percent of Zhouzhuang's buildings were built during the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) Dynasties. The village is known for its ancient traditions and customs, preserved buildings, ancient bridges, and picturesque location.

Tongli is located in Wujiang, 18 kilometers (11 miles) from Suzhou City. It has a history of more than 1,000 years. Tongli is crisscrossed with canals, and dotted with traditional Chinese gardens. The Retreat & Reflection Garden is located in Tongli.

Luzhi is about 25 kilometers east of Suzhou. It has a history of more than 1400 years. Covering just one square kilometer, it has been awarded the great name of 'the first water town in China'.

Within the city of Suzhou, there are also areas featuring water town scenery. Both eight hundred-year-old Pingjiang Road (平江路) and twelve hundred-year-old Shantang Road (山塘街) made it to the list of China's "famous history and culture streets", and both feature elegant bridges, flowing waters and unique architecture.

Others

Suzhou Taihu National Tourism and Vacation Zone (苏州太湖国家旅游度假区) is located in the western part of Suzhou, 15 km from downtown. Lake Tai has historically been considered a place of great natural beauty.

Pan Gate (Chinese: 盘门) is located on the south-west corner of the Main Canal or encircling canal of Suzhou. Originally built during the Warring States Period in the state of Wu, historians estimate it to be around 2,500 years old. It is now part of the Pan Gate Scenic Area. It is known for the "three landmarks of Pan Gate". They are the Ruiguang Pagoda(Chinese: 瑞光塔), the earliest pagoda in Suzhou built in 247 BC, the Wu Gate Bridge, the entrance to the gate at that time over the water passage and the highest bridge in Suzhou at the time, and Pan Gate. The Ruigang Pagoda is constructed of brick with wooden platforms and has simple Buddhist carvings at its base.[1]

Baodai Bridge(Precious Belt Bridge; Chinese: 宝带桥) stretches across the Daitai Lake in the suburbs of Suzhou.The bridge was first built in 806 A.D. in the Tang Dynasty and has 53 arches with a total length of 317 meters. The bridge was included on the list of national monuments (resolution 5-285) in 2001.

Yunyan Pagoda (Chinese: 虎丘塔或者云岩寺塔) (built in 961) is a Chinese pagoda built on Tiger Hill in Suzhou. It has several other names, including the 'Leaning Tower of China' (as referred to by historian O.G. Ingles) and the Yunyan Temple Tower. The tower rises to a height of 47 m (154 ft). It is a seven-story octagonal building built with blue bricks. In more than a thousand years the tower has gradually slanted due to forces of nature. Now the top and bottom of the tower vary by 2.32 meters. The entire structure weighs some , supported by internal brick columns. However, the tower leans roughly 3 degrees due to the cracking of two supporting columns.

Beisi Pagoda(Chinese: 北寺塔) or North Temple Pagoda is a Chinese pagoda located at Bao'en Temple in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. It rises nine stories in a total height of 76 m (243 ft). It is the tallest Chinese pagoda south of the Yangtze river.

Guanqian Pedestrianized Shopping Street (观前街) Guanqian Street is named after the Mysterious Taoist Temple（玄妙观）.With a history of more than 150 years,it is well-known for many one-century characteristic shops such as Daoxaingcun Confectionery Shop,Qiantaixiang Silk Shop,Huangtianyuan Round Dumpling Shop. Its catering street,which is located between Taijian Lane and Bifeng Lane,is well-known for Suzhou-style Dishes.And the Mysterious Taoist Temple,one of National Key Preservation Units, attracts tens of thousands of vistors both home and abroad with its profound Taoism culture. After one-century ups and downs, Guanqian commercial center nowadays has been completely renewed by the lead of CPC Suzhou Municipal Committee and Municipal Government with huge capital.The reconstructed Guanqian Street has been becoming a commercial,cultural, religionary and travel center with rich local color,sound traffic network,perfect infrastructure,rational overall commercial arrangement and excellent investment environment. Guanqian Street is warmly welcoming domestic and oversea visitors with totally-new image.

Suzhou Museum the newly built museum by I. M. Pei

Suzhou Silk Museum

Suzhou Museum of Opera and Theatre

Industry

Suzhou Industry Park

The Suzhou Industry Park (SIP) is the largest cooperation project between China and Singapore Government. It is located beside the beautiful Jinji Lake, which lies to the east of Suzhou Old city. On 26 February 1994, Vice Premier Li Lanqing and Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew represented China and Singapore respectively in signing the Agreement to jointly develop Suzhou Industrial Park. The project officially commenced on 12 May in the same year. SIP has a total jurisdiction area of 288 km², of which, the China-Singapore cooperation area covers 80 km² with a planned residential population of 1.2 million.

Suzhou Industrial Park Export Processing Zone

The Suzhou Industrial Park Export Processing Zone was approved to be established by the government in April 2000, with a planning area of 2.9 km². It is located in Suzhou Industrial Park set up by China and Singapore. Inside the Export Processing Zone, all the infrastructures are of high-standard. With the information platform and electronic methods, all the customs declaration and other procedures can be handled on line. Investors can enjoy many preferential policies.

Suzhou Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone

The Suzhou Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone was established in 1990. In Nov. 1992, the zone was approved to be the national-level hi-tech industrial zone. By the end of 2007, foreign-invested companies had a total registered capital worth of USD 13 billion, of which USD 6.8 billion was paid in. SND hosts now more than 1,500 foreign companies. Some 40 Fortune 500 companies set up 67 projects in the district.

Suzhou is the second largest industrial city (next to Shanghai) in China and also the second largest city among the cities in Yangtze Delta.

Transportation

Railway

Suzhou is conveniently located on the Jinghu Railway linking Shanghai and Nanjing, the provincial capital, and to each there is hourly railway service. Suzhou Railway Station is among the busiest passenger stations in China, having 139 trains stopping daily. The station is currently being renovated and expanded to serve the needs of the future. It will possibly have a design similar to the Shanghai South Railway Station and Beijing South Railway Station. D-series trains take about 45 minutes to Shanghai and 1-1/2 hour to Nanjing. A new G-series high speed train is in operation since July 2010, and it only takes about 25 minutes for the top speed train among all the G-series to travel to Shanghai Hongqiao station. However, the price of the G-series ticket is twice than that of the D-series. The price of the G-series second class is about 40RMB ($6 US).

Expressway and highway

The Jiangsu-Shanghai Expressway connects Suzhou with Shanghai, alternatively, there is also the Yangtze Riverine Expressway and the Suzhou-Jiaxing-Hangzhou Expressway. In 2005, the new Suzhou Outer Ring was completed, linking the peripheral county-level cities of Taicang, Kunshan, and Changshu. China National Highway 312 also passes through Suzhou.

Air Transport

Although Wuxi Shuofang Airport and Guangfu United Airlines Airport serve as two municipal airports, and the State Council approved of the construction of an airport exclusively serving Suzhou in 2003, air transportation from Suzhou continues to be conducted primarily at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and Shanghai Pudong International Airport in Shanghai.

Water Transport

By water, Suzhou is connected with Zhangjiagang, Luzhi, Liujia, Changshou and Shimonoseki, Japan.

There are also some small rivers in the city serving as touristing lines.

Metro

The Suzhou Metro is currently being constructed, it consist of two independent lines, one running East<->West and one running North<->South serving Suzhou Industrial Park and Wuzhong Dirstrict. Two lines are scheduled to open in 2011.

Culture

opera: Kunqu originates in the Suzhou region, as does the much later Suzhou Opera. Ballad-singing, or Suzhou pingtan, is a local form of storytelling that mixes singing (accompanied by the pipa and sanxian) with portions in spoken dialect.

Silk

Handicrafts: Suzhou embroidery, fans, Chinese musical instruments, scroll mounting, lanterns, mahogany furniture, jade carving, silk tapestry, traditional painting pigments of Jiangenxutang Studio, the New Year's wood-block prints of Taohuawu Studio.

Paintings

Calligraphy|Calligraphic art]]

Cuisine: Yangcheng Lake large crab

Suzhou Silk Hand Embroidery Art

Suzhou is the original place of "Jasmine", a song sung by Chinese singers or actresses thousands of times on the occasions of almost every important meetings or celebrations. Jasmine is also the symbol of Suzhou as well as Tai Hu Lake.

Suzhou Gardens: Gardens in Suzhou have an ancient history. The first garden in Suzhou belonged to the emperor of Wu State in Spring and Autumn Period (BC 600). More than 200 gardens existed in Suzhou between 16th century and 18th century. Gardens in Suzhou were built according to the style of Chinese Paintings. Every view in a garden can be seen as a piece of Chinese Painting and the whole garden is a huge piece of Chinese Paintings. At present, the Humble Administrator's Garden, built in 16th, is the largest private garden in Suzhou. It belonged to by Wang Xianchen, an imperial censor.

Suzhou embroidery together with embroidery of Hunan, Sichuan and Guangdong are called as the "Four Famous Embroideries". Suzhou tapestry method is done in fine silks and gold thread. Other art forms found in this area are sculpture, Song brocade, jade and rosewood carving.

The Suzhou Museum has a rich collection of relics from many eras. The collection includes revolutionary records, stele carving, folk customs, drama and verse, Suzhou embroidery, silk cloth, gardens, coins and Buddhist artifacts.

Notable people

;Politicians:

Fan Zhongyan (范仲淹)

Yen Chia-kan 嚴家淦(1905－1993), Former President, Republic of China

Qian Dajun 钱大钧 General

Jin Renqing (金人庆) Minister of Finance

Yuan Weimin (袁伟民) Chinese sports administrator

;Poets and Writers:

Bai Juyi (白居易) (772–846) was a Chinese poet of the Tang dynasty. His poems mostly concern his responsibilities as governor of several small provinces. He is also renowned in Japan (where his name is read Hakkyo'i, はっきょい).

Fan Chengda (范成大) (1126-1193 AD)

Ye Shengtao (叶圣陶) (1894 — 1988) Writer, educator and publisher

Yu Pingbo (俞平伯) (1900–1990) Writer, historian and critic

Gu Jiegang (顾颉刚) (1893–1980) Historian

Su Tong (苏童) (1963 -) Writer

;Playwrights:

Feng Menglong (冯梦龙) (1574-1645 AD)

;Artists:

Shen Zhou (沈周) Painter

Tang Yin (唐寅) Painter

Wen Zhengming (文徵明) Painter

Wen Zhenheng (文震亨) (1585-1645 AD) Painter

Kuai Xiang (蒯祥) (1397-1481 AD) Architect and Engineer who is the designer of the Forbidden City.

I. M. Pei (贝聿铭) (1917- ) Architect

;Scientists & Engineers:

Tsung-Dao Lee (李政道) Physicist

Chien-Shiung Wu (吳健雄) Physicist

Zhang Guangdou (张光斗) Expert on Water Conservancy and Hydroelectric Engineering

Wang Ganchang (王淦昌) Physicist

M. T. Cheng (程民德) Mathematician

An Wang (王安) Computer Engineer and Inventor

Yang Jiachi (杨嘉墀) Space Automatic Control Scientist

Cheng Kaijia (程开甲) Physicist

Feng Duan (冯端) Physicist

Pan Chengdong (潘承洞) Mathematician

Thomas Dao (1921–2009), physician who developed breast cancer treatment alternatives.

Fei Xiaotong (费孝通) Social Scientist

Huston Smith Religious studies scholar

;Philosophers:

Gu Yanwu (顾炎武)

Zhang Taiyan (章太炎)

;Entertainment:

Fei Mu (费穆) Movie director

Wu Yonggang (吴永刚) Movie director

Josephine Siao (萧芳芳) Actress

Xia Meng (夏梦) Actress

Carina Lau (刘嘉玲) actress

Li Shaohong (李少红) Movie director

;Others:

Sun Tzu (孙武) Military General who wrote the ''Art of War''

Lin Zhao (林昭) Dissident

Quotes

:''"A very great and noble city... It has 1600 stone bridges under which a galley may pass."'' - Marco Polo

:''"Capital of Silk"'', ''"Land of Abundance"'', ''"Gusu city"'' (姑苏), ''"Cradle of the Wu Culture"'', and ''"World of Gardens"'', ''"Oriental Venice or Venice of the East"''- nicknames of Suzhou

:上 有 天 堂 下 有 蘇 杭 ''"Heaven above, Suzhou and Hangzhou below."'' - Chinese saying

:生在苏州，住在杭州，吃在广州，死在柳州。 ''"Born in Suzhou, live in Hangzhou, eat in Guangzhou, and die in Liuzhou."'' - Chinese saying.

:美 不 美 太 湖 水 親 不 親 故 郷 人 ''"Beautiful or not beautiful, nothing is more beautiful than the waters of Taihu (Lake Tai). Related or not related, we are all the people of the same village."'' - Chinese saying

:"The double-chessboard layout of Suzhou, with 'the streets and rivers go side by side while the water and land routes run in parallel', are preserved basically intact. Strolling the streets, you can feel the unique lingering charm of this landscape left by its long history".

Education

High Schools

Suzhou High School

Suzhou No.10 High School

Suzhou No.1 High School

Public institutions having full-time Bachelor's degree programs include:

Soochow University (苏州大学)

University of Science and Technology of Suzhou (苏州科技学院)

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (西安交通利物浦大学)

Postgraduate Institution

Suzhou Graduate Town (National University of Singapore and Fudan Joint Graduate School, Nanjing University Graduate School, etc.)

Private Schools

EtonHouse International School-Suzhou

Dulwich College Suzhou

Suzhou Singapore International School

Skema Business School : Chinese campus of the French business school (MSc Doing business in Asia...)

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Due to the historical influence and contemporary position of Suzhou as not only an industrial but cultural hub, Suzhou (including 7 districts and 5 county-level cities under Suzhou's jurisdiction) has more than 50 sister cities, twin towns and provinces. This is a position that is unprecedented by any other Chinese city including Beijing and Shanghai which have 46 and 35 respectively. : Venice, Italy : Victoria, British Columbia, Canada : Ikeda, Osaka, Japan : Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan : Portland, Oregon, United States : Tulcea County, Romania : Jeonju, South Korea : Kameoka, Kyoto, Japan : Riga, Latvia : Ismaïlia, Egypt : Grenoble, France : Nijmegen, Netherlands : Esbjerg, Denmark : Konstanz, Germany : Taupo, New Zealand : Nabari, Mie, Japan : Porto Alegre, Brazil : Jacksonville, Florida, United States : Riihimäki, Finland : Taebaek, South Korea : Nowy Sącz, Poland : Kiev, Ukraine : Zaporizhia, Ukraine : Logan, Queensland, Australia : Antananarivo, Madagascar : Santiago del Estero Province, Argentina : Viña del Mar, Chile : Yeongju, South Korea : Daisen, Tottori, Japan : Riesa, Germany : Rotorua, New Zealand : Santa Luċija, Malta : Hirokawa, Fukuoka, Japan : Portland, Victoria, Australia : Eiheiji, Fukui, Japan : Marugame, Kagawa, Japan : Ayabe, Kyoto, Japan : Sendai, Kagoshima, Japan : Townsville, Queensland, Australia : Whittier, California, United States : Brest, France : South El Monte, California, United States : Grootfontein, Namibia : Tahara, Aichi, Japan : Tottori, Tottori, Japan : Rosolina Italy : Uchinada, Ishikawa, Japan : Bourgoin-Jallieu, France : Chiba, Chiba, Japan : Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, South Korea : Nago, Okinawa, Japan : León, Guanajuato, Mexico

References

Economic profile for Suzhou at HKTDC

External links

Official site of Suzhou City

Official travel and tourism website of Suzhou

Suzhou city guide with open directory (Jiangsu Network)

Suzhou Industrial Park

European Industrial Park

Interactive panorama of Suzhou by Melkan Bassil

Suzhou City Guide Suzhou in context

Category:Cities in Jiangsu Category:World Heritage Sites in China * Category:Yangtze River Delta Category:Alliance for Healthy Cities

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Oliver Shanti (Born Ulrich Schulz 16 November 1948 in Hamburg), later known as Oliver Serano-Alve, is a New Age musician. Founder of the band ''Inkarnation'' which was originally based on meditative music, and later transformed into "Oliver Shanti & Friends". Because of Oliver's unavailability, the rest of the group is continuing with multi-instrumentalist Margot Reisinger (formerly known as Margot Vogl and Margot Shanti), a member of the original staff, as "Existence".

Allegations of child sexual abuse

In 2002, a warrant for his arrest was issued in Germany, with a €3000 reward offered, on suspicion of his having committed child sexual abuse. Shanti went missing at that time, and was reported to be living secretly in Germany or its adjacent countries. He was arrested in Lisbon, Portugal, on 29 June 2008, and charged with 314 cases of child abuse on 20 April 2009. After having attempted suicide during his pre-trial custody, "Oliver Shanti" was sentenced to six years and 10 months in prison on Friday, December 4, 2009 - after a Munich court convicted him of 76 counts of child sexual abuse.

Discography

Main:

1987 - ''Licht-Prakash-Light'' (as ''Inkarnation'')

1987 - ''Frieden-Shanti-Peace'' (as ''Inkarnation'')

1987 - ''Listening to the Heart''

1988 - ''Rainbow Way''

1988 - ''Vila Nova Mellow Days'' (as ''Oliver Serano-Alve'')

1989 - ''Walking on the Sun''

1990 - ''Minho Valley Fantasies'' (as ''Oliver Serano-Alve'')

1992 - ''Vida Para Vida'' (as ''Oliver Serano-Alve'')

1993 - ''Tai Chi''

1995 - ''Well Balanced''

1996 - ''Tai Chi Too''

1997 - ''Circles of Life: The Best of Oliver Shanti'' (compilation album including 3 new tracks)

1998 - ''Seven Times Seven''

2000 - ''Medicine Power''

2002 - ''Alhambra''

2006 - ''Man Heaven Earth'' (compilation album featuring 2 tracks by "Existence" and Dahmani)

Projects:

1996 - ''Buddha and Bonsai Vol. 1''

1997 - ''Shaman''

1997 - ''Buddha and Bonsai Vol. 2''

2000 - ''Buddha and Bonsai Vol. 3''

2000 - ''Shaman 2''

2002 - ''Buddha and Bonsai Vol. 4''

2005 - ''Buddha and Bonsai Vol. 5: The Power of Silence''

Thematical compilations:

''Indiens: Sacred Spirits''

''Shaman: Red Indian Chill''

before 1997 - ''Meditative Music of Budo-Gala: The Magic of Martial Arts''

1997 - ''Spirit of Budo: The Power of Balance''

1997 - ''10 Years of Sattva Music''

1999 - ''Tibetiya'' (including 3 new tracks by Oliver Shanti)

2001 - ''15 Years of Sattva Music''

2001 - ''Reiki: Brightness Healing''

Other:

2008 single - Oliver Shanti feat. N.i.M.i - ''Roo Be Asemoon'' (Olugu Zamba Remix)

2010 single - Oliver Shanti feat. DJ Sunf - ''The Tree'' (rmx)

References

Category:German musicians Category:New Age musicians Category:Living people Category:1948 births

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