70-484: Egaku or Hui'E was a well-connected 9th century Japanese scholar-monk who made frequent trips to Tang China for pilgrimage and bringing back Buddhist teachings to Japan. Egaku had a huge impact on the religious and cultural history of China and Japan. In Japan, he is famous for bringing the first Rinzai Zen monk Gikū and the works of the Chinese poet Bai Juyi to Japan. In China, he is renowned for his role in establishing
140-684: A local dialect known as Suzhounese , a member of the Wu language family . In addition to American and European expatriates, there is a large Korean community in Suzhou. The Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK) estimated that there were 15,000 Koreans in 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 . Suzhou's economy
210-496: A 1,000-bed hospital for adult and pediatric patients. Once the hospital is unveiled, Washington University doctors in St. Louis will be able to provide long-distance health-care services to patients in China through a telemedicine program. The population of Suzhou is predominantly Han Chinese . The official language of broadcast, instruction, etc. is Mandarin Chinese , although many speak
280-511: A Zen monk back to Japan to propagate Zen Buddhism in Japan. In 841 CE, Egaku went on his first trip to Tang China. He went on a pilgrimage to Mount Wutai. Later he traveled to Hangzhou's Lingchi Monastery to meet Yanguan Qi'an. Egaku conveys Tachibana Kachiko's wishes to invite Yanguan Qi'an back to Japan to propagate Zen Buddhism. However, Yanguan Qi'an instead suggested Gikū as a replacement. On this trip, Egaku also took vows of providing support for
350-611: A circuit of about 10 miles (16 km) with four large suburbs lying outside. The Japanese invaded in 1937, and many gardens were again devastated by the end of the war. In the early 1950s, restoration was done on the Humble Administrator's Garden and the Lingering Garden . The Classical Gardens of Suzhou were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, for their metaphysical importance of natural beauty in Chinese culture. The urban core of Suzhou, Gusu District ,
420-472: A decrease of 2.9%. Grain supply was effectively guaranteed through the vigorous construction of commodity grain production bases, wholesale grain markets and reserve systems. Traditional handicrafts Suzhou has a long history of reeling silkworms and has always been an important base for silk production in China. Since the Song and Yuan dynasties, Suzhou has been one of the centres of silk weaving and dyeing in
490-483: A developed pilgrimage site in Putuoshan , one of the four major Buddhist pilgrimage sites in China. Unlike his monastic contemporaries Saichō , Kūkai and Ennin , Egaku did not leave any travel diaries. The information known about him came from numerous Chinese and Japanese sources, and therefore, there are still many unclear points about him, such as the dates and specific location of his birth and death. However, he
560-705: A stone dharani pillar decorated with three entwining dragons and engraved with the text of the Uṣṇīṣa Vijaya Dhāraṇī Sūtra in Kyoto's Anshō-ji Temple in 1953. Egaku brought this column back to Japan either in 841 or 842 CE. One can see the column on display at the Kyoto National Museum . In the acclaimed 2013 movie Avalokitesvara , a loose adaptation of the Putuoshan genesis story, Nagaizumi Hideo starred as Egaku. Gik%C5%AB Gikū or Yikong
630-411: A trip to a temple located in the central peak of Mount Wutai. Egaku wished to take this statue back to Japan and asked for the monks’ permission. The monks acquiesced to his request. He brought the statue to Ningbo 's Kaiyuan Monastery on a palanquin, located the merchant Zhang Youxing's ship, and prepared to leave for Japan. However, the statue became extremely heavy, and he was unable to bring it onto
700-484: A white tiger appeared on the hill to guard it following the burial 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. The Song dynasty poet, Su Shi said, "It is a lifelong pity if having visited Suzhou you did not visit Tiger Hill." Yunyan Pagoda (or Huqiu Tower), built in 961, is a Chinese pagoda built on Tiger Hill in Suzhou. It has several other names, including
770-503: Is a preferential tax policy for limited partnership venture capital enterprises in the Suzhou Industrial Park. Suzhou is a highly developed economic region in China and is the economic centre, industrial, commercial and logistical hub city of Jiangsu province, as well as an important financial, cultural, artistic, educational and transportation centre. Agriculture In 2013, total grain production reached 1,311,200 tonnes,
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#1732858355354840-472: Is also a popular residential district for many foreigners who work and live in Suzhou, as well as 'new Suzhou' residents who migrate to the area in search of work opportunities. 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 km (1.1 sq mi). It is in Suzhou Industrial Park set up by China and Singapore. Inside
910-401: Is also one of China's foremost destinations for foreign investment, based on its relative proximity to Shanghai and comparatively low operating costs. The municipal government has enacted various measures to encourage FDI in a number of manufacturing (e.g. pharmaceutical, electronic goods, automobile) and service (e.g. banking, logistics, research services) sectors. Included among these measures
980-415: Is based primarily on its large manufacturing sector—China's first largest(from 2020)—including iron and steel, IT and electronic equipment, and textile products. The city's service sector is notably well-developed, primarily owing to tourism, which brought in a total of RMB 152 billion of revenue in 2013. Suzhou's overall GDP exceeded RMB 1.3 trillion in 2013 (up 9.6 percent from the year previous). The city
1050-410: Is informally called the "Old Town." Suzhou Industrial Park is to the east of the old town, and Suzhou High & New Technology Development Zone is to the west. In 2000, the original Wu County was divided into two districts, Xiangcheng and Wuzhong . They now form the northern and southern parts of the city of Suzhou. In 2012, the original Wujiang City became Wujiang District of Suzhou City. Suzhou
1120-533: 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 , and Zhangjiagang , which together with the city of Suzhou form the Suzhou prefecture. The Suzhou prefecture is home to many high-tech enterprises. Suzhou is on the Lake Tai Plain south of the Yangtze River , about 100 km (60 mi) to
1190-567: Is that it was one of the few contemporaneous records describing Egaku's recruitment of Gikū as the first Zen monk to Japan. It was one of the sources used by Kokan Shiren to write the Egaku article found in Japan's earliest Buddhist history, the Genkō Shakusho . In 863 Egaku went again on a pilgrimage to Mount Wutai. This time, he saw a wooden statue of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva with an elegant and refined appearance and an ever-joyful face while on
1260-703: 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. Suzhou, the cradle of Wu culture , is one of the oldest towns in the Yangtze Basin. By the Spring and Autumn period of the Zhou, local Baiyue tribes named the Gou Wu are recorded living in the area which would become
1330-644: The Genkō Shakusho . Suzhou Suzhou is a major prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu province, China . As part of the Yangtze Delta megalopolis , it is a major economic center and focal point of trade and commerce. Founded in 514 BC, Suzhou rapidly grew in size by the Eastern Han dynasty , mostly due to emigration from northern China . From the 10th century onwards, it has been an important economic, cultural, and commercial center, as well as
1400-489: The Suzhou Confucian Temple was founded by famed poet and writer Fan Zhongyan . It became a venue for the imperial civil examinations and then developed into the modern Suzhou High School in the 1910s. After February 1130, riots and unrest disrupted Suzhou. In 1356, Suzhou became the capital of Zhang Shicheng , King of Wu . In 1367, Zhang's rival Zhu Yuanzhang took the city after a 10-month siege. Zhu – who
1470-585: The Suzhou Museum (designed by I. M. Pei ), Suzhou Silk Museum , and the China Kunqu Museum . As a result of its recent rapid population increase, healthcare demand in Suzhou is increasing rapidly. In July 2019, Washington University School of Medicine announced a collaboration with Huici Health Management Co., and the Xiangcheng District , to open the new Huici Medical Center, which will include
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#17328583553541540-453: The Suzhou railway station , connecting it with Shanghai , opened on 16 July 1906. Just prior to World War I , there were 7000 silk looms in operation, as well as a cotton mill and a large trade in rice. As late as the early 20th century, much of the city consisted of islands connected by rivers, creeks, and canals to the surrounding countryside. Prior to their demolition, the city walls ran in
1610-476: The Tang dynasty and has 53 arches with a length of 317 meters. It was made out of stone from Jinshan Mountain and is the longest standing bridge of its kind in China. The bridge was included on the list of national monuments (resolution 5–285) in 2001. Tiger Hill is known for its natural environment and historical sites. The hill is so named because it is said to look like a crouching tiger. Another legend states that
1680-547: 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 7,000,000 kilograms (15,000,000 lb), supported by internal brick columns. However,
1750-569: The Empress Dowager personally made embroidered monastic robes and religious banners for this purpose. On this trip, Egaku witnessed and personally experienced the effect of Emperor Wuzong 's Huichang persecution , which delayed his return to Japan. With the ascension of Emperor Xuanzong in 846 CE, the abuse ended, and Egaku returned with Yanguan Qi'an's chief disciple Gikū who became the first Zen master in Japan. Aristocratic Heian society enthusiastically received Gikū's arrival in Japan as he
1820-484: The Empress Dowager. In 841 CE, Egaku went to Tang China on a pilgrimage to Mount Wutai , the bodhimaņḍa of Manjuśri Bodhisattva . From there, he traveled to Hangzhou where he visited and offered gifts from the Empress Dowager to Yanguan Qi'an , a renowned 9th generation Chan Buddhist master descended from Mazu Daoyi . Egaku then returned to Japan. In 844 CE, Egaku went again to Tang China. He visited and made religious offerings at Mount Wutai and Linchi Monastery;
1890-514: The Export Processing Zone, all the infrastructures are of high standard. The Suzhou New District was established in 1990. In November 1992, the zone was approved to be the national-level hi-tech industrial zone. By the end of 2007, foreign-invested companies had a registered capital worth of US$ 13 billion, of which US$ 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
1960-522: The Huichang Persecution intervenes and reaches its zenith and Egaku had to pretend to return to secular life. The Huichang Persecution ends when Emperor Xuanzong ascends the throne in 846 CE. Egaku then returns with Gikū to Japan in 847 CE. Aristocratic Heian society enthusiastically received Gikū's arrival in Japan as he was the first Zen monk from China who exclusively taught Zen Buddhism in Japan. Tachibana Kachiko first housed him in
2030-513: The Jiangnan Canal, Grand Canal (China) , includes ten city gates and over 20 stone bridges of traditional design and historic areas that have been well preserved, as well as temples and pavilions. There are a full 24 waterways in Suzhou near the Grand Canal. In 2015, both 800-year-old Pingjiang Road Historical Block ( 平江路 ) and 1,200-year-old Shantang Street Scenic Area ( 山塘街 ) were added to
2100-534: The Kanazawa edition is no longer a complete copy. The Kanazawa edition preserves the original form of the "Collected Works of Bai Juyi" as revised by Bai Juyi himself. This edition also has Egaku's annotated notes, which describe the historical circumstances facing Egaku when he was copying the text. On possibly his last trip to Tang China (863 CE), Egaku accompanied the ex-crown prince turned Buddhist monk Takaoka Shinnō ( 高丘親王 ) into Tang China. Takaoka Shinnō later
2170-702: 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 , the earliest pagoda in Suzhou built in 247 BC, the Wu Gate Bridge , the entrance to the gate at that time over
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2240-546: The Nation of Japan’s First Zen School." This agate stele once stood in Heian-kyō's Rashōmon , and Tōdai-ji once preserved four large fragments of this stele. The significance of this agate stele is that it was one of the few contemporaneous records describing Egaku’s recruitment of Gikū as the first Zen monk to Japan. It was one of the sources used by Kokan Shiren to write the Egaku article found in Japan's earliest Buddhist history,
2310-483: The Sangha. This vow required him to return to Japan. Gikū did not return with Egaku on this trip. Egaku returned to Tang China in 844 CE. Armed with religious offerings made by the Empress Dowager, he went again on pilgrimage to Mount Wutai. Later he went to Lingchi Monastery to honor Yanguan Qi'an. However, Yanguan Qi'an had already died two years earlier. Gikū agrees to accompany Egaku back to Japan. However, in 845 CE,
2380-733: The Singapore Industrial Park). The project officially commenced on 12 May in the same year. SIP has a jurisdiction area of 288 km (111 sq mi), of which, the China-Singapore cooperation area covers 80 km (31 sq mi) with a planned residential population of 1.2 million. SIP is home to the Suzhou Dushu Lake Science and Education Innovation District, an area of universities and higher education institutions, including Soochow University and Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University . Suzhou Industrial Park
2450-760: The World Heritage List include the Couple's Retreat Garden , the Garden of Cultivation , and the Retreat and Reflection Garden . Five Peaks Garden which dates to the Ming dynasty (1522–1566) is also located in the Suzhou. Ming painter Wen Boren established his home on the site. The original name was Qiayin Shanfang and the garden is located at Changmin West Street. The Suzhou section of
2520-411: The area of modern Suzhou. In 514 BC, King Helü of Wu relocated his court nearby and called the settlement Helü City after himself. His minister Wu Zixu was closely involved with its planning and it was this site that grew into present-day Suzhou. The height of his tower on Gusu Hill ( Gusutai ) passed into Chinese legend. In 496 BC, King Helü was buried at Tiger Hill . In 473 BC, Wu
2590-485: The breeze, adding to the charm of the river bank". Boat tours are offered on the waterways of this city that was dubbed the "Venice of the East" by Marco Polo because of its criss-crossing canals and stone bridges. The Grand Canal (from Beijing to Zhejiang province) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Suzhou Taihu National Tourism and Vacation Zone ( 苏州太湖国家旅游度假区 ) is in the western part of Suzhou, 15 km (9 mi) from
2660-421: The city center. Gate to the East is a 301.8 meter, 74-story skyscraper in Suzhou's central business district, built in 2015 at a cost of 700 million USD and is currently the tallest building in Suzhou. Suzhou IFS is a 450 meter tall building home to 95 floors near Gate to the East. You can see the tower from Huqiu which is a special tourist attraction in Suzhou. Pan Gate is on the southwest corner of
2730-456: The city, with its surroundings as an economic base, represented an extraordinary source of tax revenue. When the shipwrecked Korean official Choe Bu had a chance to see much of Eastern China from Zhejiang to Liaoning on his way home in 1488, he described Suzhou in his travel report as exceeding every other city. Under the Ming , Suzhou was a prosperous center of the Nanzhili area controlled by
2800-527: The city. When the Grand Canal was completed, Suzhou found itself strategically located on a major trade route. Suzhou served as the regional metropolis of industry and foreign commerce on the southeastern coast of China. During the Tang dynasty , the great poet Bai Juyi constructed the Shantang Canal (better known as " Shantang Street ") to connect the city with Tiger Hill for tourists. In AD 1035,
2870-615: The country, and in the Ming dynasty , Suzhou silk was praised as the "clothing of the world". The Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) is the largest cooperative project between the Chinese and the Singaporean government. It is beside Jinji Lake , which lies to the east of the Suzhou Old City. On 26 February 1994, Vice Premier Li Lanqing and Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew , representing China and Singapore respectively, signed an agreement to jointly develop Suzhou Industrial Park (originally called
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2940-522: The district. The Suzhou Dongwu currently play in China League One , the second highest level of Chinese professional football competition. The 13,000 seat Suzhou Industrial Park Sports Arena was one of the venues for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup . Suzhou is on the Shanghai-Nanjing corridor which carries three parallel railways. Suzhou railway station , near the city center, is among
3010-565: The division of Jiangnan into the separate provinces of Jiangsu and Anhui at some point during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor . The Taipings captured the city in 1860. Many of its former buildings and gardens were "almost... a heap of ruins" by the time of their recovery by Charles Gordon 's Ever-Victorious Army in November 1863. Nonetheless, by 1880, its population was estimated to have recovered to about 500,000, which remained stable for
3080-510: The famous Chinese poet Bai Juyi were already introduced earlier into Japan. However, Egaku's copy was a complete early copy and had a significant influence on subsequent Japanese Sinitic poetry and native literature such as The Tale of Genji and The Pillow Book . The Kanazawa edition is a copy of Egaku's original document. Kept initially at the Kanazawa library founded in the Kamakura period ,
3150-677: The first permanent shrine to Guanyin Bodhisattva on Putuoshan in 916 CE, named "Unwilling to Leave Guanyin Temple." Later generations of worshipers honored Egaku as the founder of the Avalokiteśvara bodhimanda on Putuoshan. Putuoshan now has an "Master Egaku Commemorative Hall" with a shrine dedicated to Egaku and thirty-three manifestations of Avalokitesvara located at Xifang Jingyuan, the temple next to Guanyin Leaps Archaeologists discovered
3220-720: The largest non- capital city in the world, until it was overtaken by Shanghai. Since economic reforms began in 1978 , Suzhou attained GDP growth rates of about 14% in 35 years. In 2023, Suzhou had 5 million registered residents. Suzhou is listed as the 48th cities by scientific output according to the Nature Index 2022. The city is home to universities, including Soochow University , Suzhou University of Science and Technology , Xi'an Jiaotong–Liverpool University , and Changshu Institute of Technology . The city's tourist attractions include canals, stone bridges , pagodas , and gardens. The Classical Gardens of Suzhou were added to
3290-509: The list of China's "National Historic and Cultural Streets". Pingjiang Road runs parallel to the Pingjiang River for 1.5 kilometers and is lined with homes and some teahouses. Shantang Street, over twice as long at 3.8 km, is described by the BBC as retaining "the alluring qualities of an old canal-side street: whitewashed buildings are completed by red-tasseled lanterns that swing softly in
3360-518: The list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1997 and 2000. During the Zhou dynasty , a settlement known as Gusu after nearby Mount Gusu ( Chinese : 姑 苏 山 ; pinyin : Gūsūshān ) became the capital of the state of Wu . From this role, it also came to be called Wu as well. In 514 BC, King Helü of Wu established a new capital nearby at Helü City and this grew into
3430-498: The modern city of Suzhou. These tribes formed villages on the edges of the hills above the wetlands surrounding Lake Tai . Sima Qian 's Records of the Grand Historian records traditional accounts that the Zhou lord Taibo established the state of Wu at nearby Wuxi during the 11th century BC, civilizing the local people and improving their agriculture and mastery of irrigation. The Wu court later moved to Gusu within
3500-575: The modern city. During the Warring States period , Helü City continued to serve as the local seat of government. From the areas it administered, it became known as Wuxian ( lit . " Wu County ") and Wujun (" Wu Commandery "). Under the Qin , 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"
3570-417: The most UNESCO-recognized gardens in the world. The Humble Administrator's Garden and Lingering Garden are among the four most famous classical gardens in China. The Canglang Pavilion , Lion Grove Garden , Humble Administrator's Garden and Lingering Garden, respectively representing the garden styles of traditional architecture are called the four most famous gardens in Suzhou. Other gardens inscribed on
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#17328583553543640-607: The next few decades. In the late 19th century, the town was particularly known for its wide range of silks and its Chinese-language publishing industry. The town was first opened to direct foreign trades by the Treaty of Shimonoseki ending the First Sino-Japanese War and by the most favored nation clauses of earlier unequal treaties with the Great Powers . The new expatriates opened a European-and-Chinese school in 1900 and
3710-490: The secondary capital at Nanjing ; scholar-officials constructed the area's most famous private gardens during this period in a " Jiangnan style" copied at the time by Shanghai 's Yu Garden and later by parts of the empress dowager Cixi 's Summer Palace . After the Qing occupied the area in 1644 and 1645, it was reorganized as Jiangnan Province , whose "Right" Governor controlled its eastern prefectures from Suzhou until
3780-519: The ship. Egaku succeeded in bringing the statue aboard the ship only with the combined efforts of numerous merchants from Silla . The boat then set sailed and approached the waters near Putuoshan where huge angry waves and violent winds impeded its progress. The ship went aground on Silla Reef and then it drifted to the Cave of Tidal Sounds. Egaku that evening had a dream where he saw a foreign monk who told him, "If you place me on this mountain, I will command
3850-464: The southeastern corner of the city proper of Suzhou. They are artistic and natural as they are close at hand. One of them is called "Clarity-Dispensing Pagoda," and the other, the "Beneficence Pagoda"; they are in the same form of architecture. There are many legends about this one-thousand-year-old pagodas. It is charming that the exquisite and straight Twin Pagoda look like two inserted writing brushes. There
3920-437: The summer can push temperatures above 35 °C (95 °F). The hottest temperature recorded since 1951 was at 41.0 °C (106 °F) on 7 August 2013, and the lowest at −9.8 °C (14 °F) on 16 January 1958, though an unofficial record low of −12 °C (10 °F) was recorded on 10 January 1933. Suzhou is famous for its over 60 Classical Gardens , collectively a UNESCO World Heritage Site . The city has
3990-575: The tower leans roughly 3 degrees due to the cracking of two supporting columns. Beisi Pagoda or North Temple Pagoda is a Chinese pagoda at Bao'en Temple in Suzhou. It rises nine stories in a height of 76 m (249 ft). It is the tallest Chinese pagoda south of the Yangtze river. Twin Pagodas ( simplified Chinese : 苏州双塔 ; traditional Chinese : 蘇州雙塔 ) lie in the Dinghui Temple Lane in
4060-507: The water passage and the highest bridge in Suzhou at the time, and the Pan Gate . The Ruigang Pagoda is constructed of brick with wooden platforms and has Buddhist carvings at its base. Baodai Bridge stretches across the Tantai Lake in the suburbs of Suzhou. To raise money to finance the bridge, the magistrate donated his expensive belt, hence the name. The bridge was first built in 806 A.D. in
4130-416: The west of Shanghai and just over 200 km (120 mi) east of Nanjing . Suzhou has a four-season humid subtropical climate with hot, humid summers and cool, cloudy, damp winters with occasional snowfall ( Köppen climate classification Cfa ). Northwesterly winds blowing from Siberia during winter can cause temperatures to fall below freezing at night, while southerly or southwesterly winds during
4200-484: The western wing of Tō-ji Temple ; then moved him to Danrin Temple once it became completed. Gikū taught Zen Buddhism for several years there and then returned to Tang China. After Gikū returns to Tang China, Egaku a few years later returns to Tang China. On this trip, Egaku had an "agate-colored stele" made on his behalf in Suzhou 's Kaiyuan Monastery by the Chinese Zen monk Qieyuan , entitled "Record of
4270-437: The winds to send you on your way." Egaku told everyone aboard of his dream, and everyone was astonished. Still, they came ashore and built a straw hut to place the statue of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva. After making farewell obeisance to the statue, they boarded the ship and left for Japan. An inhabitant of Putuoshan surname Zhang witnessed these events and enshrined the statue in his house for worship. After his death, they built
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#17328583553544340-562: Was a disciple of Saichō and possibly was an acquaintance of Kūkai. Egaku did not travel to Tang China as part of an official mission from Japan in contrast to some of his monastic contemporaries. However, his travel was on the personal behest of the Empress Dowager Tachibana Kachiko , a devout Buddhist with religious and literary renown, who was curious about Zen Buddhism after talking to Kūkai. Egaku after that went on several trips to Tang China, most of them on behalf of
4410-500: Was an early Heian period Buddhist monk from Tang China. He is Japan's first Buddhist monk who exclusively taught Zen. There are many unknown facts about Gikū such as his birthplace, birth date and death date. However, he was an important disciple of Yanguan Qi'an , a renowned 9th generation Zen master descended from Mazu Daoyi . During the Jowa period (834-848 CE), Empress Dowager Tachibana Kachiko dispatched Egaku on several trips to Tang China for pilgrimage and to invite
4480-429: Was defeated and annexed by Yue , a kingdom to its southeast; Yue was annexed in turn by Chu in 306 BC. Remnants of the ancient kingdom include pieces of its 2,500-year-old city wall and the gate through it at Pan Gate . The city was originally laid out according to a symbolic three-by-three grid of nine squares , with the royal palace occupying the central position. During the Warring States period, Suzhou
4550-414: Was first officially used for the city in AD 589 during the Sui dynasty . Su ( 蘇 or 苏 ) in its name is a contraction of the old name Gusu. It refers to "Satisfied place" in the Old Yue language. The zhou 州 originally meant something like a province or county (cf. Guizhou ), but often came to be used metonymously for the capital of such a region (cf. Guangzhou , Hangzhou , etc.). Suzhou
4620-430: Was originally a single-story house with three rooms just like a writing brush holder with the shadows of the two pagodas reclining on its roof at sunset. To the east of the pagoda is a square five-story bell building built in the Ming dynasty which appears exactly like a thick ink stick. So there is a saying that "the Twin Pagodas are as writing brushes while the bell building as ink stick". The city's major museums include
4690-536: Was reputed to have attempted travel to India by ship from Guangzhou in 865 CE, in pursuit of answers to his questions related to Buddhism. Unfortunately, he reportedly died in Singapore. Egaku also had an "agate-colored stele" made on his behalf in Suzhou 's Kaiyuan Monastery by the Chinese Zen monk Qieyuan , entitled "Record of the Nation of Japan’s First Zen School." This agate stele once stood in Heian-kyō's Rashōmon , and Tōdai-ji once preserved four large fragments of this stele. The significance of this agate stele
4760-471: Was soon to proclaim himself the first emperor of the Ming dynasty – demolished the old city walls at the center of Suzhou's walled city and imposed crushing taxes on the city and prefecture's powerful families. Despite the heavy taxation and the forced exile of some prominent citizens' south, Suzhou was soon prosperous again. During the early Ming, Suzhou Prefecture supervised the Yangtze shoals which later became Shanghai 's Chongming Island . For centuries
4830-420: Was the first Zen monk from China who exclusively taught Zen Buddhism in Japan. Tachibana Kachiko first housed him in the western wing of Tō-ji Temple ; then moved him to Danrin Temple once it became completed. Gikū taught Zen Buddhism for several years there and then returned to Tang China. Also in 846/847 CE, Egaku brought his hand-copied manuscript of the "Collected Works of Bai Juyi" to Japan. The poems of
4900-540: Was the seat of Wu County ( 吳縣 , Wú xiàn) and Commandery ( 吳 郡 , Wú jùn ). Following the Qin Empire 's conquest of the area in 222 BC, it was made the capital of Kuaiji Commandery , including lands stretching from the south bank of the Yangtze to the unconquered interior of Minyue in southern Zhejiang. Amid the collapse of the Qin , Kuaiji's governor Yin Tong attempted to organize his own rebellion only to be betrayed and executed by Xiang Liang and his nephew Xiang Yu , who launched their own rebellion from
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