Suzhou 宿州市

Setting and landscape

Plain covers about 91 percent of the city. The Sui (濉河), Tuo (沱河), Kui (奎河) and Hui (浍河) rivers flow from north-west to south-east into the Huai River or Hongze Lake (洪泽湖), and the Xinbian River (新汴河), a man-made flood channel, runs 127 km through the city. North of the Sui rise island-like low hills, outliers of the Shandong uplands, among them Daguan Mountain (大官山) in Xiao County (萧县), 395 metres high.

History

The name comes from the state of Su (宿国), which the state of Song moved into its territory as a dependency in 684 BC. After the Sui dynasty dug the Grand Canal a trading town grew up at Yongqiao, which the Tang made the seat of a new Suzhou prefecture in 809. The city government counts the Daze Town Uprising, which it calls China's first peasant uprising, among the events this land witnessed; Sheguotai (涉故台) in Dazexiang Town (大泽乡镇), the uprising's birthplace, has been a provincial protected site since 1961. Sizhou opera (泗州戏), once called lahunqiang (拉魂腔, 'soul-pulling tune'), entered the first national intangible heritage list in 2006 on Suzhou's nomination.

What to see

The Si County (泗县) stretch of the Grand Canal's Tongji Channel (通济渠) belongs to the Grand Canal World Heritage property; the city culture and tourism bureau says its 28.1 km of old channel, still holding water, keeps the canal's original appearance most completely. Huangcangyu (皇藏峪), on Xiao County's south-eastern edge, is a national forest park and AAAA scenic area of original warm-temperate deciduous broadleaf forest; legend ties its name to Liu Bang (刘邦), the first Han emperor, hiding there. Lingbi County (灵璧县) is known as the home of Lingbi stone (灵璧石), counted among China's four famous stones; the AAAA Lingbi Stone Culture Park (灵璧奇石文化园) shows stones, local relics and Zhong Kui (钟馗) paintings in its Bianyang Tower (汴阳楼). The Lingbi government places the Gaixia battlefield (垓下古战场遗址), where Xiang Yu (项羽) was defeated in 202 BC, at Weiji Town (韦集镇).

Food and local products

Fuliji braised chicken (符离集烧鸡), created in the early 20th century and now a geographical-indication product and Anhui intangible-heritage item, is coated in sugar-and-honey water, fried golden and then simmered in brine. Xiao County mutton soup (萧县羊肉汤) is a milky broth famous for over 300 years, and Dangshan (砀山) grows large, crisp su pears (砀山酥梨) along the old Yellow River bed.

Getting oriented

Suzhou East Station (宿州东站) on the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway lies about 23 km in a straight line from the urban area, and the Xuzhou–Lanzhou high-speed line serves Dangshan South (砀山南站) and Xiaoxian North (萧县北站).

Highlights

• Grand Canal, Si County section 大运河通济渠泗县段: World Heritage stretch of the Tongji Channel at Caomiao Village, with the Si County Sui–Tang Grand Canal Museum nearby.
• Huangcangyu National Forest Park 皇藏峪国家森林公园: Forested valley 26 km from the Xiao County seat; a national forest park, AAAA scenic area and provincial nature reserve.
• Lingbi Stone Culture Park 灵璧奇石文化园: Park at the south entrance of the Lingbi county town, rated AAAA in 2013, built around a ring-shaped lake.
• Fuliji braised chicken 符离集烧鸡: Developed by Han Jingyu in the early 20th century; trussed with its legs folded in before frying and brine-simmering.
• Suzhou sa soup 宿州sa汤: Old-hen broth with 24 ingredients including wheat kernels, eaten with an egg beaten in; a municipal intangible-heritage item.