Merchants of Suzhou

Author: Ping Yanxi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: In the Chinese world, Suzhou is a city whose fame and reputation do not match its scale and status. No matter where you go, when people mention Suzhou, they always say, "Suzhou, a wonderful place!" If you ask where it's wonderful, it's always about private gardens, small bridges over flowing water, the soft Wu dialect, and beautiful women in silk. However, these familiar "symbols" seem insufficient to explain why so many people love Suzhou. After all, people have different tastes. In truth, there are truly unique reasons for loving Suzhou. Behind the old houses in small towns and the spring rain on apricot blossoms lies the great charm of Chinese local culture. This is not a historical account of Suzhou's commerce or economy! It merely attempts to capture the prosperity and decline of Suzhou's past commerce and society with a light but somewhat detached tone, filled with joy or sorrow. To be precise, what the author wants to tell the readers is perhaps the elusive life shadows and chaotic footsteps of history that once wandered across the modern Suzhou map—those past Suzhou merchants and the Wu region's Suzhou that nurtured them and allowed them to rise to prominence across the world—glory and loss, surprise and reflection, excitement and frustration—these all-encompassing experiences of Suzhou's merchant life and survival. Let us savor and appreciate them together in careful reflection!