China Travel Guide Jiangsu

Author: Compiled by the Editorial Committee of "China Travel Guide"
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-01-01
Features: Jiangsu, abbreviated as Su, is located on the southeastern coast of China and situated in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal runs through the province from north to south. Jiangsu has a long history. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, it belonged to the states of Wu and Chu, respectively. In the Han Dynasty, it was part of the Xu and Yangzi provinces, and during the Yuan Dynasty, it was part of Henan and the Jiangzhe Zhongshu Province. In the Ming Dynasty, it was directly under the jurisdiction of Nanjing, and in the Qing Dynasty, the Jiangsu Province was established. The area north of the Yangtze River is called North Jiangsu, while the area south of the Yangtze River is called South Jiangsu. About eighty to ninety percent of the province is plains, making it one of China's most flat-lying provinces. The area around Taihu Lake in South Jiangsu and Hongze Lake in North Jiangsu is densely crisscrossed with waterways, earning it the nickname "Land of Water Villages and Marshes." It is also known as the "Land of Fish and Rice" due to its abundant production of rice, wheat, cotton, silkworms, and fish.