Studying History with General Secretary | Du Dao Gu Su Hao This is the most beautiful place in Jiangnan, learning from the past to understand history | Jiangnan | Learning from the past to understand the future

Blue bricks accompanied by tiles and paint, white horses treading on new mud, a city of Gusu, half of the Jiangnan poetry.

Here are the words Zhang Jifeng heard while mooring at night at the Hanshan Temple outside the city of Gusu, and the sound of the bell at midnight on the passenger ship. There are also Du Xunhe's words, "If you come to Gusu, the people will rest on the river." There is also He Zhu's lamentation, "A river of tobacco, the city is filled with wind and fluff, and plum blossoms are yellow and rainy.".

A bowl of three shrimp noodles in summer is a lively and fragrant authentic flavor, and the door rings after rain make copper green, creating a gentle and elegant temperament like jade. The voice in Wu Nong's soft voice is slow, and she sings the sweet and long melody of Pingtan. The sweet and greasy Congee in sweet scented osmanthus candy is the fireworks world nourished by tenderness in the water town.

Following in the footsteps of General Secretary, we approach these pink walls and black tiles together, encounter Jiangnan culture within a square inch, and listen to cultural relics and historical sites telling stories about the past of Gusu.

Looking at the bustling city of Gusu on one street

Suzhou City was once named after Pingjiang Prefecture. The locals say that only when you come to Pingjiang Road can you experience the most authentic old Suzhou.

In the northeast corner of the ancient city, the Pingjiang Historical Block starts from the Outer Ring River in the east, ends at Linton Road in the west, ends at Baita East Road in the north, and ends at Ganjiang Road in the south. Within 116.5 hectares, there are numerous ancient buildings, which is a concentrated gathering of historical features.

The Tongli Bridge at the eastern end of Lujia Lane has been lying horizontally on the water waves for thousands of years. The literary charm of Pan Shien's former residence highlights the former glory of the top scholar's mansion. In the Couple Garden, there is the elegant life of Shen Bingcheng and Yan Yonghua. The wandering in Dingxiang Lane is the back of Dai Wangshu holding an oil paper umbrella. Clothes, vegetables, and food, the courtyard is secluded, and Su style romance resides in this poetic place. Jiangnan Jinxiu and Gusu are the most beautiful. This year marks the 41st anniversary of Suzhou's approval as a national historical and cultural city, and it has launched a cultural brand towards the new world. Jiangnan Ancient City has a "rejuvenation code".

"A person who loves the land of China will love every stream, every inch of land, and every page of glorious history." From the timeless Paifang Street to the three lanes and seven alleys of the "Living Fossil of the Lifang System", General Secretary Xi Jinping walked into the ancient streets and alleys again and again.

Presiding over the third meeting of the Central Committee for Comprehensive Deepening Reform and approving the "Several Opinions on Strengthening the Protection and Utilization of Cultural Relics", and presiding over the 19th meeting of the Central Committee for Comprehensive Deepening Reform and approving the "Several Opinions on Strengthening the Protection and Inheritance of Historical and Cultural Heritage in Urban and Rural Construction"... General Secretary deeply pointed out that "protecting traditional neighborhoods, ancient buildings, and cultural relics is preserving the history and context of a city."

Understanding the ancient and modern Jiangnan through a river

Pingjiang is connected by water transportation, and the riverbank is bustling.

As a heritage site of the Grand Canal, the Pingjiang Historical and Cultural District has the elegance of "small bridges, flowing water, and homes", as well as the poetic sentiment of "full boats and clear dreams pressing down on the Milky Way". In ancient times, the canal connecting the north and south promoted the integration of southern and northern tunes, forming a bustling scene where water was hidden. Nowadays, the "Ten Scenic Spots of the Canal" such as Baodai Bridge and Huqiu Pagoda have become eye-catching landmarks, preserving ancient memories of water and light in modern cities.

Water is the root of Suzhou and the soul of Jiangnan. In 514 BC, King Helu of Wu sent Wu Zixu to "taste the soil and water, and imitate the laws of heaven and earth", and built a large city called Helu. The urban pattern of "water and land dual chessboard" began to take shape. The "Pingjiang Map" collected by Suzhou Confucian Temple fully showcases the ancient city style of the Southern Song Dynasty with a dense network of rivers. The long scroll of "The Prosperity of Gusu" from the Qing Dynasty unfolds, showcasing the bustling market atmosphere of "merchants and merchants gathering, and department stores bustling". With over fifty bridges and hundreds of various boats, it reproduces the prosperous scene of "Wuchang to Fengqiao, 20 miles in the city".

Built and thriving by water, Suzhou has also become a microcosm of the cities in Jiangnan, witnessing the bloodline connection between the Grand Canal and the people along the route. Water is a force that combines strength and softness, giving birth to a strong and gentle personality in Jiangnan. Here, there is both the tranquility of sailing in the mist and rain, and the courage to fight against wind and waves. The intersection of east and west on the Grand Canal and the exchange between China and foreign countries have created a pattern and atmosphere of openness and inclusiveness in Jiangnan culture.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has always been deeply aware of the Grand Canal. From inspecting the achievements of coastal ecological environment management in Beijing Tongzhou Grand Canal Forest Park to going to Yangzhou Canal Sanwan Ecological Culture Park to understand the achievements of the protection, inheritance and utilization of the Grand Canal culture, the general secretary has given important instructions: the Grand Canal is a precious heritage left to us by our ancestors and a mobile culture, which should be well protected, inherited and utilized as a whole.

A city inherits a thousand years of cultural heritage

Overlooking the ancient city of Suzhou from a high altitude, as far as the eye can see, there is a thousand year long cultural heritage, as well as a pulsating development.

Here, Fan Zhongyan pioneered Suzhou Prefectural School, leaving behind the beautiful story of "the world's learning began in Wujun". After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, this land produced more than 100 academicians from the two academies of Suzhou. For thousands of years, Suzhou has created a unique cultural space, making Jiangnan not only a regional concept, but also a cultural image in the spiritual home of the Chinese people.

From "passing down a family without distinction, guarding the fields with propriety and righteousness" to "it is better to pass down one's descendants with virtue", generations of Suzhou people have passed down and continued their cultural heritage, using the spirit of connecting rivers and seas and the resilience of dripping water to pierce stones, to safeguard the cultural heritage that Suzhou has accumulated for thousands of years.

The beauty of Suzhou craftsmanship, the essence of Suzhou cuisine, the beauty of gardens, and the elegance of Kunqu opera This land and water endows the people of Suzhou with delicate personalities and cultivates the ultimate craftsmanship of precision and precision, giving birth to the strong confidence of six global "lighthouse factories", 33 national manufacturing champion enterprises, 171 national level specialized and innovative "little giant" enterprises, 13500 national high-tech enterprises, and more than 160000 excellent manufacturing enterprises.

At the symposium on cultural inheritance and development, General Secretary Xi Jinping was in a strategically advantageous position: "if we do not understand China from the long-standing historical continuity, it is impossible to understand ancient China, modern China, let alone future China."

The best way to inherit history is to create new history. In Suzhou, the clear flow of Jiangnan culture is surging from the depths of time, merging into the spiritual river of the Chinese nation, and rushing towards the future.

Author: Kuang Xixi, Yin Xiaoyu

Checked by: Zhu Li

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