Shantang Street (; Suzhou Wu: Se daon ka, ), also known as Seven- li Shantang (), is a street in northwestern

Gusu District Gusu District () is one of five urban districts and the main district of Suzhou, Jiangsu Jiangsu is a coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province in East China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, techn ...

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 ...

Jiangsu Jiangsu is a coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province in East China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its capital in Nanjing. Jiangsu is the List of Chinese administra ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. The street connects Changmen () in the east with Huqiu in the west, with a total length of about 3,829.6 meters (2.38 miles), or a little more than seven li or traditional "Chinese miles". Due to the great history and events involving Shantang Street it is sometimes stated as being the "First Street in Shuzou". In 2015, the Shantang Street Scenic Area was added to the list of China's "National Historic and Cultural Streets".

History

Construction of the Shantang Canal () started in 825 AD, during the Tang Dynasty by

Bai Juyi Bai Juyi (also Bo Juyi or Po Chü-i; , Mandarin Chinese, Mandarin pinyin ''Bǎi Jūyì''; 772–846), courtesy name Letian (樂天), was a Chinese musician, poet, and politician during the Tang dynasty. Many of his poems concern his career o ...

, a poet and the ''Cishi'' (modern-day equivalent of the prefectural governor) of Suzhou, to provide a link between Huqiu and the city. The sludge that was dug out from the construction formed a dam along the north bank of the canal known as Baigong Dam () in honor of Bai Juyi. A street was then built on the dam, which later became the modern-day Shantang Street. Along with Pingjiang Road, the street was declared a ''Historical and cultural block of China'' () in 2015. Today, it is a popular tourist destination with visitors being attracted by the heritage nature of the buildings and the various old stone bridges.

References

External links

苏州山塘街
- Official site
Suzhou Shantang Street
- Official English site

- Mildchina Gusu District Tourist attractions in Suzhou History of Suzhou Geography of Suzhou {{Suzhou-stub