Leadership Programme

Brief Introduction

In the lower reaches of the Yangtze and on the shores of Lake Taihu lies the 2,500-year-old city of Suzhou, the cradle of Wu culture. The name "Wu" often applied to refer to Suzhou, derived from the local tribes who named themselves "Gou Wu" in the late Shang Dynasty about 11th century BC. Later, King Helu of Wu State in 514 BC built his capital here known as the "Great City of Helu" and since then the city's site and scale have remained virtually unchanged, making Suzhou a rare city of historical and cultural renown in the world.

Situated on 30.47-32.02 degrees north latitude and 119.55-121.20 degrees east longitude and bordering on shanghai in the east, Zhejiang Province in the south, Lake Taihu in the west and the Yangtze in the north, Suzhou enjoys a mild and humid climate and is easily accessible by water, land and air communications.
Talking about Suzhou, people would mention the old saying: "Paradise in Heaven, Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth." Since there can be places elsewhere compared to paradise, the saying does not specify the style of Suzhou lies in "Softness", like the tone of Wu dialect, which also sums up the character in feminine beauty, tenderness, serenity, subtlety and elegance.

The natural scenery of hills and waters in Suzhou is as charming as a delicate beauty. Of the whole area, 10 per cent is cultivated fields, 30 per cent hills, and the rest covered with water. Streets and alleys in Suzhou extend side by side with canals. Small bridges and flowing waters, white walls and dark gray rooftiles match one another in tranquil elegance. As a poem describes, "On arriving in Suzhou you behold: Houses are all pillowed on water's edge." The gentle waters make the prominent urban scenery. The poetic and picturesque Suzhou gardens are a typical demonstration of simple elegance, with intriguing scenes found in every season and in all weathers. Endowed with abundant native produce, the rich and exquisite Suzhou cuisine sets a style of its own on this "land of plenty". The traditional performing arts of Suzhou are best represented by the Kunqu Opera, Suzhou Opera and Ballad singing, reputed both in China and overseas for their minute acting and harmonic melody.

Today's Suzhou, recognized in the olden times as the "most aspiring city of prosperity and civilization in the Southeast" , is an open city with developed economy and frequent exchanges with the outside world. It has been officially declared part of "the coastal economic open zone of the Yangtze Delta". Comprehensive industrial system has taken shape, and there has been tremendous expansion in foreign trade and international economic co-operation.
The other informations in Suzhou are simaliar with those in shanghai ,you can see it in shanghai's introduction

Population: 5.9097 million,among which 2,1687million are urban population
The total municipal area: 8,488 square kilometers,among which 1,650 square kilometers are urban area

Administrative Area of Suzhou City
5 County-level cities:Zhangjiagang,changshu,Taicang,Kunshan,Wujiang
7 Districts:Wuzhong,Xiangcheng,Pingjiang,Canglang,Jinchang,Suzhou Industrial Park,Suzhou Hitech Zone Huqiu Park

Culture

The Yunyan Pagoda, or Huqiu Tower, an inclined tower, built during the latter part of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms era (907-960 AD).
The Beisi Pagoda of Suzhou, built between 1131 and 1162 during the Song Dynasty (with later renovations), 76 m (243 ft) tall.Chinese opera: Kunqu originates in the Suzhou region, as does the much later Suzhou Opera. Ballad-singing, or Suzhou pingtan, is a local form of storytelling that mixes singing (accompanied on the pipa) with portions in spoken dialect.

Handicrafts: Suzhou embroidery, fans, national musical instruments, scroll mounting, lanterns, mahogany furniture, jade carving, silk tapestry, traditional painting pigments of Jiangenxutang Studio, the New Year's wood-block prints of Taohuawu Studio.

Transportation

The 8 lane cross section of the HuNing Expressway. Suzhou is conveniently located on the Jinghu Railway linking Shanghai and Nanjing, the provincial capital, to both of which there is hourly railway service. Suzhou Railway Station is among the busiest passenger stations in China, having 139 trains stopping daily. T-Trains only take 45 minutes to Shanghai and an hour and half to Nanjing. Driving options include the Jiangsu-Shanghai Expressway, the Yangtze Riverine Expressway, the Suzhou-Jiaxin-Hangzhou Expressway.

Although Wuxi Shuofang Airport and Guangfu United Airlines Airport serve as two municipal airports, and the State Council approved of the construction of an airport exclusively serving Suzhou in 2003, air transportation from Suzhou continues to be at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and Shanghai Pudong International Airport in Shanghai.

Climate

Suzhou enjoys the Subtropical monsoon climate, which is considered to be fairly warm and wet, with the four seasons distinct. The best time to travel to Suzhou is April to October, when the trees and flowers of this garden city are green and in full bloom.

Month	Avg. High( °F )	Avg. Low( °F )	Avg. Precip.(in)
January	46	32	1.6
February	48	34	2.4
March	56	41	3.3
April	66	51	3.9
May	76	60	4.2
June	82	68	6.3
July	90	76	5.1
August	90	76	5.0
September	82	68	5.1
October	74	58	2.2
November	63	47	1.8
December	52	37	1.4

Currency

The currency in China is Renminbi. The basic unit of RMB is the yuan (¥), also known as "kuai," divided into 10 jiao, which is again divided into 10 fen. Yuan notes come in 1, 2, 5, 10, 50, and 100.
Credit cards and US dollars are widely accepted in hotels and major shops.

Shopping and Business Hours

Shops are usually open from 10.00 a.m. to 10.00 p.m. everyday.

Electricity

The voltage is 220 volts, 50 cycles. Most luxury hotels have built-in converters in bathrooms for shavers, hair dryers, etc. Otherwise, come equipped, because a wide variety of plug types are used.

Banking Hours

Banks: Mondays to Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., although all foreign banks have slightly different hours (Japanese banks tend to close at 4:30 p.m. and American ones at 6 p.m.). Half days are the rule on Saturdays.