Huzhou (湖州) is located in the north of Zhejiang province. Because of its favored geographical position (the center part of Yangtze River Delta Economic Area), Huzhou has strong links with the surrounding provinces such as Jiangsu and Anhui. It is the only city that names after a lake in the Taihu Lake Rim (环太湖地区).
Huzhou is an old city with a long history. 248 BC, the city was setup by the State of Chu. At that time, the name of the city is Gucheng County (孤城县). During the reign of Qin dynasty, Wucheng County (乌程县) was used. However, the name was changed again to Wuxing Shire (吴兴郡) in the age of Kingdom of Wu. According to the historical material, Huzhou was first used in Sui Dynasty in 602. Today, Huzhou is prefecture-level city which administers five county-level divisions (Wexing District吴兴区, Nanxun District南浔区, Deqing County德清县, Changxing County 长兴县and Anji County安吉县).
In history, the famous general, Xiangyu (项羽), built up a city in Huzhou. It says that he quartered troops and led his soldiers to against Qin here. The original name of the north city gate is Fengsheng (奉胜门), but the civilians always call it Bawang Gate (霸王门). The story of Xiangyu is quite famous. Although his life was controversial, he was regarded as a hero in people’s mind. Actually, some cultural heritages here related to him were destroyed in the Cultural Revolution such as the Xiangwang Temple; Huzhou still has vestiges on Mount Bian (弁山) where Xiangyu put his troops. This year, as part of the city regeneration, a park is built to commemorate him. It soon became a destination of cultural tourism in Huzhou. [Historically]
The typical subtropical monsoon climate brings Huzhou a pleasant living environment. The four clear seasons nourish various kinds of plants here. The Bamboo Exposition Garden (竹博园) in Anji County, which is the biggest one in China with complete kinds could be an example. Also, Dazhuhai (大竹海) there is a tourist point for ecotourism. As the box-office hit, the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon shot there, Dazhuhai became famous with its beautiful scenery. The climate is good for growing tea as well. Huzhou is one of the birthplaces of the tea culture. Luyu (陆羽) wrote the world first book about tea culture here. Some special kinds of tea are only produced in Huzhou such as White Tea (白茶) and Zisun Tea (紫笋茶). Summer in Huzhou is hot. However, Mount Mogan (莫干山) provides people a cool world. It’s a famous summer resort. The government always wants the city to show her abundant natural resources in different aspects. Therefore, a wetland in Deqing County was developed. Meanwhile, both the government and the citizens established the concept of ecological protection.
The city tree of Huzhou is gingkgo. It is representative because there is an ancient gingkgo corridor in Changxin County. Gingkgo is a very old species on earth. It seems that the climate and soil here provide ample nutrition to it to survive. Paleoecology is the distinctive point of Huzhou. The relic of the second glacier period was found. Geologists and paleontologists are attracted by it, which also provides the amateurs a place to learn and research. To make this city card (Paleoecology) more diverse, Chinese alligator (扬子鳄) are protected and raised here. They are the living fossils and make the tourism dynamic and active. [Naturally]
Huzhou is one of the Four Capital-cities of Silk in China. She lives up to her reputation as the city of silk. What makes the silk produced here standout? Despite the excellent skill, the water is a key factor. Huzhou itself is a land of rivers and lakes. Water networks here are well developed. With different riverheads, the water is really dynamic and clear especially in Nanxun County. The silk produced here was highly demanded. Therefore, silk industry in Nanxun was emerged and played a important role in the silk road. Recently, silk companies in Huzhou not only carry on the traditional technics but also look for creative ways to revive the silk culture.
Huzhou, as one of the canal towns lies south of the Yangtze, gives people easy and comfortable life. The stone arch bridges and the small boats are the typical cultural symbols. The life space here is slow compared with the metropolises such as Shanghai and Guangzhou. People believe that Huzhou is a place where they can enjoy their life. It’s no wonder that the poet said Huzhou is the most suitable place for him to live. Zhao Mengfu (赵孟頫), a Chinese scholar, painter and calligrapher during the Yuan Dynasty has a garden in Huzhou called Lotus Garden (莲花庄). This is the place where Zhao studied when he was a child. There also has another garden with the similar name called the Small Lotus Garden (小莲庄). It was built by the richest person in Nanxun District whose name is Liu Yong (刘镛). The buildings in this garden blend the east and the west architectural styles together, which show a different life trend. In both of the two gardens, lotuses can be found in the ponds in summer. [Environmentally]
Culture makes a city attractive and reputable. The tea culture and the silk culture give tourists a special opportunity to know something about this old city. From this point, the culture of the Huzhou writing brush cannot be ignored. It’s one of the four treasures of the study (writing brush, ink stick, ink slab, paper). A story is going about that general Meng Tian (蒙恬) introduced the skill of making brush pen to the villagers. The brush pen produced in Huzhou is famous for its good quality and superb workmanship. Having such a wonderful tool, it is understandable that Huzhou people are fond of Chinese traditional paintings and calligraphy. Watching the processes of making brush pen should be interesting and rememberable. It’s also a meaningful way to understand the Chinese civilization. As the International Huzhou Writing Brush Festival (中国湖州国际湖笔文化节) holding successfully, the spirit and the culture behind the brush pen are well focused by people today.[Culturally]
Economy in Huzhou develops quickly after the Reform and Open Policy had been implemented. But the most attractive points of Huzhou are still its immense natural resources, special local colors and unique cultural elements. Huzhou, a watery town which is full of charms, should be a good place for cultural tourism.