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<\/a><\/p>\nFor most of the last millennium, Suzhou, China was widely regarded as a \u201cparadise on Earth\u201d by the citizens of imperial China. Replete with natural beauty, magnificent gardens, and a rich history to match, Suzhou has captivated the attention of poets, scholars, statesmen, and travelers from afar since the earliest days of Chinese history. For a dozen centuries, Suzhou was a center of wealth, beauty, intellectual achievement, culture, fashion, and commerce. It was the imperial empire\u2019s Paris, with a touch of Florence\u2019s artistic flourish, Venice\u2019s canal-laced charm, Heidelberg\u2019s academic achievement, and Amsterdam\u2019s commercial dynamism.<\/p>\n
In this monumental new book, author Stephen L. Koss paints a vivid picture of just how important Suzhou is to the Chinese nation, its people, and its collective ethos. From its rise as a major cultural and trading center, Koss guides the reader on a journey through more than 2,500 years of Chinese history. He traces the city\u2019s fascinating story from its founding in 514 BCE to its present-day rebirth as a center of hi-tech, pharmaceutical, and textile manufacturing characterized by explosive urban expansion, a fast-growing middle class, and modernization tempered by historical and cultural preservation. The book is rich in local historical and cultural content, thoughtfully framed by national historical context and filled with anecdotes and mini-biographies chosen to engage the interest of a general readership audience. Beautiful Su will stand for decades as one of the definitive statements on one of the world\u2019s greatest cities.<\/p>\n
Stephen L. Koss is the author of the book China: Heart and Soul. He lives in New York City.<\/p>\n