Zhenze Ancient Town

Zhenze Ancient Town is located in the southwest of Wujiang District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, adjacent to Zhejiang Province, and was historically known as "the head of Wu and the tail of Yue", serving as the "west gate" of Wujiang. National Highway 318 and the Shanghai-Huzhou Expressway pass through the north of Zhenze Ancient Town, which is situated on the branch of the Grand Canal - Tang River, making water transportation convenient. Zhenze Ancient Town is a famous town in the south of the Yangtze River with a history of more than two thousand years and is also known as the famous hometown of silk in China. Its main attractions include the Shijian Hall, Ciyun Temple Pagoda, Wang Xichan's Tomb, etc. In 2001, it was listed as a national and provincial key protected historical site. In ancient times, the Zhenze area was a lagoon bay, 'first a torrent, then a marsh, and finally a patchwork of fields and lanes.' The sea changed into mulberry fields, and the silt and sand accumulated into land. The early settlers cultivated the land, lived sparsely, and formed villages. In the 29th year of the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (741 AD), the governor of Qizhou, Zhang Jingzun, established the Zhenze Pavilion here, and the name of Zhenze appeared in historical records. In the third year of the Kaiping era of the Later Liang Dynasty (909 AD), Wujiang County was established, and Zhenze was under its jurisdiction. In the early years of the Shaoxing era of the Song Dynasty (1131 AD), it became an important place for imperial relatives and was set up as a patrol inspection office, becoming a town. During the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, it was the residence of the Zhenze Patrol Inspection Office. During the Chenghua era of the Ming Dynasty (1465-1487), the number of households in Zhenze increased to three to four hundred, and in the Hongzhi era, Zhenze became one of the first four established towns in Wujiang (the other three being Pingwang, Tongli, and Lili). During the Jiajing era (1522-1566), 'the number doubled and even more, with about eight to nine hundred households, truly a bulwark to the west of the county,' becoming an important town in the southwest of the county. The Qianlong era records of Zhenze County described the market conditions as 'buildings lined up in succession, with all kinds of goods gathered. Those engaged in trade, there was not a day without visitors.' In the second year of the Yongzheng era of the Qing Dynasty (1720), Wujiang was divided to establish Zhanze County, and Zhenze Ancient Town was under its jurisdiction, belonging to the administration of Suzhou. In the first year of the Republic of China (1912), Zhenze ancient county was abolished and merged into Wujiang County.