The name (Jiangsu) comes from jiang, short for the
city of Jiangning (now Nanjing), and su, for the city of Suzhou. The
abbreviation for this province is "苏" (sū), the second character of its
name.
Jiangsu is rich in cultural traditions. Kunqu, originating in
Kunshan, is one of the most renowned and prestigious forms of Chinese opera.
Pingtan, a form of storytelling accompanied by music, is also popular: it can be
subdivided into types by origin: Suzhou Pingtan (of Suzhou), Yangzhou Pingtan
(of Yangzhou), and Nanjing Pingtan (of Nanjing). Xiju, a form of traditional
Chinese opera, is popular in Wuxi, while Huaiju is popular further north, around
Yancheng. Jiangsu cuisine is one of the eight great traditions of the cuisine of
China.
Suzhou is also famous for its silk, embroidery art,
jasmine tea, stone bridges, pagodas, and its classical gardens. Nearby Yixing is
famous for its teaware, and Yangzhou is famous for its lacquerware and
jadeware.Nanjing‘s yunjin is a famous form of woven silk,while Wuxi is famous
for its peaches.
Since ancient times,south Jiangsu has been famed for its
prosperity and opulence, and simply adding south Jiangsu place names (Suzhou,
Yangzhou, etc.) into poetry gave an effect of dreaminess, as was indeed done by
many famous poets. In particular, the fame of Suzhou (as well as Hangzhou in
neighbouring Zhejiang province) has led to the popular saying: above there is
heaven; below there is Suzhou and Hangzhou, a saying that continues to be a
source of pride for the people of these two still prosperous cities. Similarly,
the prosperity of Yangzhou has led poets to dream of: with a hundred thousand
strings of coins wrapped around the waist, riding a crane down to Yangzhou. |
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