King Fuchai of Wu Square

King Fuchai of Wu Square

According to Zuo Zhuan (The Commentary of Zuo), in the ninth year of Duke Ai of Lu’s reign (486 BC), “In autumn, the state of Wu built the Han City and dredged the Hangou Canal to connect the Yangtze and Huai rivers.” This marks the historically documented beginning of Yangzhou’s establishment as a city, as well as the origin of the man-made canal that connected the Yangtze and Huai rivers — the precursor to the later Grand Canal — holding particularly significant importance for Yangzhou.

King Fuchai of Wu Square is situated on the northwest side of the confluence of Guanhe River and Hangou River, covering an area of approximately 6,000 square meters. It was a project commemorating the 2,500th anniversary of Yangzhou’s founding, celebrated in 2016. Construction began in June 2015 and was fully completed by the end of September that year. The overall layout of the square symbolizes how the excavation of the Hangou Canal and the completion of the Grand Canal contributed to Yangzhou’s prosperity. At the main entrance on the Hangou Road side of the square stands a concise and striking memorial archway, highlighting the site’s commemorative significance. The central north-south axis of the square features an artistic landscape gravel strip symbolizing the ceaseless flow of the canal’s waters, with 27 irregularly placed landscape stones among the gravel representing the 27 bustling towns along the heritage sites of the canal. At the center of the square, 16 seal-shaped stone pillars have been erected, each representing one of the six waterways in the Yangzhou section of the canal heritage — including the ancient course of the Hangou Canal — and 10 heritage sites. The names of these sites are engraved on the tops of the pillars, emphasizing Yangzhou’s central role as the Canal Capital in the historical, economic, and cultural legacy of the entire canal. At the eastern end of the square’s east-west central axis stands a bronze sculpture of King Fuchai of Wu. The sculpture sits atop a base approximately 2.8 meters high, with the figure itself about 6 meters tall, bringing the total height to around 8.8 meters.

On September 29, 2015, the day of Yangzhou’s 2,500th founding anniversary celebration, in the presence of the city’s residents, Party Secretary Xie Zhengyi and Mayor Zhu Meyang unveiled the statue of King Fuchai of Wu at the newly built King Fuchai of Wu Square. They also held a ceremony called “Nine Locks Opened, Living Waters Nurture the City,” paying tribute to King Fuchai of Wu, the pioneer of the city’s founding.

The construction of King Fuchai of Wu Square not only expresses the people of Yangzhou’s reverence for the great achievements of King Fuchai of Wu in building the Han City, but also showcases to the world the city’s enduring historical connection and vibrant new prosperity passed down through generations. Since its completion, the square has attracted tens of thousands of visitors.