The Shenxiang area of Qigan Village in Dongbang Town began trial cultivation of grapes in 1985. After more than 20 years of development, the planting area has expanded from an initial 10-plus acres cultivated by 5 households to 719 acres today, of which 520 acres are in peak production. Grape varieties have diversified from the original Kyoho to include Kyoho Rose, Fragrant Moon, Summer Black, Yellow Honey, Fujiminori, Benihoppe…
Outside the bamboo a few peach blossoms blow, The spring river warms and ducks are the first to know. The reeds grow green and wild herbs carpet the ground, It’s just the time when pufferfish come round. Pufferfish belong to the class Actinopterygii, subclass Neopterygii, superorder Acanthopterygii, and order Tetraodontiformes. The dark-spotted pufferfish of the Yangtze River is most abundantly produced in the lower reaches of the river, where it is also most commonly farmed. Owing to its high economic value, it has been included as one of the high-yield, high-efficiency aquaculture species under three major projects in Jiangsu Province...
Celery, which thrives in wetlands near rivers and lakes, is also known as water celery. In Meili Town, there is a widely renowned celery-growing village—Mei Nan Village. As early as the beginning of the 1970s, local farmers started cultivating celery, which was even sold to nearby areas such as Suzhou at the time. After the reform and opening-up policy introduced the household responsibility system, the villagers of Mei Nan returned to their old trade. More and more households began growing water celery...
Bayrock Bayberries are a specialty of Yushan Town, Changshu City, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. These bayberries are juicy, sweet and tangy with a delicious flavor, rich in sugar and vitamin C, and highly nutritious. Besides being eaten fresh, they are also one of the main raw materials in the fruit processing industry. Bayberries, also known as "Longqing" or "Zhu Hong," get their name from their resemblance to waterberry fruits and their plum-like taste…
“Ten miles of verdant Yushan, osmanthus liquor heads to Beijing” — this was a folk song that circulated widely in the 1950s. The fine osmanthus wine from Changshu truly enjoys nationwide fame, even earning a mention in Chairman Mao’s poetry: “Wu Gang presents osmanthus wine.”
The knife fish boasts a delicious flavor but has many fine, troublesome bones. The knife fish from Fushan Port in Changshu is abundant and plump. In the year 1920, Zheng Xiaoliu, an experienced chef at Changshu’s “Shanjingyuan” restaurant, created a method to make boneless knife fish balls — making them easy to eat while preserving the original flavor of the fish. The fish balls are small and round, snow-white in color,…
Also known as stewed pot oil chicken, it is a traditional famous dish of Changshu Wangsi Restaurant. Yi Junzuo, the author of the Qing Dynasty book *Leisurely Talks on Yangzhou*, visited Xingfu Wangsi Restaurant and tasted the white liquor and yellow chicken. He was highly impressed and spontaneously composed a poem: “Among famed mountains, men of talent are most beloved; though the mind may not be empty, pavilions remain. The flavors at Wangsi Restaurant are exquisite—yellow chicken, white wine, tender spinach, and green herbs.” (The yellow chicken refers to the oil chicken). 1…
The famous Jiangsu Changshu dish “Clear Soup with Lung Removed” was created in 1920 by the renowned chef Zhu A’er from Shanjingyuan. It uses the internal organs of mackerel with the lungs removed as the main ingredient, and is cooked with ham, bamboo shoots, and shiitake mushrooms to make a clear soup. The fish broth is pale white, the fish liver is pinkish, the soup is rich and smooth, the fish liver is tender and crispy, and the flavor is fresh and fragrant. It is widely popular locally. …
Grown in Wu County, Jiangsu Province. Loquats are highly nutritious, containing protein, carbohydrates, fats, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin C, vitamin A, and other components. The organic acids in loquats can stimulate the secretion of digestive glands, enhance appetite, aid digestion, and also have the function of quenching thirst and relieving summer heat. "Loquat..." made from loquats...
Suzhou fans refer collectively to folding fans, sandalwood fans, silk palace fans, and paper round fans from Suzhou. They are renowned for their long history and exquisite craftsmanship. Folding fans are named for their ability to fold when closed, and since they are opened for use, they are also called "open fans." The fan ribs, also known as the frame, are primarily made of bamboo, but also include materials such as sandalwood, rosewood, boxwood, red sandalwood, ebony, chicken-wing wood...
Made from fresh jujubes sourced from Dongshan in Taihu Lake, Wu County—known for their large size, small pits, and tender, juicy flesh—these candied jujubes undergo nine meticulous processes: selection, scoring, washing, sugar boiling, cooling, drying, shaping, secondary drying, and honey glazing. The fresh jujubes used must be uniformly ripe (about 80% ripe) and consistent in size. Each jujube is scored with 50–70 fine lines, then boiled in sugar for 6…
Also known as mill-made silk strings. Made from natural silk, these strings are crafted through a traditional handcrafting process involving six steps: reeling, winding, twisting, smoking, gluing, and stretching. First, individual silk threads are sorted and combined into a single strand according to type and specification (ranging from 15 to 450 threads), a process referred to as reeling and winding. Then…
The Zhifang Fenglian Fruit & Horticulture Farm in Changshu City has a grape cultivation area of 280 mu. Since 2004, it has been engaged in the production of fresh table grapes. Its brand is called “Tang Jie,” and its owner is a woman named “Tang Yazhen.” In 2006, the “Tang Jie” vineyard entered its initial production phase, with an initial production area of 110 mu, yielding over 80,000 jin of fresh table grapes...
The Land of Yangmei — Taihu Dongting Mountain. Taihu East Dongting Mountain is located southeast of Wuxian County in Jiangsu Province. This area is a renowned fruit-growing region, famous for its abundant production of yangmei (Chinese bayberry), loquats, and other fruits, earning it the titles “Land of Yangmei” and “Land of Loquats.”…
Many famous shrimp dishes are found in Suzhou cuisine, such as stir-fried shrimp, shrimp in brine, shrimp balls, velveting shrimp, shrimp floss, rolled shrimp, and more. Shrimp with Scallops in Brine is a renowned dish in Suzhou around the Dragon Boat Festival season. The young green shrimp of early summer, especially the females, have bellies full of roe, which naturally possesses a rich umami flavor. This dish is prepared by boiling—simply fill a pot...
“Sweet and Sour Mandarin Fish” (Squirrel-Shaped) is a traditional famous dish from the Suzhou region and has long been considered a premium delicacy at banquets across the Jiangnan area. While dishes made with mandarin fish have existed in many places—typically prepared by steaming or braising—it was Suzhou that first created the version shaped like a squirrel. Legend has it that during one of his southern tours, Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty visited Suzhou incognito and dined at the Songhelou Restaurant...
The sandalwood fan has the unique quality of retaining its fragrance for years—even after being stored for ten or eight years, it still gives off a delicate scent. When summer is over, storing it in your wardrobe also helps repel insects and moths. Its styles include embossed patterns, hot-pressed designs, carved motifs, paintings, prints, inlays, and bone joining. The production process generally involves slicing, assembling, carving the sandalwood, mounting the surface, painting…
Dongting Red Oranges refer to a general term for the specialty oranges produced on East and West Dongting Mountains in Taihu Lake. They include over 10 varieties such as “Zao Hong” (Early Red), “Liao Hong” (Processed Red), and “Zhu Ju” (Red Tangerine), with an annual output ranging between 10,000 and 25,000 tons, accounting for about 85% of the total citrus production in the Taihu region (Jiangsu). The Dongting Mountains in Taihu Lake have long been a traditional citrus-producing area in China, boasting a long history of citrus cultivation. In the golden autumn, the hillsides of East and West Dongting Mountains are covered with orange trees laden with golden fruits, adorning the area in breathtaking splendor. The verse by the poet Bai Juyi: “At dusk, the water and sky merge into deep blue; tree shadows and sunset hues overlap thickly. Moonlight soaks the cold waves like thousands of acres of snow; frosted new oranges glow golden across myriad trees.” vividly captures the scenery during the peak season of Dongting’s red oranges. Oranges are rich in carbohydrates, vitamins, as well as fats, proteins, minerals, and other nutrients, making them highly nutritious. The Dongting Red Orange trees grow vigorously with tall canopies and possess good cold resistance, yielding high individual outputs. The oranges begin turning yellow after the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the Early Red variety ripens and hits the market by the end of October. Dongting Early Red Oranges come in two types: coarse-skinned and fine-skinned. The coarse-skinned type has less juice, a sweeter taste, but lower yield; the fine-skinned type has more juice, a slightly tangy flavor, and higher yield. Among the Dongting Red Oranges, the “Liao Hong” variety features uniformly sized fruits with a sweet taste, thin skin, and a later ripening period. These oranges can only be harvested after being touched by frost, and once picked, they can be stored until after the Spring Festival without any change in color, aroma, or flavor—qualities unmatched by other citrus fruits. In recent years, citrus production on East and West Dongting Mountains in Taihu Lake has developed rapidly. Especially with the introduction of superior seedless early-ripening and high-yield varieties, Dongting Red Oranges have become plump, fragrant, juicy, and perfectly balanced in sweetness and acidity, winning widespread popularity among consumers. (Suzhou)
The Eight-Treasure Cake is made from staple grains, cereals, and fats as its base ingredients, complemented by therapeutic foods as supplementary materials. The version produced by Suzhou Daoxiangcun uses a folk remedy prescription from the Qing Dynasty, selecting five food items that also serve medicinal purposes—such as Chinese yam, white hyacinth bean, Southern gorgon fruit, and cardamom—along with three traditional Chinese medicinal herbs, such as codonopsis. It helps stimulate appetite and prevent illness...
Suzhou-style mooncakes are a specialty of Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province. They are a traditional food of the Han Chinese during the Mid-Autumn Festival and a type of Suzhou-style pastry. Loved by the Han people in parts of northern Jiangsu and southern regions, they feature a flaky crust, attractive color, rich yet not greasy filling, and a tender, crumbly texture. The craftsmanship of making Suzhou-style mooncakes has been included in the “Intangible Cultural Heritage…”