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Updated Monday, December 24, 2007 0:00 am TWN, By David Ting, CHANGSHU (常熟), Jiangsu, Special to The China Post

Reborn Shanghu mirrors tragic history of China

Square Tower dates back to the Song dynasty. (David Ting, special to The China Post)

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Reborn Shanghu mirrors tragic history of China

The city’s cultural richness is everywhere — from the soaring Square Tower (方塔) of the Song dynasty to the Mansion of Weng Tonghe (翁同和故居). Weng (1830-1904) was a preeminent Confucian scholar who tutored two Qing dynasty emperors — Tongzhi and Guangxu — after he won the coveted title of Zhuangyuan (状元), the top honor of the imperial examination for government service. For this reason, his residence was called Zhuangyuan Fu (状元府). Now the building has been designated by the State Council as Weng’s Memorial Museum, boasting the largest collection of documents, memorabilia and objects including Weng’s much-sought-after calligraphy. For all his scholastic achievements, Weng was remembered as a reformist who persuaded Emperor Guangxu to launch a reform campaign which ended in failure. For his involvement in the revisionist attempt, he was stripped of his power by the Empress Dowager and was sent home where he died shortly after his fall from grace.

Changshu is a famous “rice basket,” as its name, “always ripe,” indicates. It is known as a town of fish and rice — the abundance and affluence of which has fostered a culture of haute cuisine. Pan relayed an anecdote from 1947, when the Soong Sisters (宋氏姊妹) of the Nationalist era were attracted to Changshu by the city’s premier restaurant, Wang Si Jiu Jia (王四酒家). This 19th-century restaurant has been, and still is, the favorite for the rich and famous. Pan said the clay-wrapped “beggar’s chicken” (叫化鸡) was made famous by Wang Si Jiu Jia the same way Peking duck was made famous by Quanjude (全聚德).

The restaurant, spanning three centuries, is the epitome of culinary culture: a garden-like setting, exquisite food, and an air of cultural sophistication not to be found elsewhere. On the wall is the calligraphy of Weng Tonghe, as well as impromptu poems by some of the country’s greatest literary figures like Ba Jin (巴金) Feng Zikai (丰子恺) and Yi Junzuo (易君左).

Like many other cities endowed with a rich cultural and historical heritage, Changshu is not missing the bandwagon of the economic boom, as it is the country’s largest hub for garment trade.

Changshu is also reaching out to export Chinese culture to the West by establishing sister-city relationships; its newest sister is Burnaby, a Canadian town near Vancouver.

Changshu is embarking on a new beginning 40 years after the nightmare that saw the destruction of Shanghu and much of the city’s time-honored culture.

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