Guangfu Town is blessed with the “enchanting landscape of lakes, hills and caves.” It enjoys honorary titles such as “China’s Famous Historic and Cultural Town,” “Town with Beautiful Environment in China,” “National Health Town,” “Town of Flowers and Trees in China,” “Town of Carving Art in China,” and “National Double Support Town in Suzhou.” The Guangfu Scenic Area, one of the 13 national Taihu Lake scenic areas, is a national 4A-level tourist attraction.
Guangfu is formerly known as Zili, Huxi and Dengwei. With a resident population of 48,000, the town has 7 administrative villages, 3 communities, and a total of 149 natural villages.
Guangfu is located in the west suburbs of Suzhou, perching on the edge of Taihu Lake. It is 28 kilometers away from the centre of Suzhou’s old city area. The town borders Mudu in the east, the Taihu National Tourist Resort in the south, Taihu Lake in the west and Suzhou New District in the north.
The Local History
In the 26th year of Emperor Ying Zheng’s reign of the Qin Dynasty (221 BC), the former capital of Wu State was set as Wu County, and Guangfu was under its jurisdiction. In the 11th year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign of the Qing Dynasty (1746), the Guangfu Inspection and Patrol Office was established. The town was liberated on April 27, 1949 and in May, Guangfu was incorporated to Mudu District. Guangfu Town People’s Government was founded in 1983. In 1985, the township was abolished and Guangfu became a town. In August 2001, Taihu Town was restructured to be a part of Guangfu Town.
Tourist Attractions
Guangfu has been an excellent tourist destination with beautiful landscape and numerous places of interest even since ancient times. In recent years, the town has endeavored to apply the overall design of the local tourist industry, which led to the success of the Xiangxuehai Plum Blossom Festival and the Taihu Fishing Festival. The annual Plum Blossom Festival has now become a signature event for Guangfu and even Suzhou’s tourist industry.
Xiangxuehai
Guangfu has a long history of plum cultivation which began in the Southern Song Dynasty and extended through the Ming and Qing Dynasties to the present. Every February when the plum trees on and around the Dengwei Mountain are in full bloom, the area resembles a snowy sea, and hence was given the name Xiangxuehai (meaning “fragrant snow sea”). In 2011 and 2016, “Deng Wei Tan Mei” (meaning “appreciating plum blossoms at Dengwei”) was successively included as a programme into the Representative Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Suzhou and Jiangsu Province.
The Tongguanyin Temple
The Tongguanyin Temple (meaning “the Copper Avalokitesvara Temple”), originally named the Guangfu Temple, is in Xiajie Street at the southern foot of the Guishan Mountain in Guangfu. It was built in the second year of the Tianjian era of the Liang Dynasty (503). In 1995, the Tongguanyin Temple, the Guangfusi Bridge, and the Guangfu Pagoda were listed as key cultural relics units under provincial protection. Today, the Tongguanyin Temple hosts quite a number of ancient buildings and cultural relics units, including the Archway, the Guangfusi Bridge, the Fanzhuan Bridge, the Buddhist Pillars erected in the Tang Dynasty, the Guhuangmen Temple, the Tianwang Temple, the Main Hall, the Tongguanyin Hall, a copper statue of Avalokitesvara, the Xifang Hall, the Stele Gallery, and the Guangfu Pagoda, etc.
The Sheng’en Temple
The Sheng’en Temple is located at the foot of the Xuanmu Mountain in the southwest of Guangfu Town. The Tianshou Temple was built during the Tianbao era of the Tang Dynasty (742—755). During the Baoyou era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1253-1258), the Sheng’en Temple was constructed. The two temples stand parallel and form a pleasant view in the town. During Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong’s reigns of the Qing Dynasty, the Sheng’en Temple was in its heyday and became one of the five famous temples in the country. In the 1950s, the Sheng’en Temple was listed as a key cultural relics unit under provincial protection.
The Situ Temple
The Situ Temple is in Xiangxue Village in the west of Guangfu Town. It is a temple dedicated to Deng Yu, the Prime Minister of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Some buildings of the old temple can still be found in the village now, which include two successive courtyards with over 20 rooms. The temple features the layout of a traditional Chinese courtyard with a wall door in front and a pair of stone lions on either side of the gate. Upon entry, along the axis of the layout is the main gate and then the main hall.
In the east part of the Situ Temple, there is a court which homes four ancient cypress trees, known as Gu Bai Yuan (meaning “the garden of ancient cypress trees”). The four trees are respectively named “Qing, Qi, Gu, Guai” (meaning “pure, peculiar, old, weird”). It is said that these cypress trees were planted by Deng Yu himself. Since they all have their unique postures, Emperor Qianlong bestowed the names “Qing, Qi, Gu, and Guai” upon them. The corridors along the left and right sides of this courtyard are embedded with inscriptions of the Shurangama Sutra and the Diamond Sutra. They have been listed as a key cultural relics unit under provincial protection of Jiangsu.
Landscape
The Grand Canal, the Muguang Canal and other rivers as well as lakes scatter around Guangfu. There are over 20 hills and mountains of varied scales within the town, including the Dengwei Mountain, the Xuanmu Mountain, the Anshan Mountain, the Hushan Mountain, and the Guishan Mountain.
Youhu Lake: Located in the northwest of Guangfu, it is one of the “five lakes” in the Taihu Lake area. The lake was thus named after Helv, King of Wu State, who once visited the place.
Dongyan Lake: Located in the southeast of Guangfu, the lake borders Lingtangan to the north and connects with the Muguang Canal to the east.
The Dengwei Mountain: The mountain stands in the southwest of Guangfu. It is named after Deng Yu, the Prime Minister of the Eastern Han Dynasty, since he once lived here in seclusion.
The Xuanmu Mountain: Dengwei Mountain and Xuanmu Mountain are actually the northern and southern parts of the same mountain. At the southern foot of the mountain sits the Sheng’en Temple.
Local Specialties
Guangfu is not only a town known for its fishery, flowers and trees but also as the birthplace of traditional handicrafts such as Suzhou-style embroidery, nut or nutting carving, jade carving, and mahogany carving.
Fishermen’s Customs
Boat folks in the Taihu Lake area have been used to take boats as their homes and fishing as their livelihood. They have acquired their unique customs for marriage and sacrifice rituals for divine beings and for their ancestor over thousands of years. On the Pingtai Mountain there sits the Yuwang Temple. There has been an annual temple fair at the Temple since the Ming Dynasty. The fair has retained the folk beliefs, traditional cultural and many sacred songs with features of fishermen’s life in the Taihu Lake area.
The Taihu Open Fishing Festival
Before the open season of Taihu Lake begins every September 1, the China (Suzhou) Taihu Open Fishing Ceremony will be held at Taihu Fishing Port in Guangfu. During the festival, various traditional fishing customs will also be reproduced. The festival has a positive impact on the excavation and protection of fishing customs and culture in the Taihu Lake region. Therefore, it is not only a tourism product but also a chance to showcase the local culture.
Sweet-scented Osmanthus
Yaoshang Village of Guangfu Town is known for its sweet-scented osmanthus. Almost every household in Yaoshang grows osmanthus, which cover the surrounding slopes. From mid-September to early October every year, the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms in Yaoshang are so pervasive that it can drive for dozens of miles. Fresh osmanthus blossoms can be processed into preserved osmanthus of its original flavor, savoury osmanthus, and osmanthus syrup. Moreover, they can be brewed into osmanthus wine and made into osmanthus flower tea.
Bayberries
Guangfu is a major producing area for bayberries. Its production bases include such villages as Yaoshang, Tandong, Tongkeng, and Anshan. Guangfu is home to a variety of bayberries, among which Tianshan and Xidi enjoy the greatest popularity.
Loquats
The cultivation of loquats in Guangfu began in the late Tang Dynasty. The key production base is Yaoshang Village. The over 30 varieties of local loquats fall into two categories: Baisha and Hongsha, of which Basha is most popular. Loquats are available from the mid to the end of every May. They are fresh, juicy, and highly nutritious.
Suzhou-Style Embroidery
Guangfu is one of the places where Suzhou embroidery originates and is produced. According to The Chronicles of Guangfu, “women engage themselves in sericulture and embroidery.” “Embroidery in the State of Wu is mainly made in Guangfu.” The stitches of Suzhou embroidery can be divided into two basic categories: random stitches and even stitches. In terms of their functions, embroidery products can be divided into embroidered items for daily use, embroidered clothing, and artistic works. Suzhou-style embroidery features exquisite designs, meticulous needlework, lively stitches, refined colors, and distinct local colour.
Kesi (Silk Weaving)
Kesi (or silk weaving) is an ancient craftsmanship. Kesi in Guangfu began in the Southern Song Dynasty. Before their completion, Kesi pieces undergo 16 procedures. For each piece, the shuttle needs to thread through the warps and wefts for tens of thousands of times. Suzhou’s Kesi was selected as a unit into the first batch of National Intangible Cultural Heritage List in May 2006. As a traditional Chinese silk tapestry-making technique, it was selected as a unit into UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List in September 2009.
Nut Carving
Nut carving in Guangfu has a long history and is characteristic of exquisite craftsmanship. There are three major carving techniques, namely relief carving, round carving, and hollow carving.
When the carving has been completed, the nut or fruit stone still retains its original shape. The art of nut carving has two major schools — the Yin School and the Xu School. Guangfu’s nut carving features superb workmanship and a refined style. Nut carving works made in Guangfu have high artistic, technical, practical and collecting value. In 2008, Guangfu’s nut carving was selected as a unit in the second batch for the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
Jade Carving
Guangfu’s jade carving is a branch of the art of jade carving in the Suzhou area. As early as the Song and Yuan Dynasties, there were jade carving studios in Guangfu. The major jade carving techniques adopted in Guangfu include “cutting” and “polishing.” Jade works thus carved are lively and vivid. In 2016, Suzhou jade carving craftsmanship was selected into the fourth batch of units into the Intangible Cultural Heritage List under provincial protection, with Guangfu designated as its protective unit.
Mahogany carving
Mahogany carving in Guangfu has a long history. The carved pieces have simple shapes and smooth outlines with excellent workmanship, which are clear expressions of the typical Suzhou style. In 2016, Suzhou’s mahogany carving became one in the fourth batch of units into the Intangible Cultural Heritage List under provincial protection, with Guangfu assigned as its protective unit.
