"A comprehensive social and cultural history of Suzhou, China, a city often called 'China's Venice' and the source of artistic inspiration for poets and scholars for more than 2,000 years. Koss traces the source of its traditions and shows what makes Suzhou so special and beloved in the rapidly-modernizing China of today"-- Provided by publisher.

Birth of a city, and its mythology (514-473 BCE) -- Cultural connection: Kunqu Opera -- The city and its culture take shape (473 BCE-907 CE) -- Cultural connection: Buddhist temples and pagodas -- The city and its fame grow stronger (907-1344) -- Cultural connection: Confucian education and the civil service examination system -- Fateful decisions (1352-1368) -- The glorious Ming (1368-1644) -- Cultural connection: Literati and the Wu school of painting -- Paradise on Earth (1644-1850) -- Cultural connection: Classical Chinese gardens -- Paradise lost (1850-1865) -- The end of empire (1865-1911) -- Cultural connection: Suzhou embroidery -- Open and closed (1911-1976) -- Cultural connection: Suzhou Pingtan -- Capturing the past in the future (1976-present) -- Cultural connection: Suzhou in Western literature, cinema, and the arts -- Afterword -- Appendix: Selected English-Chinese and Pinyin-Chinese translations.