Located in scenic northwestern Jiangsu Province, Xuzhou (Xúzhōu, 徐州) is known for its historical military and geographical importance, and the abundance of Han Dynasty relics that have been found there.
Situated midway between Beijing and Shanghai, today Xuzhou is one of China's most important transportation hubs—its railway station is one of the largest in China and serves as a connecting point for the Jinghu, Longhai and Hasan railways that serve every corner of the country. The city itself is rather small and nondescript, but an afternoon of strolling the old downtown neighborhoods or by the river will take you deep into the heart of small town China with bustling wet markets, old men playing Chinese chess, butchers hacking up their wares on the streets or fotune-tellers ready to read your future—if you can understand the lingo, that is.
As part of effort to develop the local economy, the government has turned the city's glittering Yunlong Lake (Yúnlóng Hú, 云龙湖) into an attractive tourist destination à la Hangzhou's West Lake, complete with scenic walkways, willow-filled gardens, pretty pagodas and tea houses. And while Xuzhou may not have quite the literary canon of Hangzhou and Xi Hu, the city and surrounding area are certainly not short on history.
Formerly known as Pengcheng (Péngchéng, 彭城) during the Qin and Han dynasties, Xuzhou was the birthplace of Liu Bang—first emperor of the Han dynasty. Today the city’s museums are home to a staggering number of cultural artifacts from that period, including 200 (so far discovered) Han tombs, thousands of funerary objects and their very own set of beautifully preserved terracotta warriors. More Han cultural artifacts can be found at Guishan Han Tomb (Guī Shān Hàn Mù, 龟山汉墓), the Xuzhou Museum (Xúzhōu Bówùguǎn, 徐州博物馆) and the Xuzhou Folk-Custom Museum (Xúzhōu Mínsú Bówùguǎn, 徐州民俗博物馆).
If Chinese history is not your cup of tea, perhaps martial arts are, in which case, you'll be interested to know that the famous Wushu style is said to originate from the area.
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History
Known as Huaiyang during the Zhou Dynasty, a name stemming from the Huai River that flowed through it to the sea, Xuzhou started life as a collection of farming and fishing villages. Lying in the borderlands between the three Zhou vassal states of Chu, Wu and Xu, control of the Xuzhou area passed from Xu to Wu and by the Warring States Period was firmly part of the Kingdom of Chu, which moved its administration to the region in 278 BC after its previous capital (in modern day Hubei Province) was captured by the Qin.
As the birthplace of the first Han emperor, Liu Bang, Xuzhou became an important political, as well as geographical center. Liu Bang kept members of his family in trusted positions of power across the empire, but come 154 BC the third generation, Liu Wu, the ruler of the Kingdom of Chu, joined forces with six other Liu princes in a ferocious but ultimately unsuccessful challenge to the Han state known as the Rebellion of the Seven Princes. The defeated Liu Wu committed suicide and was hurriedly buried along with an army of clay figurines to accompany him to the afterlife, known today as the Terracotta Warriors of Xuzhou.
Over the centuries that followed, changes to the course of the great Yellow River, particularly during the Song Dynasty, would eventually silt up the Huai River estuary, changing the geography of the area forever. Previously fertile plains became barren, and new highland lakes and flood plains were created as the river could no longer reach the sea. In 1556, the flooding caused by this build up of silt resulted in the construction of the New Nanyang Grand Canal, diverting a section of the legendary Grand Canal waterway to now run from Shandong's Nanyang Town (Nányáng Zhèn, 南阳镇) to Gaolou village, just north of Xuzhou. Now known as the Middle Canal (Zhōngjiān Yùnhé, 中间运河), parts of this course are still in use today.
In 1948, the area once again came to prominence as the site of the Huaihai Campaign. A defining moment in the Chinese Civil War, this bloody battle saw the destruction of 550,000 Nationalist troops, a result that left Chiang Kai Shek politically and militarily weakened, which ultimately led to his to his resignation and the collapse of the Kuomintang on the Mainland.
Climate
Located in the southeast of the North China Plain, Xuzhou's climate is sub-tropical and very humid. The city experiences long, hot summers and temperate spring and autumn periods. Snow does sometimes occur in winter, but heavy precipitation is rare. Average daily temperatures range from 0.4 °C (32.7 °F) in January to 27.1 °C (80.8 °F) in July. Early spring is the best time to visit Xuzhou, since most rainfall occurs from May to September.
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Due to its central location between north and south China, food in Xuzhou draws from a number of different places when it comes to both ingredients and cooking styles. It is more heavily influenced by the cuisine of Shandong, particularly Jinan, than its native Jiangsu, with light flavors featuring lots of soups.
One of the best known Xuzhou specialties is sha soup (shí tā tāng, 饣它汤). A glutinous soup made from eel, chicken (originally pheasant), beans and lots of black pepper, the best place to find it is in on Ma Sha Street (Mǎ Shì Jiē, 马市街), where lines of wizened old men will rock up for breakfast and dinner, with their own bowls in hand. The story goes that the soup got its unusual name when the Emperor tasted it and asked the chef, "Shénme Tāng?" (什么汤?) or "What is the soup?" Misunderstanding, the chef he thought he was renaming the soup, hence its similar sounding name. When pronouncing the name of the soup, the syllables shí and tā are blended together, thus sounding like "sha." Bǎzi ròu (把子肉), a concoction of pork belly and other items stewed up into a thick soup, is another popular broth.
One local hit that will not sit well with all travelers is dog meat. It is used in a number of dishes such as yuán zhī gǒuròu (鼋汁狗肉), a canine version of pulled pork. Those brave enough to try it claim the cooked flesh is actually very tender and flavorful. The meat is quite stringy and usually torn apart by hand instead of being cut with a knife. Animal lovers and those with a sensitive disposition should avert their eyes when passing street side stalls or restaurants serving this kind of dish as the preparation isn't pretty: the hanging dog carcasses are distinctly recognizable, and have their fur burned off with a blow torch.
Dishes that will perhaps prove more ethically-palatable to many include varius types of de guō (地锅)—iron-pot dishes where chicken, fish, lamb or pork and vegetables are braised in a deep black skillet with a spicy sauce and served with pieces of warm, flat bread on the side or on top. In July the city celebrates the Fuyang Festival (Fúyáng Jié 伏羊节). Related to the summer solstice and the fruits of the farms, festivities continue throughout the month and involve eating lots of lamb meat and and lamb soups.
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