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Shantang Street ( Chinese : 山塘街 ; pinyin : Shāntáng Jiē ; Suzhou Wu : Se daon ka, Wu Chinese pronunciation: [se̞ dɑ̃ kɑ] ), also known as Seven- li Shantang ( Chinese : 七里山塘 ), is a street in northwestern Gusu District , Suzhou , Jiangsu , China . The street connects Changmen ( Chinese : 阊门 ) in the east with Huqiu in the west, with a total length of about 3,829.6 meters (2.38 miles), or a little more than seven li or traditional "Chinese miles". Due to the great history and events involving Shantang Street it is sometimes stated as being the "First Street in Shuzou".

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83-654: In 2015, the Shantang Street Scenic Area was added to the list of China's "National Historic and Cultural Streets". Construction of the Shantang Canal (Chinese: 山塘河 ) started in 825 AD, during the Tang Dynasty by Bai Juyi , a poet and the Cishi (modern-day equivalent of the prefectural governor) of Suzhou, to provide a link between Huqiu and the city. The sludge that was dug out from

166-481: A sub-provincial city ): The ten prefecture-level cities of Shaanxi are subdivided into 107 county-level divisions (30 districts , four county-level cities , and 73 counties ). The politics of Shaanxi is structured in a triple party-government system like all other governing institutions in mainland China. The Governor of Shaanxi is the highest-ranking official in the People's Government of Shaanxi. However, in

249-402: A bedridden invalid for several months. After his partial recovery, he spent his final years arranging his Collected Works, which he presented to the main monasteries of those localities in which he had spent time. In 846, Bai Juyi died, leaving instructions for a simple burial in a grave at the monastery, with a plain style funeral, and to not have a posthumous title conferred upon him. He has

332-451: A bit poor ( 立部賤,坐部貴 ). In Bai Juyi's time, those two performances were full of foreign music, the Yayue ( 雅樂 , literally: "elegant music") was no longer be performed in those two sections. The Yayue music was only performed by the players who were eliminated from those two sections ( 立部又退何所任,始就樂懸操雅音 ). This poem shows the culture changing in the middle Tang dynasty and the decline of Yayue,

415-546: A form of classical music and dance performed at the royal court and temples In those two poems of Bai reflected the situation of political and culture in the middle Tang dynasty after the An Lushan Rebellion, and he was concerned that the popularity of foreign music could lead the Tang society into chaos. The pipa in the poems of Bai Juyi represents the expression of love, the action of communicating, and especially

498-655: A government official, at Zhouzhi , which was not far from Chang'an (and also in Shaanxi province). He was made a member (scholar) of the Hanlin Academy , in 807, and Reminder of the Left from 807 until 815, except when in 811 his mother died, and he spent the traditional three-year mourning period again along the Wei River, before returning to court in the winter of 814, where he held the title of Assistant Secretary to

581-428: A group of poets who rejected the courtly style of the time and emphasized the didactic function of literature, Bai believing that every literary work should contain a fitting moral and a well-defined social purpose. That makes him not satisfied with cultural performance styles of Tang court. For instance, in his work of Faqu ge ( 法曲歌 ), translated as Model Music , is a poem regard to a kind of performing art, he made

664-581: A major role in China's burgeoning aircraft and aerospace industries, producing more than 50% of the R&;D and manufacturing equipment for the country's domestic commercial air industry. Nominal GDP for 2011 was 1,239 billion RMB ( US$ 196.7 billion) and GDP per capita was 21,729 RMB (US$ 3,179), ranking 17th in the PRC. In the first half of 2019, Shaanxi's total production value reached 1,162.557 billion yuan,

747-501: A timely manner; and, on July 13, 815, before dawn, the Tang Prime Minister Wu Yuanheng was set to go to the palace for a meeting with Emperor Xianzong. As he left his house, arrows were fired at his retinue. His servants all fled, and the assassins seized Wu Yuanheng and his horse, and then decapitated him, taking his head with them. The assassins also attacked another official who favored the campaign against

830-731: A tomb monument in Longmen, situated on Xiangshan across the Yi River from the Longmen cave temples in the vicinity of Luoyang , Henan . It is a circular mound of earth 4 metres (13 ft) high and 52 metres (171 ft) in circumference, with a 2.8-metre (9 ft 2 in) tall monument inscribed "Bai Juyi". Bai Juyi has been known for his plain, direct, and easily comprehensible style of verse, as well as for his social and political criticism. Besides his surviving poems, several letters and essays are also extant. He collected his writings in

913-629: A variety of climates. Under the Köppen climate classification , the northern parts , including the Loess Plateau, have either a cold arid (Köppen BWk ) or cold semi-arid (Köppen BSk ), with cold and very dry winters, dry springs and autumns, and hot, humid summers. The area known as Guanzhong is mostly semi-arid, though there are a few areas with a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa ), with cool to cold winters, and hot, humid summers that often see early-season heatwaves. The southern portion

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996-474: A writer of verse in a low-key, near vernacular style that was popular throughout medieval East Asia. Bai was also influential in the historical development of Japanese literature , where he is better known by the on'yomi reading of his courtesy name, Haku Rakuten ( shinjitai : 白楽天). His younger brother Bai Xingjian was a short story writer. Among his most famous works are the long narrative poems " Chang Hen Ge " ("Song of Everlasting Sorrow"), which tells

1079-547: A year-on-year increase of 5.4%. The added value of the primary industry was 55.319 billion yuan, an increase of 4.5%; the second industry was 557.935 billion yuan, an increase of 4.2%; the tertiary industry was 549.303 billion yuan, an increase of 6.8%. Established in 1992, Baoji Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone was approved as a national hi-tech zone by the State Council. It has a long-term planned area of 40 km (15 sq mi). The transportation system around

1162-488: Is " Chang hen ge " ("Song of Everlasting Sorrow"), a long narrative poem that tells the story of the famous Tang dynasty concubine Yang Guifei and her relationship with Emperor Xuanzong of Tang . Han's sovereign prized the beauty of flesh, he longed for such as ruins domains; For many years he ruled the Earth and sought for one in vain. A daughter there was of the house of Yang, just grown to maturity, Raised deep in

1245-630: Is "The Song of the Pipa Player". Like Du Fu , Bai had a strong sense of social responsibility and is well known for his satirical poems, such as The Elderly Charcoal Seller . Also he wrote about military conflicts during the Tang dynasty. Poems like "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" were examples of the peril in China during the An Lushan rebellion. Bai Juyi also wrote intensely romantic poems to fellow officials with whom he studied and traveled. These speak of sharing wine, sleeping together, and viewing

1328-469: Is a national high-tech zone. It is surrounded by national highways and it is 30 minutes from Xi'an-Xianyang International Airport. Furthermore, it is ranked in the top three high-tech zones in China. Xi'an Software Park, established in December 1998, is the professional park for Xi'an to develop scale software and service outsourcing industries. The park has been appraised as a software industry base under

1411-459: Is a new economic zone composing the three major city-level economies of Western China: Xi'an , Chongqing and Chengdu . It is believed that the addition of Xi'an to the Triangle will spur economic growth in the region and allow the city an opportunity to capitalize on the commercial potential of its high-technology industries. Established in 1993, Xi'an Economic and Technology Development Zone

1494-592: Is much more humid and lies in the humid subtropical zone, with more temperate winters and long, hot, humid summers. Annual mean temperature is roughly between 8 and 16 °C (46 and 61 °F), with January temperatures ranging from −11 to 3.5 °C (12.2 to 38.3 °F) and July temperatures ranging from 21 to 28 °C (70 to 82 °F). Besides the provincial capital of Xi'an, other cities include: Baoji , Hanzhong , Lintong , Tongchuan , Xianyang , Yan'an and Ankang . Shaanxi consists of ten prefecture-level divisions : all prefecture-level cities (including

1577-726: Is one of the four great ancient capitals of China and is the eastern terminus of the Silk Road , which leads to Europe, the Arabian Peninsula, and Africa. The region was briefly governed as the Three Qins after the fall of the Qin dynasty . This is the origin of one of Shaanxi's two abbreviations, 秦 ( Qin ), the other being 陝 ( Shaan ). Then it was conquered by Liu Bang during the Chu-Han Contention . Under

1660-531: Is one of the centers of ancient Chinese civilization. The central part of Shaanxi, known as Guanzhong , where the provincial capital Xi'an is located, is more populous compared to the others ( Shaannan and Shaanbei ), Religion in Shaanxi The predominant religions in Shaanxi are Chinese folk religions , Taoist traditions and Chinese Buddhism . According to surveys conducted in 2007 and 2009, 7.58% of

1743-525: Is one of the main characters of the 2017 Chinese fantasy film Legend of the Demon Cat , where he is portrayed by Huang Xuan . It the movie, the poet is solving a murder mystery and struggles to finish his famous poem, "Song of Everlasting Regret." The American poet, Allen Ginsberg , wrote "Reading Bai Juyi" during his 1984 trip to China. The poem was written in Shanghai over the course of one day and

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1826-521: The Dali regnal era (766-779) of Emperor Daizong of Tang . He had a long and successful career both as a government official and a poet, although these two facets of his career seemed to have come in conflict with each other at certain points. Bai Juyi was also a devoted Chan Buddhist . Bai Juyi was born in 772 in Taiyuan , Shanxi , which was then a few miles from location of the modern city, although he

1909-552: The Gwoyeu Romatzyh transcription (1928) for 陝 , "Sh aa n". Nonetheless, the vowels and consonants of shǎn 陝 and shān 山 are distinguished in the more conservative Jin Chinese languages native to the two provinces, as shown on the chart to the right (refer to IPA for Jin Chinese for further information). This conservative phonology is reflected in the historical spelling of Shaanxi, " Shensi ", known to

1992-603: The Qinling Mountains , where the majority of Shaanxi's population reside. Southern Shaanxi comprises the three prefectural cities in the edge of the historical Bashu region south of the Qinling Mountains and includes the three mountainous cities of Hanzhong , Ankang and Shangluo . The area comprising Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Henan formed the cradle of Chinese civilization. During the Republican era ,

2075-721: The Tangut -led Western Xia contested their border in Shaanxi. Western Xia found the Luōwùchéng (罗兀城) frontier fort in 1071 but was taken by Song in 1081. Under the Ming dynasty , Shaanxi was established with the founding of the Shaanxi Provincial Administration Commission in 1376, whose administration also included the modern provinces of Gansu , Ningxia , and part of Qinghai . During this dynasty, most visitors from Central and West Asia entered

2158-616: The 16th-largest in China. Xi'an  – which includes the sites of the former capitals Fenghao and Chang'an  – is the provincial capital and largest city in Northwest China and also one of the oldest cities in China and the oldest of the Four Ancient Capitals , being the capital for the Western Zhou , Western Han , Jin , Sui and Tang dynasties . Xianyang , which served as

2241-672: The Dukes of Shao and Zhou marked their borders along Shan plateau ( 陝塬 , now Zhanbian plateau). In Chinese typing , the toponym 陝 often got mixed up with "valley" 陜 (note: distinguish 㚒 and 夾 ). Simplified characters merged the two as 陕 . The alphabet rendering of Shaanxi 陝西 and its neighboring province Shanxi 山西 are troublesome in Beijing Mandarin because their pronunciation differs only in tone (rendered as Sh ǎ nxī and Sh ā nxī in pinyin transcription, 1958). To avoid confusion, mainland China recognized

2324-630: The Europeans in the 18th century. "Shensi" was recognized in the 1906 Chinese postal romanization . "Shensi" continued to be popular until 1987 when the PRC banned pre-PRC romanizations. Shaanxi is considered one of the cradles of Chinese civilization. Thirteen feudal dynasties established their capitals in the province during a span of more than 1,100 years, from the Zhou dynasty to the Tang dynasty. The province's principal city and current capital, Xi'an ,

2407-470: The Han Daqu-the original form of Daqu. Tang culture was an amalgamation of the culture of the ethnic Han majority, the culture of the " Western Region " ( 西域 ), and Buddhism . The conflict between the mainstream Han culture and minority culture exposed after the An Lushan Rebellion. The alien culture was so popular and it had seriously threatened the status of Han culture. Musical performances at

2490-876: The Han dynasty, the Northern Silk Road was expanded to advance exploration and military purposes to the west. This Northern Silk Road is the northernmost of the Silk Roads and is about 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi) in length. It connected the ancient Chinese capital of Xi'an to the west over the Wushao Ling Pass to Wuwei and emerging in Kashgar before linking to ancient Parthia . The Xiongnu -led kingdom Northern Xia (407–431) set its capital in Tongwancheng . The Northern Song dynasty and

2573-549: The Japanese god of poetry repelling the Chinese poet from Japan, in opposition to Bai's (perceived) challenge to the country's poetic autonomy. Bai Juyi was known for his interest in the old yuefu form of poetry, which was a typical form of Han poetry , namely folk ballad verses, collected or written by the Music Bureau . These were often a form of social protest. And, in fact, writing poetry to promote social progress

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2656-846: The Moon and mountains. One friend, Yu Shunzhi, sent Bai a bolt of cloth as a gift from a far-off posting, and Bai Juyi debated on how best to use the precious material: About to cut it to make a mattress, pitying the breaking of the leaves; about to cut it to make a bag, pitying the dividing of the flowers. It is better to sew it, making a coverlet of joined delight; I think of you as if I'm with you, day or night. Bai's works were also highly renowned in Japan, and many of his poems were quoted and referenced in The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu . Zeami Motokiyo also quoted from Bai, in his Noh plays , and even wrote one, Haku Rakuten , about

2739-568: The National Torch Program, national software industry base, national software export base, city demonstrational area of national service outsourcing base. It is one of the four parks with "double bases" of software in China. Xi'an Software Park assembles 90% of enterprises engaging in software and service outsourcing in Xi'an. There were nearly 780 companies, of which foreign-funded enterprises account for 170, and over 71,000 jobholders in

2822-521: The People's Government of Shaanxi was established in Xi'an . Ma Minfang was then appointed as the first Governor of Shaanxi. As of the mid-19th century, Shaanxi exported animal skins, wine, liquor, and musk . Money loans were also common, with Shaanxi business people involved in the Guangzhou loan business. Shaanxi commonly imported European animal skins, watches, Chinese language books, and cloth. Shaanxi

2905-462: The Prince's Tutor. It was not a high-ranking position, but nevertheless one which he was soon to lose. While serving as a minor palace official in 814, Bai managed to get himself in official trouble. He made enemies at court and with certain individuals in other positions. It was partly his written works which led him into trouble. He wrote two long memorials, translated by Arthur Waley as "On Stopping

2988-692: The Shaanxi Lu (circuit), governed from modern Xi'an in 997. The Yuan dynasty established Shaanxi Province (Yuan dynasty) , governed by a Branch Secretariat in 1286. After the founding of the Qing dynasty, Gansu was split from Shaanxi, but both provinces were governed under the Viceroy of Shaan-Gan . The Lantian Man site, with hominin fossils from approximately one million years ago, was found in Lantian County in northwestern Shaanxi province, near

3071-442: The Tang court are of two types: seated performances ( 坐部 ) and standing performances ( 立部 ). Seated performances were conducted in smaller halls with a limited number of dancers, and emphasized refined artistry. Standing performances involves numerous dancers, and were usually performed in courtyards or squares intended for grand presentations. Bai's another poem, Libuji ( 立部伎 ), translated as Standing Section Players , reflected

3154-606: The War", regarding what he considered to be an overly lengthy campaign against a minor group of Tatars ; and he wrote a series of poems, in which he satirized the actions of greedy officials and highlighting the sufferings of the common folk. At this time, one of the post- An Lushan warlords ( jiedushi ), Wu Yuanji in Henan , had seized control of Zhangyi Circuit (centered in Zhumadian ), an act for which he sought reconciliation with

3237-470: The Xiangshan Monastery, at Longmen , about 7.5 miles south of Luoyang. Bai Juyi moved to this location, and began to refer to himself as the "Hermit of Xiangshan". This area, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site , is famous for its tens of thousands of statues of Buddha and his disciples carved out of the rock. In 839, he experienced a paralytic attack, losing the use of his left leg, and became

3320-736: The anthology called the Bai Zhi Wen Ji  [ zh ] . One of the most prolific of the Tang poets, Bai Juyi wrote over 2,800 poems , which he had copied and distributed to ensure their survival. They are notable for their relative accessibility: it is said that he would rewrite any part of a poem if one of his servants was unable to understand it. The accessibility of Bai Juyi's poems made them extremely popular in his lifetime, in both China and Japan , and they continue to be read in these countries today. His writings are also popular in Korea and Vietnam . One of Bai's most famous poems

3403-441: The capital of the Qin dynasty (221–202 BC), is just north across the Wei River. The other prefecture -level cities into which the province is divided are Ankang , Baoji , Hanzhong , Shangluo , Tongchuan , Weinan , Yan'an and Yulin . The province is geographically divided into three parts, namely Northern (or " Shaanbei "), Central ("Shaanzhong") and Southern Shaanxi (or " Shaannan "). Northern Shaanxi makes up

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3486-495: The capital. He then served in various official posts in the capital, and then again as prefect/governor, this time in Henan , the province in which Luoyang was located. It was in Henan that his first son was born, though only to die prematurely the next year. In 831 Yuan Zhen died. For the next thirteen years, Bai Juyi continued to hold various nominal posts but actually lived in retirement. In 832, Bai Juyi repaired an unused part of

3569-882: The city of Yan'an was near the endpoint of the Long March by the Chinese Red Army , who fled from Jiangxi after the Chinese Soviet Republic were destroyed by the Kuomintang armies, and became the birthplace of the Chinese Communist Revolution from late 1935 to early 1947 and the Communists formed the Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region in constituent parts of Shaanxi. The vast majority of

3652-657: The city of Xi'an. Scientists classify Lantian Man as a subspecies of Homo erectus . The fossils are displayed at the Shaanxi History Museum , Xi'an, China. The geography of the area is described as being part of the Ordos Desert in the north along the border with Inner Mongolia, the Loess Plateau in the central part of the province, the Qin Mountains (Qinling) running east to west in

3735-427: The construction formed a dam along the north bank of the canal known as Baigong Dam (Chinese: 白公堤 ) in honor of Bai Juyi. A street was then built on the dam, which later became the modern-day Shantang Street. Along with Pingjiang Road , the street was declared a Historical and cultural block of China (Chinese: 中国历史文化街区 ) in 2015. Today, it is a popular tourist destination with visitors being attracted by

3818-546: The construction of a causeway to allow walking on foot, instead of requiring the services of a boat. A causeway in the West Lake (Baisha Causeway, 白沙堤) was later referred to as Bai Causeway in Bai Juyi's honor, but the original causeway built by Bai Juyi named Baigong Causeway ( 白公堤 ) no longer exists. In 824, Bai Juyi's commission as governor expired, and he received the nominal rank of Imperial Tutor, which provided more in

3901-592: The country via Shaanxi. One of the most devastating earthquakes in history occurred near Hua Shan in southeastern Shaanxi on January 23, 1556, killing an estimated 830,000 people (see 1556 Shaanxi earthquake ). The end of the short-lived Jiangxi Soviet signaled the beginning of the Long March by Mao Zedong and the Chinese Communists to the Shaanxi Soviet at Yan'an. The administrative evolution of Shaanxi: The Northern Song established

3984-525: The final section is a "transformation" (Ginsberg's description) of a poem by Bai. Shaanxi Shaanxi is a province in Northwestern China . It borders the province-level divisions of Inner Mongolia to the north, Shanxi and Henan to the east, Hubei , Chongqing , and Sichuan to the south, and Gansu and Ningxia to the west. Shaanxi covers an area of over 205,000 km (79,000 sq mi) with about 37 million people,

4067-420: The following statement: "All the faqu's now are combined with songs from the barbarians ; but the barbarian music sounds evil and disordered whereas Han music sounds harmonious!" ( 法曲法曲合夷歌,夷聲邪亂華聲和 ) Faqu is a kind of performing style of Yanyue, a part of court music performance. In this poem, Bai Juyi strongly criticized Tang Daqu, which was itself heavily influenced by some nonnative musical elements absent in

4150-572: The heritage nature of the buildings and the various old stone bridges. This Suzhou -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Bai Juyi Bai Juyi (also Bo Juyi or Po Chü-i ; Chinese : 白居易 ; 772–846), courtesy name Letian (樂天), was a Chinese musician, poet, and politician during the Tang dynasty . Many of his poems concern his career or observations made about everyday life, including as governor of three different provinces. He achieved fame as

4233-428: The imperial government, trying to get an imperial pardon as a necessary prerequisite. Despite the intercession of influential friends, Wu was denied, thus officially putting him in the position of rebellion. Still seeking a pardon, Wu turned to assassination, blaming the Prime Minister, Wu Yuanheng , and other officials: the imperial court generally began by dawn, requiring the ministers to rise early in order to attend in

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4316-410: The law to bring this under control." Bai was also criticized for his "carelessness and repetitiveness", especially his later works. He was nevertheless placed by Tang poet Zhang Wei ( 張爲 ) in his Schematic of Masters and Followers Among the Poets ( 詩人主客圖 ) at the head of his first category: "extensive and grand civilizing power". Burton Watson says of Bai Juyi: "he worked to develop a style that

4399-426: The lead before offering his own criticism. This was not the only charge which his opponents used against him. His mother had died, apparently caused by falling into a well while looking at some flowers, and two poems written by Bai Juyi — the titles of which Waley translates as "In Praise of Flowers" and "The New Well" — were used against him as a sign of lack of Filial Piety , one of the Confucian ideals. The result

4482-464: The market place." Bai's poetry was immensely popular in his own lifetime, but his popularity, his use of vernacular, the sensual delicacy of some of his poetry, led to criticism of him being "common" or "vulgar". In a tomb inscription for Li Kan ( 李戡 ), a critic of Bai, poet Du Mu wrote, couched in the words of Li Kan: "...It has bothered me that ever since the Yuanhe Reign we have had poems by Bai Juyi and Yuan Zhen whose sensual delicacy has defied

4565-448: The middle tier among China's administrative divisions. The fossil fuel and high technology sectors compose the two largest industries in Shaanxi Province. The high technology sector includes aircraft and aerospace industries and Shaanxi produces more than 50% of the R&D and manufacturing equipment for the country's domestic commercial aviation industry. The meaning of the province, "Shan's west", traces to circa 1000 BC when

4648-428: The norms. Excepting gentlemen of mature strength and classical decorum, many have been ruined by them. They have circulated among the common people and been inscribed on walls; mothers and fathers teach them to sons and daughters orally, through winter's cold and summer's heat their lascivious phrases and overly familiar words have entered people's flesh and bone and cannot be gotten out. I have no position and cannot use

4731-446: The park by the end of 2008. Yangling Agriculture Hi-Tech Industrial Zone was approved as a national-level hi-tech development zone by State Council in 1997. It is 82 km (51 mi) from Xi'an to the east and 70 km (43 mi) from Xi'an Xianyang International Airport. Nearly all the people in Shaanxi are ethnic Han Chinese , with pockets of Hui population in the northwestern region (adjacent to Ningxia). Shaanxi province

4814-414: The phenomenon of "decline in imperial court music". In this poem, Bai mercilessly pointed out that music style of both seated performances and standing performances were deeply influenced by foreign culture. Seated performances are more elegant than standing performances. Players in the Seating Section were the most qualified performers, while the performing level of the players in the Standing Section were

4897-430: The poet's feelings on listening to music. Bai Juyi is considered one of the greatest Chinese poets, but even during the ninth century, sharp divide in critical opinions of his poetry already existed. While some poets like Pi Rixiu only had the highest praise for Bai Juyi, others were hostile, like Sikong Tu ( 司空圖 ) who described Bai as "overbearing in force, yet feeble in energy ( qi ), like domineering merchants in

4980-417: The point that the local farmers were suffering from severe drought. He ordered the construction of a stronger and taller dike, with a dam to control the flow of water, thus providing water for irrigation, relieving the drought, and improving the livelihood of the local people over the following years. Bai Juyi used his leisure time to enjoy the beauty of West Lake, visiting the lake almost every day. He ordered

5063-413: The population of Shaanxi is Han Chinese , with Hui , Manchu and Mongol being the more significant ethnic minorities . Mandarin Chinese is the main spoken language in Shaanxi, including Central Plains Mandarin and Southwestern Mandarin dialects; another variety of Chinese , Jin Chinese , is also spoken in the regions neighboring Shanxi. Shaanxi is China's 15th largest economy , ranking within

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5146-463: The province's dual party-government governing system, the Governor is considered to have less power than the Shaanxi Chinese Communist Party Provincial Committee Secretary ( 中共陕西省委书记 ), colloquially termed the "Shaanxi CCP Party Chief "; since the Governor is always ranked as the First-Deputy Secretary in the Shaanxi Chinese Communist Party Provincial Committee. Shaanxi was established as a provincial government since Qing dynasty . On 10 January 1950,

5229-439: The rebellious warlords, Pei Du, but was unable to kill him. The people at the capital were shocked and there was turmoil, with officials refusing to leave their personal residences until after dawn. In this context, Bai Juyi overstepped his minor position by memorializing the emperor. As Assistant Secretary to the Prince's Tutor, Bai's memorial was a breach of protocol — he should have waited for those of censorial authority to take

5312-519: The seven pioneer EPZs with the function of bonded logistics in China. XEPZ is under the leadership of the Administrative Committee of Xi'an Economic and Technological Development Zone (XETDZ), which is designated by Xi'an municipal government to exercise economic and administrative power within the zone. XEPZ is a special economic zone. By now, there are more than 40 enterprises home and abroad settled in XEPZ. The pillar industries feature aviation, machinery, electronics and new energy. The Western Triangle

5395-503: The south central part, and subtropical climate south of the Qinling. In between the Loess Plateau and the Qinling lies the Wei River Valley, or Guanzhong , a cradle of early Chinese civilization. Going clockwise, Shaanxi borders Shanxi (E, NE), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichuan (SW), Gansu (W), Ningxia (NW), and Inner Mongolia (N). In terms of number of bordering provincial-level divisions, Shaanxi ties Inner Mongolia. Due to its large span in latitude, Shaanxi has

5478-415: The southeastern portion of the Ordos Basin and mainly comprises the two prefectural cities of Yulin and Yan'an on the northern Loess Plateau , demarcated from the Ordos Desert and the grasslands of Inner Mongolia 's Ordos City by the Ming Great Wall . Central Shaanxi is also known as the Guanzhong region, and comprises the drainage basin of lower Wei River east of Mount Liupan and north of

5561-416: The story of Yang Guifei , and " Pipa xing " ("Song of the Pipa"). Bai Juyi lived during the Middle Tang period. This was a period of rebuilding and recovery for the Tang Empire, following the An Lushan Rebellion , and following the poetically flourishing era famous for Li Bai (701-762), Wang Wei (701-761), and Du Fu (712-770). Bai Juyi lived through the reigns of eight or nine emperors, being born in

5644-405: The throne, Muzong spent his time feasting and heavily drinking and neglecting his duties as emperor. Meanwhile, the temporarily subdued regional military governors, jiedushi , began to challenge the central Tang government, leading to the new de facto independence of three circuits north of the Yellow River , which had been previously subdued by Emperor Xianzong. Furthermore, Muzong's administration

5727-400: The time was serving an assignment in nearby Ningbo , also in what is today Zhejiang , so the two could occasionally get together, at least until Bai Juyi's term as Governor expired. As governor of Hangzhou, Bai Juyi realized that the farmland nearby depended on the water of West Lake, but, due to the negligence of previous governors, the old dike had collapsed and the lake had dried out to

5810-405: The way of official salary than official duties, and he relocated his household to a suburb of the "eastern capital," Luoyang . At the time, Luoyang was known as the eastern capital of the empire and was a major metropolis with a population of around one million and a reputation as the "cultural capital," as opposed to the more politically oriented capital of Chang'an . In 825, at age 53, Bai Juyi

5893-555: The women's quarters where no man knew of her. When Heaven begets beauteous things, it is loath to let them be wasted, So one morning this maiden was chosen to be by the ruler's side. When she turned around with smiling glance, she exuded every charm; In the harem all who wore powder and paint of beauty then seemed barren. In springtime's chill he let her bathe in Huaqing Palace's pools Whose warm springs' glistening waters washed flecks of dried lotions away. Those in attendance helped her rise, in helplessness so charming— This

5976-462: The zone includes Xi'an-Xianyang International Airport and National Highway 310, and industries operating within the zone include auto parts, electronics, IT, pharmaceuticals and bioengineering industries and new materials. Shaanxi Xi'an Export Processing Zone (XEPZ) was approved on 21 June 2002 by the State Council for its establishment and was put on 5 April 2004. As the first state-level export processing zone in northwest China, XEPZ has become one of

6059-548: Was a major recipient of China's investment in industrial capacity during the Third Front campaign. The fossil fuel and high technology sectors compose the two largest industries in Shaanxi province. During 2009, the province ranked third in China for production of coal, natural gas and crude oil. As the home of several of the leading universities and research institutes in Western China, Shaanxi province also plays

6142-402: Was also in exile and with whom he explored the rock caves located at Yichang . Bai Juyi was delighted by the flowers and trees for which his new location was noted. In 819, he was recalled back to the capital, ending his exile. In 819, Bai Juyi was recalled to the capital and given the position of second-class Assistant Secretary. In 821, China got a new emperor, Muzong . After succeeding to

6225-526: Was approved as a national zone in 2000. The zone is 20 minutes from Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, and national highways pass through. It has formed four pillar industries: automotive, electronics, food, and new materials industries. So far, the zone has attracted more than 1,700 enterprises. Xi'an HTDZ opened its gates in 1991. It was established as a "pivotal location" for investment by high-tech industry companies in central and northwest China. Established in 1991, Xi'an Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone

6308-458: Was characterized by massive corruption. Again, Bai Juyi wrote a series of memorials in remonstrance. Again, Bai Juyi was sent away from the court and the capital, but this time to the important position of the thriving town of Hangzhou , which was at the southern terminus of the Grand Canal and located in the scenic neighborhood of West Lake . Fortunately for their friendship, Yuan Zhen at

6391-402: Was delayed by seven years due to his father's death. He passed the jinshi examinations in 800. Bai Juyi may have taken up residence in the western capital city of Chang'an , in 801. Not long after this, Bai Juyi formed a long friendship with a scholar Yuan Zhen . 806, the first full year of the reign of Emperor Xianzong of Tang , was the year when Bai Juyi was appointed to a minor post as

6474-616: Was exile. Bai Juyi was demoted to the rank of Sub-Prefect and banished from the court and the capital city to Jiujiang , then known as Xun Yang, on the southern shores of the Yangtze River in northwest Jiangxi Province. After three years, he was sent as Governor of a remote place in Sichuan. At the time, the main travel route there was up the Yangzi River. This trip allowed Bai Juyi a few days to visit his friend Yuan Zhen, who

6557-631: Was explicitly one of his objectives. He is also known for his well-written poems in the regulated verse style. Bai was a poet of the middle Tang dynasty. It was a period after the An Lushan Rebellion , the Tang Empire was in rebuilding and recovery. As a government official and a litterateur, Bai observed the court music performance that was seriously affected by Xiyu ( 西域 , Western regions), and he made some articles with indignation to criticize that phenomenon. As an informal leader of

6640-468: Was given the position of Governor (Prefect) of Suzhou , situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Lake Tai . For the first two years, he enjoyed himself with feasts and picnic outings, but after a couple years he became ill and was forced into a period of retirement. After his time as Prefect of Hangzhou (822-824) and then Suzhou (825-827), Bai Juyi returned to

6723-530: Was in Zhengyang , Henan for most of his childhood. His family was poor but scholarly, his father being an Assistant Department Magistrate of the second-class. At the age of ten he was sent away from his family to avoid a war that broke out in the north of China, and went to live with relatives in the area known as Jiangnan , more specifically Xuzhou . Bai Juyi's father died in 794, his father's death caused his family to undergo hard times. Bai Juyi's official

6806-466: Was simple and easy to understand, and posterity has requited his efforts by making him one of the most well-loved and widely read of all Chinese poets, both in his native land and in the other countries of the East that participate in the appreciation of Chinese culture. He is also, thanks to the translations and biographical studies by Arthur Waley , one of the most accessible to English readers". Bai Juyi

6889-582: Was the moment when first she enjoyed the flood of royal favor. Tresses like cloud, face like a flower, gold pins that swayed to her steps; It was warm in the lotus-embroidered tents where they passed the nights of spring. And the nights of spring seemed all too short, the sun would too soon rise, From this point on our lord and king avoided daybreak court. 漢皇重色思傾國, 御宇多年求不得。 楊家有女初長成, 養在深閨人未識。 天生麗質難自棄, 一朝選在君王側。 回眸一笑百媚生, 六宮粉黛無顏色。 春寒賜浴華清池, 溫泉水滑洗凝脂。 侍兒扶起嬌無力, 始是新承恩澤時。 雲鬢花顏金步搖, 芙蓉帳暖度春宵。 春宵苦短日高起, 從此君王不早朝。 Another of Bai's famous poems

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