| Wuyue culture | |||||||
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| Simplified Chinese | 吴越文化 | ||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 吳越文化 | ||||||
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 | This article contains wording that promotes the subject in a subjective manner without imparting real information.(May 2025) |
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Wuyue culture (simplified Chinese :吴越文化; traditional Chinese :吳越文化) refers to the regional Chinese culture of the Wuyue people, a Han Chinese subgroup primarily based in the region of Jiangnan. [1] The Wuyue cultural area, centered in the Taihu Lake basin, roughly encompasses present-day southern Jiangsu, Zhejiang province, and Shanghai, essentially including the entire Wu language area. Wuyue culture can be further divided into "Wu culture" and "Yue culture," both of which share a common origin. Wuyue culture, corresponding to the Wu language, emerged during the Zhou Dynasty and began to be influenced by northern cultures during the Jin Dynasty. During the Tang Dynasty, the Wuyue economy began to surpass that of the north, further expanding its influence. During this period, the original northern Han culture was diluted in the north due to wars and periods of minority rule. Therefore, Wuyue culture retained many aspects of traditional Chinese culture. Wuyue cuisine is characterized by its sweet and savory flavors, a stark contrast to the spicy and savory southwestern and northern cuisines, which are primarily based on dry cooking and stewing. The Wuyue region has produced numerous literati and scientists, with nearly two-fifths of ancient top scholars and modern academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences originating from the region.
Contents
- Language
- Literature
- Music
- Arts
- Opera styles
- Philosophy and religion
- Heritage sites
- Cultural items
- Cuisine
- Others
- See also
- References
During the period of Anti-Qing sentiment in the late Ming Dynasty, the people of Jiangyin and Jiaxing resisted the Qing, sacrificing their own cities and hindering the Qing invasion of Jiangnan. The massacre of seven million people in Jiaxing (previously, the prefecture had a population of 8.5 to 9 million) also resulted in significant losses of the Wu language. The people of Jiading were massacred three times in their resistance to the Qing invasion. Anti-Qing movements continued in the Wu and Yue regions until the fall of the Qing Dynasty.
Historical records of the Wu and Yue states began to appear in written records during the Spring and Autumn Period. The original location of the Wu capital is recorded in historical records as the time when Zhou Taibo fled to Wu, first residing in Meili and later in Gusu. Both sites lie between Suzhou and Wuxi, within the Taihu Lake region.
