江南有一首流传很广的民谣，开头是这样说的“上有天堂，下有苏杭，杭州有西湖，苏州有山塘。。。”，虽说山塘与西湖是不同风格的景区，但也说明了千年古街山塘的重要历史价值。自古以来，山塘就是一条旅游街，它是1100年以前，担让当时苏州刺史（现今的市长）的白居易，为了老百姓从古城阊门至虎丘山风景区郊游的便利性，修建了这条名闻遐迩的千年古街，就连乾隆皇帝来到江南，游览完山塘街，竟忍不住在北京颐和园修建了以山塘街为蓝本的苏州街，由此可见，山塘街在风流倜傥皇帝心中的重要份量。红楼梦开篇中有“姑苏城外，最是红尘中一二等风流富贵之地。。。”，说的就是这条山塘街，还有唐伯虎追秋香的爱情故事也是发生在这里。所以，来苏州不可不游山塘。这里不仅有小桥、流水和枕河人家，还有至今保留完整的前店后坊式的江南传统手工作坊，更有美不胜收的苏州美食等着你。

Thousand-year old Shantang street has been very famous since poet Mr. Baijuyi built it over 1100 years ago. The reason why Shangtang steet was built is just for people's convenience from ancient Suzhou to the Tiger Hill. One famous folk song says "Heaven on the sky, Paradise in Suzhou and Hangzhou. Hangzhou has west lake, while Suzhou has Shangtang." Even though Shangtang is different from west lake in Hangzhou, they have very high historic value

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