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Mars crater named after Zhouzhuang of Suzhou

The China National Space Administration and the Chinese Academy of Sciences yesterday jointly released Mars global images obtained during China’s first Mars exploration mission, including the map of 22 geographical entities. It is worth noting that one crater was named after Zhouzhuang, a town in Kunshan, Suzhou.

An orthographic projection of the eastern and western hemispheres of Mars.
Crater No. 11 is named “Zhouzhuang.”

The 22 geographical entities were named according to the rules of the Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature of International Astronomical Union. All the craters were named after towns and villages in major states with a population of less than 100,000 in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.) and the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.), or Chinese towns with renowned historical and cultural heritages.

Zhouzhuang is one of the six ancient towns in Jiangnan (regions south of the Yangtze River). It has been recognized as a national historical and cultural town and a 5A-level scenic area, and has won Dubai International Award for Best Practices in Improving the Living Environment. Back in the Spring and Autumn Period, Zhouzhuang was the fief of Yao, the son of Wu state’s king, and was known as “Yaocheng” and “Zhenfengli.” In the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), a local official surnamed Zhou gave up his residence and turned it into a temple. Thankful for his goodness, the locals changed the name of the town to Zhouzhuang.

Zhouzhuang Ancient Town

Opening hours: 8:00-21:00

Tickets: 100 yuan

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