Taicang Museum

The name Taicang is quite imposing. It is said to be named after King Fuchai of Wu, one of the Five Hegemons during the Spring and Autumn period. King Fuchai of Wu was the first to build a granary in Taicang. 'Tai' means extremely large, and 'cang' refers to a building for storing grain. During the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period, Taicang was the national granary, entirely due to its geographical location. Taicang is near the Yangtze River and has convenient access to the sea. During the Yuan Dynasty, the northern economy was in decline, and Beijing relied entirely on grain transported through the Grand Canal. Taicang's Liuguo Wharf was reputed to be the largest wharf at that time. Taicang Wharf was also the departure point for Zheng He's voyages to the Western Seas.