The city of Yangzhou came into being at the Spring and Autumn Period ( about 500 AC ). As the key transportation link at joint place of the Great Canal ( Beijing-Hangzhou) and Changjiang (Yangtze River), Yangzhou has been from the Sui Dynasty (600 AD.) an economically rich city, and then reached its top in the Tang Dynasty. At that time Yangzhou was a famous port and one of few biggest cities in East Asia. With the improvement of the local economy and easy transportation way, there happened in the history a special local culture, which has an important place in Chinese culture. Many famous men of letters, poets, artists, scholars , statesmen, scientists and national heroes in the history were born in, lived in or had connection with Yangzhou. Li Bai, one of the greatest Chinese poets visited and stayed in Yangzhou several times in his life and one of his famous poems about Yangzhou has been so popular that Chinese of all ages can sing it and has become a symbol of Yangzhou . Zheng Banqiao, a famous Chinese painting painter in the Qing Dynasty heading a group called "Eight Eccentrics", had strongly influenced Chinese paintings. Wang Zhong and Yuan Yuan and some other scholars formed school of Yangzhou Scholars and achieved great success in the study of classic Chinese and writing. Zhu Ziqing, one of most famous modern Chinese writers and scholars, had always been proud of himself as a native of Yangzhou and thanked the city for being nourished by its rich culture. Quite a few other names you may come across frequently in the study of Chinese culture and history have connection with Yangzhou . Yangzhou was so attractive and important that many Chinese emperors in history had come specially to visit or check the city. Emperor Suiyang, who ordered to cut the Great Canal so that he could come more easily and quickly, died on his last trip to the city and buried here. Emperor Qianlong had come all the way from the north and visited the city nine times.

Answer the following questions:
1. What part of Asia is Yangzhou in?
2. Who was one of the greatest Chinese poets to visit there?
3. Who was Zheng Banqiao?
4. When did Yangzhou come into being?
5. What group did Zheng Banqiao head?
6. Who started the school of Yangzhou Scholars?
7. What did they study?
8. Which Emperor died on his last trip the the city?
9. Did Qianlong visit the city 10 times?
10. How many times did he visit?
11. Where did he come from?
12. What Dynasty is Yangzhou from?
13. What Dynasty did it reach it's peak, or top, in?
1. East Asia
2. Li Bai
3. a painter
4. at the Spring and Autumn Period
5. Eight Eccentrics
6. Wang Zhong and Yuan Yuan and some other scholars
7. classic Chinese and writing
8. Suiyang
9. no
10. nine
11. the north
12. the Sui Dynasty
13. the Tang Dynasty