Wu Yun (died 484 BCE), better known by his courtesy name Zixu, was a general and politician of the Wu kingdom in the Spring and Autumn Period (722481 BCE). Since his death, he has evolved into a model of loyalty in Chinese culture. He is the best known historical figure with the Chinese family name 'Wu' (ヮ). All branches of the Wu clan claim that he was their 'first ancestor'. Suzhou, the city of canals and gardens, was called the ˉVenice of the Eastˇ by Marco Polo. An ancient Chinese proverb states: ˉIn Heaven there is Paradise; on Earth there is Suzhouˇ. The cityˇs love affair with gardens dates back 2,500 years and continues still. At the time of the Ming dynasty (13681644) there were 250 gardens, of which about a hundred survive, although only a few are open to the public.