Overall view of the Helu City ruins

　　The discovery of the Helu City ruins corroborates historical records concerning the "city built by Wu Zixu." Archaeological excavations reveal that Helu City was built nestled against Mount Xu in the north and bordering Taihu Lake to the east, taking advantage of the natural landscape. It measured 1400 meters north-south and 2100 meters east-west, covering an area of 2.94 square kilometers. As a capital city, the large Helu City contained two smaller cities, one to the east and one to the west. Multiple land and water gates existed within the city; according to historical records, three of these gates had towers. A gate connected the east and west smaller cities. The west city housed the palace of King Helu; the east city housed troops and military supplies.

　　Outside Helu City, on Mount Xu, were military installations such as the "Wu Zixu's General's Platform" and the Xu Mountain Bay water fortress.

　　Beyond Xu Mountain Bay, along the eighteen bends of Taihu Lake, lies the Longshan Stone City, the earliest ancient Great Wall in southern China discovered to date.

　　From a military perspective, Helu City's defenses were rigorous. The stone city formed the first line of defense for the capital; Xu Mountain Bay, with its stationed navy, guarded the eastern waters, forming a second line of defense; the large Helu City itself was the third line of defense, while the troops stationed in the east city served as the final line of defense.

　　When choosing the location for Helu City, Wu Zixu skillfully utilized the natural features of the mountains and water, building the city walls and defenses in a way that made it easy to defend and difficult to attack, fully reflecting the characteristics of capital city construction at that time.

　　Though the kingdom fell and the landscape changed, the city remains. Although the ancient Wu Kingdom is gone, the people who continue to live and thrive in this region still identify as Wu people, inheriting the Wu cultural spirit of "upholding virtue, valuing culture, emphasizing practicality, and fostering innovation."