General Introduction Of Wuxi

Brief Survey of the city
In 2006
    ⊙ GDP:385.8billion Yuan
    ⊙ Per-capita GDP: 65,203 Yuan
    ⊙ Financial revenues:30.058 billion Yuan
    ⊙ Fixed Asset Investment:167.422billion Yuan
    ⊙ Retail sales of consumer goods:113.475 billion Yuan
    ⊙ Import and export value: 51.146 billion US dollars
    ⊙ Percentage of the added value of the non-state-owned economic sector in the city's overall GDP: 58.5 percent
    ⊙ Number of urban people newly employed:112,600
    ⊙ Per capita disposable income of urban residents:20,898 Yuan
    ⊙ Per capita income of farmers:10,026 Yuan
    City of Charms
    Bearing a thousand years of civilization, full of warmth and water sceneries, Wuxi is located in the beautiful and wealthy land along Taihu Lake. It is a fertile land of fish and rice, well known in China as ''right pearl shining over Taihu Lake''.
Wuxi is a famous city with a long history and rich culture in southern Yangtze River. It is an important economic center, an Outstanding Tourist City of China, a National Sanitary City, a National Model City for Environmental Protection, and a National Garden City. According to the rating of the authoritative organs concerned, Wuxi is among the Most Outstanding Cities of China in Terms of Investment Environment, the Most Competitive Cities of China, and the Most Promising Cities of China in Terms of Development Potential. Wuxi is listed by China Central Television (CCTV) among the Top 10 Most Competitive Cities in China. It is among the Top 10 Economic Cities and has been listed on Forbes as one of the top best commercial cities .
    Geographic Location
    Wuxi, located at 31°7'-32°2' and 119°33'-120°38'E, lies in the southeastern part of Jiangsu Province. Abutting the picturesque Taihu Lake, it belongs to the economically developed Yangtze River Delta. It has Suzhou to the east; is 128 km from Shanghai; faces Taihu Lake in the south; neighbors Zhejiang Province; abuts Changzhou in the west; is 183 km from Nanjing; has the Yangtze River in the north; and commands 35 km of the golden Yangtze River bank.
Wuxi is in the plain area, dotted with sporadic low-lying mountains and hills. Its southern part is a plain cut by many rivers; its central part is composed of low-lying paddy fields surrounded by dykes; and its southwestern part features low mountains and a hilly area in Yixing. Mountainous and hilly areas total 782 square km, making up 16.8 percent of the total area; water covers an area of 1,502 square km, making up 31.4 percent of the total.
Administrative Division & Population
    Wuxi exercises jurisdiction over the county-level cities of Jiangyin and Yixing, as well as seven districts of Chongan, Nanchang, Beitang, Xishan, Huishan, Binghu and Xinqu. It covers an area of 4,788 square km and has a total population of 5.9921 million.
    Climate & Natural Conditions
    Wuxi belongs to sub-tropical maritime climate zone, with four distinct seasons. It is blessed with a mild climate, plentiful of rainfall and ample sunshine. The annual mean temperature is 15.5 degrees Centigrade, with a January average of 2.8 degrees Centigrade and a July average of 28 degrees Centigrade. The city has 250 frost and ice-free days. Rainfall occurs mainly in the summer, with average annual precipitation of 1,000 mm. Under the impact of complicated factors such as the Taihu Lake waters and hilly areas in southern Yixing, certain parts of Wuxi possess diversified climatic conditions good for growing a variety of crops in both the southern and northern parts.
    Within the Wuxi area are the Huishan, Xishan, Junzhangshan, Majishan and Tongguanshan mountains. The city is bisected by the Yangtze River and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal; and shares Taihu Lake with others. With so many rivers flowing through the plains, Wuxi has fertile land and is richly endowed with natural resources. Its major crops include rice, wheat, rape, fruit, cotton and silkworm cocoons. Its special products include Biluochun tea, Yangxian tea, three Taihu whites (silver fish, white fish and white shrimps), Taihu Dazha crabs, Yangtze River hilsa herrings, Wuxi spareribs, Yixing pottery, porcelain, clay figures, and Wuxi embroidery. All these combine to make Wuxi a city known in China as "and of rice and fish in areas south of the Yangtze River" and "right pearl shining over Taihu Lake".
    A Famous City in Southern Yangtze River Delta
    As a famous city with a history of 3000 years, Wuxi is a birthplace of Wu Culture. Taibo and Zhongyong, the princes of Zhou Dynasty, came and settled down at Meili, Meicun Town of Wuxi. They set up the State of Gouwu, developed water conservancy and agriculture and initiated the new agrarian society in southern China. The 13 emperors of Wu Kingdom and its people have consecutively engaged in the making of industrial, ceramic and silk products, thus creating a new Liangxi (Wuxi's nickname) with picturesque landscape. Fanli, a minister of State Yue, led a secluded life with Xishi, one of 4 beauties in ancient China, in Wuxi. They taught people how to culture fish, make pottery and conduct trade, exerting impact upon the city's economic exploration spirit.
    The Grand Canal, excavated in the Sui Dynasty, has become Wuxi's golden water passage from north to south. Since Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Canal has enabled Wuxi to be China's grain market, silk capital and cloth harbor. With developed industry and commerce, Wuxi is a prosperous city in southeast China.
    With the developed national industry and commerce in 1920s and 1930s, Wuxi's products of flour, textile, raw silk and machinery were exported to countries in Europe, USA and Southeast Asia. Its economic volume ranked No. 3 at its peak point in China, thus being reputed as "hanghai in miniature".
    Since 1980s, Wuxi developed its township enterprises by making use of is solid industrial basis. The emergence of township industry has accelerated the development of industrialization in the countryside and has found a road of enriching its farmers.
    Since ancient times, Wuxi has turned out a galaxy of gifted personnel, thus making great contribution for the prosperity of the Chinese nation. To name the most famous ones, they are Li Shen, Premier and poet in the Tang Dynasty, Li Gang, Premier of Song Dynasty, Gu Xiancheng and Gao Panlong, leaders of Donglin Party of Ming Dynasty, geologist Xu Xiake, thinker and diplomat Xue Fucheng, scientist Xu Shou and Hua Hengfang and industrialists Rong Zongjing and Rong Desheng. In modern and contemporary times, there have emerged revolutionaries Qin Bangxian, Wang Kunlun and Lu Dingyi, economists Chen Hansheng, Sun Yefang and Xue Muqiao, masters of languages Qian Zhongshu and Qian Mu, educationists Tang Wenzhi, Gu Yuxiu and Jiang Nanxiang, scientist Zhou Peiyuan and Qian Weichang, painters Xu Beihong, Qian Songyan, and Wu Guangzhong, musician Hua Yanjun ( A Bing) and Liu Tianhua. There are 80 contemporary academicians of the Chinese Academy and Sciences and Academy of Engineering, the number of which ranks first for similar cities in China.
    A Vigorous City
    As the cradle of China's national industry and commerce, township enterprises and a concentrated place of foreign investment, Wuxi is not only full of beautiful sceneries and academicians, but also full of achievements in creating prosperity.
Being innovative and practical, the people in Wuxi have created 1.56% of China's economic volume with 5 per 10,000th of land and 3.5 out of 1000th people in China. Its per capita GDP achieved $8962, making it in the leading positions among cities in China.
    Wuxi displays vibrant city spirit. Its urban environment changes day by day, its economy, culture and social undertakings achieve coordinated development. With improved city management level and the living quality of its residents, Wuxi exhibits its vigor and vitality.
    As the main entity of its industry, the high-tech industry which include those of electronics and information, electro-machinery and new materials have become its main sectors of industry. Modern enterprise system has been set up in its state-owned enterprises and private sectors have become the most active renovators of the city. The ratio of primary, second and tertiary industries are as follows:1.4:58.5:40.1. Wuxi has the highest number of listed companies in similar cities in China. The sales volume of 19 enterprises in the city has surpassed RMB 10 billion yuan each.
    With an open door, Wuxi absorbs senior technicians and managers from all over the world. The average number of talents per 10,000 reached 1,651.
    Wuxi promotes the strategy of enriching its people and enables its people to enjoy the achievements of reform and development. With developed urban construction, there emerged new quarters of Lee Lake and Binhu. And a bigger and more dynamic city with hills and water will emerge.
    Festivals including the Wu Culture Festival,Xu Xiake Tourist Festival and Taihu Expo have become a platform to showcase Wuxi's image of foreign trade,tourism and cultural exchanges to the country and the world so as to uplifts the city's publicity.
A Place of Foreign Investment
    With unique harmonious living environment, Wuxi is an ideal place for creating businesses.
    The accumulated industrial basis has made it possible to attract foreign investment and achieve economic returns.
    The busy airport, expressways and port have formulated transportation and logistics network.
    The government organizations have provided high-quality services for Chinese and foreign businessmen so as to achieve a win-win situation.
    Economic development parks represented by Wuxi high-tech industrial zone have become the best spots in terms of modern economic cooperation, concentrated use of foreign investment and ideal distribution of resources.
    Since being approved by the State Council as a coastal open-oriented city in 1985, Of the World's top 500 corporations, Since being approved by the State Council as a coastal open-oriented city in 1985,Wuxi has actually utilized a total of $23.6 billion dollars' foreign investment. Of the World's top 500 corporations,73 of them have invested in 138 projects in Wuxi. To name only a few, GE of USA, Peugeot of France, AstraZeneca of Britain, Siemens of Germany and Sony of Japan. With the concentrated investment from countries and regions like Japan, ROK, Taiwan and Hongkong, Wuxi has become one of the cities in China with vibrant export-oriented economy in China.
    With the aim of becoming a world-famous manufacturing base through scientific planning, Wuxi is to build a series of high-tech basis such as Silicon, LCD and Pharmaceutical Valleys, so as to create a platform of initiating new businesses for investors from home and abroad.
    As an important regional hub of transportation, Wuxi is a crossing point for Shanghai-Nanjing Railway, Xinyi-Changxing Railway and has several expressways in its area. The Grand Canal is passing through the city. Wuxi airport has opened over 10 domestic air routes. On Jan.26, 2006, the temporary charter passenger line was launched from Wuxi to HongKong.
A Tourist Resort
    With rich natural and humanitarian resources, Wuxi is a tourist resort that attracts many domestic and overseas visitors.
The immense water area displays the most beautiful part of the city. In the eyes in the painter, the Taihu Lake is a water-color painting of its own. In the eyes of the poet, "the best part of the Taihu Lake, is after all viewed from the Turtle-head" In the eyes of the musician, the water and hill scenery is echoed with the local melody entitled the Moonlight Reflected upon the Second Best Spring.
    The beauty of the city is multi-layered. You may visit the Taibo Temple, Hongshan ancient tomb and Meicun Temple Fair, so as to explore the origin and descendants of the Wu Culture.
    The Huiquan Hill, the first hill in southern Yangtze River Delta, is representative of Wuxi's cultural heritage. The spring water from the Huiquan Hill is reputed as No.2 Fountain Under Heaven. The Chinese classical tea culture is featured by second best spring, Yangxian tea and purple-sand pottery.
    With the background of Taihu Lake and hills nearby, the gardens in Wuxi are connected as necklaces. The plum garden, azalea garden and orchid garden display flowers of its own category. And the Turtle-head Peninsula is a garden that crystallizes the beauties of hills, water and human beings.
    There are many cultural relics in Wuxi. Along the sides of the Grand Canal, there are former residences of gifted personnel in the city such as Xue Fucheng, Qian Zhongshu, Qin Bangxian, etc. At Donglin College, the famous couplets that read "take care of all affairs, be those of state, family and the world, listen to all sounds, be those of wind, rain and the reading" will make people reflect upon an important chapter in Chinese culture.
    Wuxi is famous for its snacks, jewelry and handicraft. The new quarter of Lee Lake is an open park. After its ecological renovation, it becomes a cultural scenic spot as well as a real garden by the shore of the Taihu Lake.
    Wuxi pays attention to the participation by visitors during their sightseeing. You may go boating on the lake, play beach volleyball, or go angling and bicycling, and you may also have a look at the shooting of TV series at CCTV base or visit Huaxi Village, Hailan Industrial Park and the pottery village. The new and various activities will make you forget to return