Wuxi, an old city in southern Jiangsu province, was built 3,000 years ago and is one of the earliest cities in Jiangsu Province. Split in half by Lake Tai, Wuxi borders Changzhou to the west and Suzhou to the east. The Yangtze River lies between the northern half of Wuxi and Taizhou, while the southern half of the city borders the province of Zhejiang. Wuxi is also famous for being one of the birthplaces of China's modern industry and commerce. At present, Wuxi is known far and wide for its convenient location as a transportation hub as well as an economic powerhouse. Wuxi, a city is suitable for living with mild climate, convenient transport network, reasonable cost of living and beautiful sceneries, which make international students, stay and study here enjoyable and unforgettable.
According to traditional Chinese historians, two Zhou princes, Taibo and Zhongyong, founded the first Chinese state in the area of Wuxi around the 11th century BC. This state of Wu had its first capital at Meili, generally thought to be the village of Meicun in Wuxi (although some records indicate a location closer to Wu's later capitals around Suzhou). The cultural and economic center of the "Wu" area shifted to Suzhou after the reign of the first Qin dynasty emperor, Qin Shi Huang, who united China; Wuxi at that time belonged to Suzhou. Agriculture and the silk industry flourished in Wuxi and the town became a transportation center under the early Tang Dynasty after the construction of the Grand Canal. During the Ming dynasty, Wuxi became a prosperous cultural center. During the late Ming and early Qing periods, Wuxi was a center for political discussion and public opinion. During the late 19th century, Wuxi became a center of the textile industry in China and one of the four most important rice markets nationwide. Between 1900 and 1940, Wuxi was considered one of the most important counties in China. After the People's Republic of China was set up by the communists in 1949, Wuxi continued to grow in importance, with increases in textile production along with both light and heavy industry.
Wuxi enjoys the sub-tropical maritime climate with four distinct seasons and plenty of rainfall in spring and summer. Its average annual temperature is 18 °C (64 °F) and very occasional snow. Because of its proximity to the East China Sea, it has a monsoon season and receives 100 centimeters (39 inches) of rain annually.
Currently Wuxi is designated as an investment grade city, and has two large industrial parks devoted to new industries. While being the current manufacturing centers on textiles, there are projects to move to electric motor manufacturing and MRP software development. Wuxi is the solar technology hub in China as two major photovoltaic companies are based in the city. They are Suntech Power and Jetion Holdings Ltd which were listed on overseas stock exchanges. The center of the city is filled with modern high rise buildings and the market is being redeveloped in a postmodern style. Hynix completed a new chip plant in Wuxi.
Wuxi is situated on the Shanghai–Nanjing Intercity High-Speed Railway, linking it directly with the provincial capital of Nanjing (1.5 hours) and China's economic hub, Shanghai (45 minutes train-ride) and the fifth biggest economic hub and tourist destination Suzhou (24 minutes). K-series trains all stop at Wuxi. There is one international airport and many expressways and highways to many cities.
Wuxi is a major tourist area of the Lower Yangtze Delta. It has both natural and man-made places of interest. Wuxi is a tourism city with quite a few tourist attractions and places of historical interests worth our visiting. Such as Huishan Ancient Town, Lingshan Buddhist Scenic Spot, Taihu Fairy Islands, Turtle-Head Peninsula Scenic Spot and The Grand Canal . The Grand Canal is the wonder of China that has the equal historical status with the Great Wall dating back to more than 2,500 years ago. The ancient Grand Canal passes Wuxi, the north section ends to Changjiang River and south to Taihu Lake. The Canal has deeply influenced the daily life of local people in Wuxi. Comprising of more than 40 kilometers, this scenic canal passes through the entire district of Wuxi. The canal reflects the beautiful water village scenery that ranges from Wuqiao to Xishuidun and from Nanmen to Qingming Bridge.
Population: 6.5 million
Temperature: average 18 °C (64 °F)
