Wuxi 无锡 is an industrial city on the Yangtze River between Suzhou and Nanjing.
Wuxi is in the south of Jiangsu Province, half way between the cities of Shanghai and Nanjing, with Shanghai 128km to its east and Nanjing 183km to its west. In its south is Lake Taihu and to its north is Yangtse River. The city is under direct jurisdiction of the province and governs three cities and six districts. It has a population of 4.32 million and covers an area of 4650km2.
The climate of Wuxi is moist and temperate, belonging to that of the sub-tropical maritime with distinct seasons. The average annual temperature is 15.5℃. There are 250 frostless days and the average rainfall is about 1,000 mm. There are hills, rivers and lakes in this area but the most part of it is plain area crisscrossed with canals and riverlets. With fertile soil and rich produce, it is the famous “land teeming with fish and rice” in China.
Belonging to one of the eight primitive cultural districts in China, Wuxi is a famous cultural city with a history of over 3,000 years. The establishment of the city can be traced back to the end of the Shang Dynasty. Taibo，the eldest son of emperor Zhouwu in the West Zhou Dynasty came here from the inland of China. He introduced the inland culture to the south and created the Wu culture. The place used to be rich in tin deposit during the Zhou and Qin dynasties. As the tin was depleted by the end of the Qin Dynasty, the place was called Wuxi, meaning “ a place without tin”.
Wuxi is endowed with rich natural and human resources with a galaxy of gifted persons and developed economy. As one of the birthplaces of China’s national industry and commerce, Wuxi is one of the fifteen economic centers in China. With convenient transportation network, Wuxi is a hub of transportation which connects Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces. Nine highways join Wuxi with important cities like Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou. Shanghai-Nanjing railway and Shanghai-Nanjing expressway pass through the city. It takes about 3 hours by car to get from Wuxi to Pudong International Airport. There are seven water routes to various places in the country along Yangtse River, the Grand Canal and lake Taihu. With developed post and telecommunications system, direct calls can be made to 156 countries or regions in the world. The express mail services are established between Wuxi and 27 countries and regions in the world.
With rich natural and cultural heritage, Wuxi is one of the top ten tourist cities in China. The typical features of the area is that of the regions of rivers and lakes. Wuxi occupies the most scenic part of Lake Taihu and enjoys the beautiful scenery. Theme parks like the Tang City, the Three Kingdoms City, the Water Margin City which feature daily live shows are new tourist attractions. The 88-meter tall bronze Buddha statue Linshan Dafuo and the holiday resorts add more appeal to the visitors.
