Zhangjiagang City is located on the southern bank of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China's golden watercourse. It is situated in Jiangsu Province with Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi and others around, where is the intersect of our co untry’s coastal economic belt and the Yangtse riverside economic belt. It is 98km far away fro m Shanghai and Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, 58 km away fro m Suzhou, 40km away fro m Wuxi, 70km away from Changzhou, 30km away fro m Nantong, 200km away fro m Nanjing and Nanjing Lukou Airport, 150km away from Shanghai Pudong Airport .

Zhangjiagang is a county-level city in Jiangsu province, China, and is an administrative division of Suzhou City. A sprawling metropolis, Zhangjiagang has been recently undergoing drastic change. Modernization has built up many malls, high class establishments, and recreation facilities. Still, one can easily get around on foot or by bicycle. The city's main thoroughfare is Shazhou Road, which runs east to west and is sectioned off as a pedestrian shopping mall in the city center.

Zhangjiagang's population is around 1,200,000, with around 100,000 residents of the city proper (urban area). Natives of the area speak a variant of Wu Chinese, close to the Suzhou variant, and similar but distinct from Shanghainese.

Only an hour and a half away from Shanghai, Zhangjiagang is located along the Yangtze River. The land surrounding Zhangjiagang is extremely fertile, with large spans of rice paddies as far as the eye can see. Many fish farms are located around the city. A good number of tributaries of the Yangtze have been contaminated from the uncontrolled construction of chemical factories in the suburb areas.

Communities surrounding the city are mostly rural, and their economies traditionally depended heavily on agriculture and water-based activities. The GDP reached RMB 125 billion yuan (US$18 billion) in 2008, a growth of 19.1% from 2007. The GDP per capita reached RMB 139,100 yuan (ca. US$20,000).

Zhangjiagang is a relatively new city, having been developed from a small farming town following the economic reforms of the mid-1980s. By 1994 the city had the second-highest economic rating in China, with an urban per-capita income of $1000/year. The rural population around Zhangjiagang is said to be even wealthier.

In 1993, Zhangjiagang was selected to be a unique model city for all of China. Householders were given pamphlets listing the 10 "don'ts" and 6 "dos" of what the government called "civilized behaviour". The new rules emphasized courtesy, mutual respect, and obedience to authority. Thanks to vigorous enforcement, the rules are followed to such a degree that visitors remark on the beauty, cleanliness and friendliness of Zhangjiagang relative to other Chinese cities. The government began trumpeting their accomplishment nationwide, in a campaign reminiscent of the old "Learn from the Dazhai Commune" propaganda effort of the Cultural Revolution. The current goal of the central government is to turn China into a country of mini-Singapores, with clean, pleasant cities filled with polite, obedient citizens. So far, clean, friendly cities are such a novelty in China that up to 300,000 tourists visit Zhangjiagang every year to sample what could be the future of urban life in China.

Zhangjiagang is known for being cleaner than most cities in China, and it certainly lives up to its reputation as a quiet and orderly city. There are several family-friendly parks scattered throughout the city, including Shazhou Park, Zhangjiagang Park, and Jiyang Lake.

Zhangjiagang is also home to a large public indoor swimming pool and sports center, both of which are located on Renmin Road. There is not much crime to speak of, and very little visible poverty other than beggars near the city center.

The busiest part of town centers on the buxingjie, or "Walk Street," a shopping area restricted to pedestrian traffic. West of the pedestrian mall is the largest supermarket in the city, as well as a small strip of bars. Those in search of German-speakers can usually count on Malone's, an American-style sports bar frequented by local English teachers, expats, and business travelers alike. Another interesting area for nightlife is Long Tong Road, near the large public swimming pool. Tong Luo Wan, a popular bar on that strip, often features a band playing live music. Like most cities in China, Zhangjiagang also has its share of coffee shops, karaoke establishments, and dance clubs.

You can see relatively few luxury vehicles on the roads, but the alarming rate of increase in the affordability of cars has indeed added more volume to the roads. A highway connecting Zhangjiagang with Shanghai was built in recent years, reducing the time of travel between the two locations to just an hour and a half, compared to 3 hours previously required. Zhangjiagang lacks a train station, but has two long-distance bus stations which make travel to major destinations relatively fast and convenient.