Wujiang Overview
Wujiang is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Suzhou. The city was first established as an ancient township in 909 A.D. in the Liang Dynasty but its jurisdiction and name was changed many times in later Chinese history.
Dubbing “Venice of the East”, Wujiang is a city with a jurisdiction over nine towns, crisscrossed by rivers, canals and lakes. As a traditional agricultural town, Wujiang now is an industrialized city with the booming economy. The city is ranked in the top 10 of the China’s Top 100 Cities with its comprehensive economical capability.
Tongli Town, a beautiful water town of Wujiang, is nested on the east bank of the Lake of Taihu and receives hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
Wujiang City has a jurisdiction over 9 towns and two provincial economic development districts. Its municipal government is stationed in the Town of Songling. The city occupies a land of 1,176 square kilometres (not include the area of the Lake of Taihu), in which the water surface area is 23 per cent of its land mass. The population is about 788,000 in 2006.
Geography, Resources and Climate
Wujiang borders Shanghai metropolis on the east and Suzhou metropolis on the north. The elegant Lake of Taihu lies in its west, while its southern boundary neighbors Jiaxing and Huzhou cities, Zhejiang Province.
The city has abundant water resource and the water surface area occupies 23 % of its land size. Major bodies of water include lakes: Taihu, Tongli, Jiuli, Nanxin, Chenghu, rivers: Taipu, and canals including the Grand Canal, etc.
The city is under the influence of East Asia Monsoon, like its neighbor cities of Suzhou and Wuxi. It has a mild and humid climate and seasons are distinct. Meiyu Season generally starts in the middle of June and lasts for about a month, during which the city experiences a period of mild rain but dampness. The average annual temperature is close to 20oC and the normal precipitation is 1,000 mm or over yearly.
Economy, Industry and Environment
In history, Wujiang was a traditional farm land and its agricultural income was the principal revenue for the city. The main agricultural products include rice, oil seed, vegetable, fruit, cocoon, plus abundance of aquatic products. Under the influence of industrialization, its farming earning is declined over years and now it only occupies 1% of the total GDP of the city. At present, the city focuses on promoting its agricultural organic products.
The city’s industrial sectors have been booming in the past two decades and a huge amount of investment funding has boosting the city into an industrialized urban town. The most important investments come from international investors including those from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Europe and North America. The pillow industrial sectors include textile, electronics, machineries, etc. The city has been ranked at the top five in the China Top 100 Cities (county-level) with its economic strength and competition capability for seven years in a row.
Economic growth and environmental conservation have always seemed like two different approaches. Industrialization has brought visible pollution to the city’s environment. The municipal government has installed tough environmental policies and has spent massive funds over years to protect its environment. More than 15 polluters have been ordered to shut down, and 86 high-polluted factories are among strict inspection. The city has planted an enormous number of trees and its green coverage rate reaches to 44% of the city’s urban area in 2006. All rivers are supervised by a town leader.
Transportation and Tourism
Wujiang has convenient access to road transportation system including expressway/highway and railway. The Sujiahang (Suzhou-Jiaxing-Hangzhou) Expressway goes through the city from north to south, while the Husuzhe (Shanghai-Suzhou-Zhejiang) Expressway runs from west to east. The principal highways, S227, S230, G318, connect all its suburban towns and townships to the city, with an access of any expressway within 20 min and the downtown core within 30 min.
For railway transport, the city is 22 km away from Suzhou Railway Station, which is one of the busiest railway stations between Shanghai and Nanjing.
Highly-developed water network links the city to its water-enriched towns and townships, and these waterways crisscross most parts of the city. The principal water resources include Suzhou River, Xitang River, lakes of Taihu and Taipu and canals, providing the city a handy and fast water transportation. Wujiang is 190 km and 105 km away from Shanghai Yangshan Port and Suzhou Taicang Port, respectively.
Tourist destinations include Tongli Town, Tuisi Garden, Jingsi Garden (there is an exhibit hall for marvelous natural stone collection and among them the Qingyun Peak is the biggest stone with more than 1,600 holes on it), Xiaodian Lake Forest Park (near 300 hectares), etc. The revenue created in 2006 reached around $7 millions.
Lying on the eastern bank of the Lake Taihu, Tongli Town is a distinguished water town and has been titled as one of the Cultural and Historical Town of Jiangsu Province. It has been listed as a must-see site for tourists. The town is separated by 15 rivers into 7 isolated islands while 49 bridges, built in the ancient dynasties, unite them together. The town is honored as “Venice of the East”.
Education
Wujiang has 88 primary, secondary and high schools in total. The city has well instituted compulsory primary education system. The secondary and high schools education achieve significant graduate rate. The city has three vocational schools including Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications Wujiang Vocational Technology College.
Culture and Folklore
The well-known cultural heritages popular in Wujiang include Luxiu Folk Music, which has been popular for hundreds of years. Wujiang locals mainly eat rice and there are many local traditional foods are popular as well.
The wealthy town in ancient time developed its own culture and heritage, including celebrations for Chinese New Year and wedding. Others are similar with ones celebrated in the rest of China.
Tongli Town is a well-known water town, which has been listed as a must-see site for tourists. The town is surrounded by rivers and canals. It is separated by 15 rivers into seven islands but 49 bridges connect them together again. The town lies on the eastern bank of the Lake Taihu and is one of two most fantastic water towns you need to see.
| PREV：Jiangyin Overview | Next：Taicang Overview |
