Wuxi

Author: Editorial Committee of "China Travel Guide"
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2000-12-01
Features: This book is one of the series "China Travel Guide." It introduces readers to the general overview, travel itineraries, local customs, scenic spots, and more of Wuxi. It also covers travel knowledge and services. The book is compact, beautifully designed, illustrated with images and text, and highly practical. Wuxi is a dazzling pearl in the Taihu Lake Basin of Jiangnan, also known as "Liangxi." Since the late Shang Dynasty, Taibao, the son of King Taishi of Zhou, and his brother Zhongyong moved from the western region to Wuxi, built a city in Meili (15 kilometers from the urban area of Wuxi), and established the "Gouwu Kingdom," pioneering the Wu culture. It has a history of over 3,000 years, making it an ancient city in Jiangnan. Wuxi is strategically located on the southern shore of Taihu Lake in Jiangsu Province, with the Yangtze River to the north, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces to the south, Changzhou to the west, and Suzhou to the east. The terrain is flat, with mountains surrounding the lake. The Shanghai-Nanjing Railway and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal cross through the region, with well-developed highway and inland waterway transportation. Seven major waterway arteries connect to Huangtian Port and Zhangjiagang. Notably, it is situated in the middle of the Shanghai-Nanjing Railway and Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway, offering convenient transportation. It is 128 kilometers east of Shanghai and 183 kilometers west of Nanjing, where the famous northern-southern Grand Canal of China converges. Wuxi is part of a plain area with fertile land, abundant produce, and a network of canals and rivers, earning it the reputation as China's renowned "land of fish and rice." Wuxi has a prosperous economy. As early as the Ming Dynasty, it produced handicrafts such as smelting workshops, brick-making, ceramics, textiles, and silk reeling. Since the 19th century, Wuxi has been one of China's four major rice markets (the other three being Wuhu, Jiujiang, and Changsha). In the 20th century, Wuxi became famous for its industry and commerce, earning it the nickname "Little Shanghai."