Wuxi (Chinese simplified 无锡, traditional 無錫, Pinyin Wúxī, old Wu-hsi transcriptions, Wuhsi, gold Wusih; reads. “without tin”) is an industrial old city of the province of the Jiangsu in Popular republic of China.

Separated into two by the lake Tai Hu, Wuxi has as neighbors Changzhou in the west and Suzhou in the east. At north are located Taizhou and the river Yangtze. The south has as a border the province of the Zhejiang. Because of its recent development, Wuxi is sometimes called “small Shanghai”.

Geography

The city, as it is often the case of the Chinese old cities, is made up of a center with a circular organization. Many a channels intersects there, the traffic of boats still important remainder on the main thing of them.

The climate of Wuxi includes/understands a very hot be and a Hiver relatively fresh, with an average annual temperature of 18 ° C, but one seldom sees Neige there. Because of its proximity with the Eastern China Sea, Wuxi has one season of Mousson and the annual precipitations reach there: 1000  mm.

History

Wuxi was founded 3000 years ago by two princes fleeing the north of China, and who named the Mei area. Because of the tin deposits which were used in the neighborhoods, the city was called Youxi (有锡, reads. tin has). When there was not any more tin into 25 after J. - C., the city was famous Wuxi (无锡, reads. without tin).

In spite of its situation on the Large Channel, Wuxi did not thrive as much than the close cities. It is only at the XXe century that Wuxi became a center for the industry of silk, when investors of Shanghai and technicians foreign came in the area. After the takeover by the communist in 1949, Wuxi saw its importance still increasing thanks to the creation of new factories in textile industry and light industry and door.

Economy

Currently indicated town of Investment, Wuxi has two large industrial parks dedicated to the new industry. Although the production relates to still mainly the Textile, a reorientation of the production towards the electronic products and the software development is in project.

According to figures coming from the local government going back to 2002, 24% of the economic activity would relate to the trade of the textile, 25% the industrial production, in particular from engines, and 8% light industry.

The GDP per capita was of: 52825 yuans in 2004, which made of Wuxi the 9th Chinese city on 659 and the second provincial town of Jiangsu, behind Suzhou but in front of Nankin, the capital of the province.

In 2005, total GDP was of 280,5 billion Yuan S, and the GDP per capita of: 62323 yuans .

The center of the city is filled with high modern buildings.

Culture

Wuxi was in the beginning a mining city which, according to the legend, exhausted its tin resources, from where its name in Chinese which means literally “without tin”. It became an artistic center thereafter and cultural, many famous Chinese authors having for birthplace Wuxi. Among them is Qian Zhongshu, author of Fortress Besieged , a Comédie on China of the Années 1930.

One of the specialities of the local arts and crafts is the production of figurines Huishan clay.

One speaks the dialect there about Wuxi of the group of the dialects of Taihu of the wu.

Tourism

Wuxi is a tourist destination very appraisal located on the Yangtze river.

Wuxi is built on the edges of the Tai Hu, which is naturally an important tourist resource for the city. The known places include Yuantou Zhu (the Islet off Turtlehead) and Taihu Xiandao (Islands off the Deities).

Xi Shan and Huishan, which literally mean “tin mountain” and “mountain of kindness”, are two small hills located at the west of the city.

The Grand Channel crosses the city. There exists in fact two channels: the old channel, and a new channel dug after 1949.

Wuxi is famous for its many parks and private gardens built by scholars and rich characters of the past. Among these gardens, Li Yuan and Mei Yuan are two good examples which were well preserved. Xihui Gongyuan, located at the foot of Xi Shan, shelters many relics of the past.

Transport

By train, Wuxi is ideally located, in direct connection with Nankin, the capital of the province (2 hours of train), and Shanghai, the economic capital of the country (2 hours of train also). The airport of Wuxi, open in 2004, is located at 14 km of the center town and has direct flights towards Beijing, Canton, Shenzhen, HongKong and other Chinese cities.

Personalities born in Wuxi

  • Gu Kaizhi (second part of IVe sièce), painter;
  • Li Sheng (772-846), poet, who lived and was buried in Wuxi;
  • Gu Xiancheng (1550-1612), scholar and politician, known particularly for the “movement Dong Flax”;
  • Xu Xiake (1587-1641), Dynasty Ming, traveller and writer;
  • Hooted Hengfang (1833-1902), end of the Qing dynasty, which studied various fields of science and technologies. It took part has to work out the first steamer in China;
  • Xue Fucheng (1838-1894), known, diplomatic ideologist and historical figure, which fought to reform the national middle-class at the end of the Qing dynasty;
  • Rong Desheng (1875-1952), the largest national at the era of Min Guo, particularly known capitalist for its contribution to the Chinese industry of the text;
  • Hooted Yanjun (1893-1950) so known under the name of Abing (阿丙), popular musician, more particularly known for its work “er Quan Ying Yue”;
  • Xu Beihong (1895-1953), painter, particularly known for his paintings of horses;
  • Qian Zhongshu (1910-1998), writer, known for his comedy Fortress Besieged ;
  • Zhou Yongkang, Minister for Public safety;
  • Hooted Jinmin, general secretary of the Council of State;
  • Xu Zhihong, president of the University of Beijing and vice-president of the Chinese Academy of sciences;
  • Ding Junhui (1987-), player of Snooker to feeling.

Twin towns

Both city-counties managed by Wuxi, Jiangyin and Yixing, are also twinned with:

Administrative divisions

The city-prefecture of Wuxi exerts its jurisdiction on nine subdivisions - seven districts and two city-counties  :
  • the district of Chong' year - 崇安区 Chóng' ān Qū   ;
  • the district of Nanchang - 南长区 Náncháng Qū   ;
  • the district of Beitang - 北塘区 Běitáng Qū   ;
  • the district of Binhu - 滨湖区 Bīnhú Qū   ;
  • the district of Huishan - 惠山区 Huìshān Qū   ;
  • the district of Xishan - 锡山区 Xīshān Qū   ;
  • the new district of Wuxi - 无锡新区 Wúxī Xīnqū   ;
  • the town of Jiangyin - 江阴市 Jiāngyīn Shì   ;
  • the town of Yixing - 宜兴市 Yíxīng Shì .

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