Prepared By:
Sandy Lam
PLAN 9067: Metropolitan Planning
Semester 2, 2006
SID 305250078

Introduction to Wuxi

Wuxi, a Prefecture level city in Jiangsu Province of the People’s Republic of China, is an industrial city located west of Shanghai (Appendix A and Appendix B). The city was previously called Yaosih, which means “with tin” until 3rd century BC when it was renamed to Wuxi, meaning “without tin”, once local tin ores were depleted (Encarta 2004). It is a major transportation centre and is accessible through its airport, highways, railways, and waterways. The city is regarded as a regional economic centre, being one of fifteen economic centres and one of the ten leading tourist cities in the country (Wuxi Municipal 1996).

Geography and Administration

Wuxi is situated 128 kilometres west of Shanghai, and is located south of Zhenjiang, east of Nanjing (the provincial capital), and north of Suzhou (Appendix B). The Yangtze River is located north of the city and Taihu Lake to the south. Numerous canals “crisscross” Wuxi and the city has a typically traditional Chinese circular city plan with a central city. Wuxi covers an area of 4,650 km², of which 517.7 km² is the city centre (Wuxi Municipal 1996). It is a Prefecture level city and has nine county-level divisions, including seven districts and two county-level cities, under its jurisdiction – Chong’an District, Nanchang District, Beitang District, Binhu District, Huishan District, Xishan District, Wuxi New District, Jiangyin City, and Yixing City (Wuxi Municipal People’s Government 2002).

Population

According to the Public Security Bureau, the population of Wuxi Prefecture in 2001 was
4.359 million people, with 1.8002 million classified as urban residents (IPDFS). The population density of Wuxi Prefecture was 935 km² and 2,182 km² in the city centre. The natural growth rate of the population in Wuxi was 1.2 in 2001 (IPDFS).

History
The history of Wuxi dates back to 11th century BC when the founders of the city, Taibo (the eldest son of Emperor Zhouwu from Shaanxi) and his younger brother Zhongyong, set up the State of Gouwu (now Meicun Town of Xishan city) in present day Wuxi (IOWMPG). In 202 BC, or the 5th year of the West Han Dynasty, Wuxi County was established and the city was renamed from Yaosih to Wuxi when local tin resources were exhausted. Building water works for agricultural production and handicrafts were the main industries. The importance of Wuxi increased during the Sui Dynasty (AD581-618) when the Grand Canal was built in AD609 and the city became accessible by boat. During the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Wuxi was a transport centre for grain tributes between surrounding areas and the imperial court of Beijing. From 1368-1911, or during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Wuxi was an important national centre for the rice, silk and textile industries (Wuxi Municipal People’s Government 2002). Industrialisation began in the 1890s with an emphasis on silk and cotton textiles, and expanded into the manufacture of precision and high-technology products and the production of both light and heavy industry after 1949 (Encarta 2004).

Culture
Taibo, the founder of Wuxi, has been attributed to creating the Wu Culture which is a combination of central and southern Chinese cultures (IOFWMPG). Originally a mining town, it is now known for its production of Huishan clay figurines, red pottery, embroidery, silk, and opera and play characters (Encarta 2004 and Wuxi Municipal People’s Government 2002).

Wuxi has natural, historical and cultural attractions including:
• Taihu Lake and surrounding gardens such as Yuantouzhu or Turtle Head Garden;
• “Nine-Dragon Spine” comprising Huishan and Xishan Mountains;
Giant Statue of Buddha at Lingshan;
• Temples and Lava Caves in Yixing;
• Gardens and Parks such as Jichang Garden, Plum Garden and Xihui Park;
• And cultural institutions such the Great Hall of the People, Radio Broadcast and TV Centre, Wuxi Taihu Film and Television City, and Wu Cultural Park.

Education
Wuxi has 11 independent universities and colleges including the Southern Yangtze University, and vocational institutions such as the Wuxi Institute of Technology (WXIT) and Wuxi Institute of Commerce. The city also has international schools for children of foreign expatriates. In Wuxi, 548 of every 10,000 people and 46% of young people between ages 18 and 22 have received tertiary education (WBFTEC 2006).

Transportation and Major Infrastructure

Wuxi is a regional transportation hub and has an extensive network of highways, railways, air routes and waterways. Nine highways connect Wuxi with large cities such as Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou. The city is on the railway line that connects major cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing, and other cities like Xinyi and Changxing. Wuxi Airport has eleven domestic air routes including charter passenger flights to Hong Kong. Wuxi has seven waterways including the Yangtze River, Grand Canal and Taihu Lake. The city has waterways, ports and harbors. Jiangyin Port is located 38 km from the city centre and is an international port with the handling capacity of 10,000 tons. Other ports such as Jiangyin Harbor and Zhangjiang harbor are located 40 km away. Other major infrastructure in Wuxi includes power, telecommunications and water supply and sewage disposal systems including the Lucun Waste Water Disposal Plant. The city has 38 comprehensive hospitals, 18 specialist hospitals and 6 traditional medicinal centers.

Economy

Wuxi is one of fifteen key economic centres in the country and is a regional economic centre in Jiangsu Province. Wuxi has three main industries and continues to be an important manufacturing and production base for the region’s economy.

Local Employment
In 2001, the labour market was standardised and employment was relatively stable with 2.16 million people employed in Wuxi at the end of the year, a decrease of 49,400 from the previous year. Employment at collective businesses at or above town level was 543,700, which is a decrease of 49,300 from the previous year. Private businesses and self-employed individuals increased with a growth rate of 18.1% and total employment reached 542,600. The unemployment rate in the urban area was 3.6% (IPDFS).

Major Industries
The main industries in Wuxi can be divided into three categories – primary (agriculture), secondary (industry and commerce) and tertiary (foreign and domestic trade) (IPDFS).

Primary Industry: Agriculture Wuxi has fertile and arable land and is known for its production of rice and cultivation of freshwater fish. The city has made efforts to modernize its agricultural system in recent years by increasing the area of land for profitable commercial crops such as oil-bearing crops, cotton, tea and vegetables. Facilities for agricultural production and flood prevention have improved. Forestry, animal husbandry and fishery maintained a steady growth in 2001.

Secondary Industry: Industry and Commerce:
Wuxi is the economic centre in Jiangsu Province and the Shanghai Economic Zone, and is called “Little Shanghai” for its rapid industrial and commercial development over the last century. Wuxi has approximately 20,000 enterprises and specialisation in a variety of industrial sectors including the manufacture and production of machinery, electronics, textiles, metallurgy, chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

Tertiary Industry: Foreign and Domestic Trade:
The city’s economic strategic policy is “enhancing development through opening up to the world trade market” and has programs to promote and encourage foreign investment and trade with overseas enterprises (IPDFS). As a result, there has been a gradual increase of imports, exports, foreign trade and investment in Wuxi over the years (Table 1).