Travel in Suzhou
National Level EDZ - Suzhou Industrial Park
Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) is a cooperative project of priority between
Chinese and Singaporean governments and saw its debut in February 1994 as
certified by the State Council of PRC. During the past decade, SIP has seen
quick development and the chief economic indices all grow at a rate of around
50%. In 2003 alone, the investment in fixed assets in SIP exceeded 20.2
billion yuan, an increase of 94% over the previous year.
The total output value reached 36.5 billion yuan, an increase of 45% over
2002. The local budget revenue registered 2.05 billion, up by 55.8%. The
total value of import and export was 14.4 billion USD, in which export accounted
for 6 billion, growing 150% and 134% respectively. The newly contracted
foreign investment reached 2.1 billion USD and the utilized investment reached
1.2 billion USD, increasing 20% and 32% respectively. The registered domestic
investment reached 11.1 billion yuan. During the past decade, SIP has provided
over 120, 000 new jobs.
SIP is targeting at, by the year 2005, a GDP of 70 billion yuan, financial
revenue of 10 billion yuan, import and export of 20 billion USD, rural per
capita income of 12,000 yuan RMB and urban per capita income of 30,000 yuan.
By then, the SIP will lead the municipality in realizing a well-off life
standard for its population on a high level. By 2010, the SIP will realize
basic modernization and build itself into a development zone of international
competitiveness.
National Level EDZ -Suzhou New & Hi-tech District & Huqiu District
Suzhou New & Hi-tech District was certified by StatCouncil of PRC on
18 November 1992 and it was one of the first industrial parks open to APEC
economies as well as an export base of national hi-tech products. In 2003,
the whole district has realized a total output value of 25.1 billion yuan,
industrial sales of 70.06 billion yuan, The local budget revenue registered
1.53 billion yuan and export of 8.76 billion USD.Up to the end of 2003,
the district has attracted a total of over 800 foreign projects including
40 MNCs of the Fortune 500. The contracted foreign investment has reached
over 6 billion USD while the actually utilized investment reached 3.4 billion
USD. In the district, an industrial framework of electro-information, precise
machinery, bio-pharmaceuticals, and new materials has taken shape.
Business development bases including Suzhou New & Hi-tech Initiative
Center, Business Incubator for Returned Scholars, Suzhou New & Hi-tech
Incubator, Suzhou Science and Technology Town have all been constructed
and optimized. Suzhou New & Hi-tech District was accredited with "ISO
14000 National Demonstration Zone"and has led the nation in building
itself into an environmental friendly zone. The construction of the National
Industrial Park of Env-ironmental Protection, Science and New & High
Technology has made its debut in December 2003.
Guanqian Pedestrianized Shopping Street
Guanqian Street is named after the Mysterious Taoist Temple.With a history
of more than 150 years,it is well-known for many one-century characteristic
shops such as Daoxaingcun Confectionery Shop,Qiantaixiang Silk Shop,Huangtianyuan
Round Dumpling Shop. Its catering street,which is located between Taijian
Lane and Bifeng Lane,is well-known for Suzhou-style Dishes.And the Mysterious
Taoist Temple,one of National Key Preservation Units, attracts tens of
thousands of vistors both home and abroad with its profound Taoism culture.
After one-century ups and downs, Guanqian commercial center nowadays has
been completely renewed by the lead of CPC Suzhou Municipal Committee and
Municipal Government with huge capital.The reconstructed Guanqian Street
has been becoming a commercial,cultural, religionary and travel center with
rich local color,sound traffic network,perfect infrastructure,rational overall
commercial arrangement and excellent investment environment. Guanqian Street
is warmly welcoming domestic and oversea visitors with totally-new image.
Humble Administrator's Garden
The Humble Administrator's Garden. First laid out in 1509 AD, the garden's
scenery is focused on a central pond with various buildings of pavilions,terraces,chambers
and towers located by the water or on hillocks in a natural, unsophisticated,and
appropriate composition. The garden is most representative of Chinese classical
gardens in the Ming Dynasty.
The Humble Administrator's Garden covers 4 hectares in northeast Suzhou.
It is the largest garden of the city and a typical example of the art of
horticulture south of the Changjiang river.
It was laid out in 1513 by the censor Wang Xiancheng after his retirement
from political life. He named the garden after an essay by Pan Yue of Jing
Era---On Idle Living:" Building house and planting trees, watering
garden and growing vegetables are the affairs (Zheng) of humble (Zhuo) people."
After his death, his son gambled away the garden.
When Taiping troops occupied Suzhou in 1860, King Zhongwang picked this
one and the neighboring buildings of the present Historical Museum as a
residence and center for his political activities.
Three-fifths of its area is covered by magnificent ponds. All of the buildings
are right next to the ponds, so that the garden seems to be floating on
the water. The entire grounds can be divided into three parts: an eastern,
a central and a western part. The central one is especially worth a visit.
It centers around Yuanxiang Tang pavilion. Two artificial islands linked
to each other in the lotus pond north of the pavilion are densely overgrown
with bamboo plants and trees. In the western part, Sanshiliu Yuanyang Guan
hall, the Hall of the Thirty-Six Mandarin Ducks, will attract the visitors'
special interest. On the adjoining lake, one used to be able to see mandarin
ducks, symbol of marital faithfulness. Today, some swim in a fenced-off
part of the lake.West of the garden there is a noteworthy bonsai exhibition
a a teahouse.
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