Modern Industrial Cradle, Modern Equipment Manufacturing City

Changzhou is one of the cradles of modern Chinese national industries. Changzhou’s resident Sheng Huaixuan, known as the "father of Chinese Industry," devoted his life to engage in modern mining transport industries and created 11 “China First” including the first telecommunications company. At late Qing dynasty and early Republic of China, Changzhou’s textile, machinery, food and other modern industries had achieved rapid development. In 1906, the first capitalist workshop, Jinyu Cloth Factory was set up. In 1932, the famous industrialist Liu Guojun established the business mode integrating spinning, weaving and dyeing, becoming the initial innovation in the 1930s. In early eighties of last century, Changzhou became the star city of industries in China, and created the famous “Southern Jiangsu Mode” while enjoying the developed rural industries. As the traditional and dominant industry in Changzhou, the equipment manufacturing industry has achieved rapid development in recent years and formed four pillar industries, namely, farm machinery manufacturing industry, power transmission & transformation equipment manufacturing, automobile and parts manufacturing and new textile & garment industry, as well as six national characteristic industry bases, namely, rail transport, new paint and so on. At present, the power transmission & transformation equipment manufacturing has owned the largest scale in China, and Changzhou has become the manufacturing base of rail transport vehicles and parts in east region and the whole country. In addition, the engineering machinery and automobile industry also have shown strong development trend. Latest statistics show that, Changzhou already has 22 China famous products, 8 top China brands, and 104 products keeping ahead at domestic level, including 9 products at international level. Changzhou is becoming the modern equipment manufacturing city with obvious advantages and great potential in China.

Cradle for “Silver Collar”, Reputed Science and EducationTown

As the first vocational education park in China, Changzhou vocational education base is known as the Cradle for "Silver Collar” in the Yangtze River Delta, producing 20 thousand skilled technical personnel to Yangtze River Delta every year. The 100 percent of graduates signed the employment contract, and one-time employment rate exceeded 98%. Five vocational institutes and one undergraduate institute have settled in the park, implementing the policies of studying in different schools, mutual recognition of credits and resource sharing, and producing high-quality vocational skilled personnel for Changzhou and the peripheral areas. Founded on this basis, Changzhou Science and EducationTown respectively established cooperation relationship with the higher education institutes of the United States, Canada, Britain, Germany and other countries, as well as the Chinese Academy of Sciences College, NanjingUniversity and other domestic universities, research institutions and high-tech enterprises. In cooperation with enterprises, the town has built over 100 experiment, practice, training and technology R & D centers. Currently, the town is developing forward the demonstration area of national vocational education, experimental areas integrating production, teaching, and research, and cluster with scientific and technological innovation. Several state leaders such as Hu Jintao, Jia Qinglin and Luo Gan successively inspected the town and spoke highly of it.

Dynamic City of Animation 

Since 2004，Changzhou has successfully held three sessions of China (Changzhou) International Animation and Digital Arts Festival (CICDAF). After three year’s experience, the arts festival has preliminarily reached the standard of international animation arts festival and become one of international animation activities with China's highest level, strongest profession and most authority, which endows Changzhou’s cultural development with new contents and makes Changzhou to be the only prefecture-level city among nine “National Television and Animation Industry Bases” in China. So far, Changzhou National Animation Industry Base has built three incubation parks, and attracted nearly 60 enterprises to settle in the park with the registered capital of nearly 300 million yuan. This year, total 70 animation films proposed by the enterprises of the base have been approved by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, amounting to 4, 500 episodes and 50, 000 minutes. The base produced a batch of excellent works, including the work of “Peach Blossom Fan” wining the prizes in different competitions at home and abroad. On December 12, 2006, Changzhou National Animation Industry Base won the prize of "2006 China’s Top Ten Creative Bases with Best Investment Value".

“The Three Masters of Changzhou” --- China’s Revolutionary Leaders from Changzhou 

Coming from Changzhou, the so-called “Three Masters of Changzhou” --- Qu Qiubai, Zhang Tailei and Yun Daiying, are all important leaders of the Communist Party of China at the early stage of the Party’s development. They forged ahead through all the difficulties and devoted their lives to the Chinese revolutionary cause, making monumental contributions. Qu Qiubai was one of the key leaders of the early Communist Party of China, a great Marxist, a prominent proletariat revolutionist, theorist and publicist as well as a founder of the Chinese revolutionary literature. Zhang’s name is often associated with the founding of the Communist Youth League of China and the Guangzhou Uprising. One of the earliest international activists within the Party, Zhang was serving as an important link between the Communist Party of China and the Communist International and between the Communist Youth League of China and the Youth Communist International. Therefore, he was reputed to be a true internationalist.      

Yun Daiying was an important Party leader, politician, theorist of the Communist Party of China and a leader of the youth movement. He took part in and led the May 4th Movement, the May 30th Movement, the Nanchang Uprising, the Guangzhou Uprising and other major revolutionary activities in China. Under the influence of him, numerous Chinese youth embarked on the revolutionary road.  Representative of many other eminent figures of Changzhou, the “Three Masters of Changzhou” have become the pride of the Changzhou people forever.

Beijing Time in Changzhou

——A unique second-tier city in China that is situated on 120 ° E longitude, the geographic baseline of GMT+8 time zone

“……Ding. 8 o’clock Beijing Time just arrived at the last ring.” The only official time zone in the People’s Republic of China is also known as the Beijing Time. It is eight hours ahead of GMT, which is equivalent to the local time atthe central meridian of GMT+8 (120 ° E longitude). 120 ° E longitude is the baseline of Beijing Time, running through the eastern hemisphere that locates a lot of countries and regions including China. In Mainland China, the 120 ° E longitude line runs north-south through Hailar of Inner Mongolia, the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea and other places, among which Changzhou is the only second-tier city seated on the longitude line. Therefore, the location of Changzhou represents the most accurate Beijing Time. Currently, Changzhou is planning to build the 120 ° E Longitude Park to actively develop and utilize such a special geographic resource.

Millennium Ancient Temple and No.1 Chinese Pagoda

The Tianning Temple was built about 1,350 years ago in the reign of Emperors Zhenguan and Yonghui of the Tang Dynasty. As one of the key Buddhist temples of China, Tianning Temple has long been renowned as the No.1 Buddhist Temple in Southeast China because of its popular Buddhist perspectives, magnificent buildings and delicate architectures, which is also the Key National Conservation Temple and Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Heritage Conservation Unit. Over 1,000 years, the temple has been attracting numerous tourists both at home and abroad with its long history, stylish Buddha statues and fruitful Buddhism achievements. The Tianning Pagoda is seated on the end of the temple’s central axis, which started construction in 2002. With 13 stories and a height of 153.79 m, this pagoda is now the tallest one among more than 4,000 Buddhist pagodas in China. Furthermore, along with its continuous growth in spirit and value through internal religious and cultural construction, the pagoda has achieved many No.1s in the country, such as the No.1 Golden Roof and Jade Body, No.1 Chromium Textures and Copper tiles, the Highest Bell, No.1 Sutra Tablets, etc. Tianning Pagoda is a marvelous scenic spot that interprets prosperity, history and culture.

China Dinosaur Park----the Oriental Jurassic Park

As a national 4A class tourist resort, China Dinosaur Park is also classified as the National Science Popularization Education Base and the National Cultural Industry Demonstration Base. It is a comprehensive amusement park that perfectly combined museum, hi-tech acoustic, optic and electric technology, special video effects and multimedia network, which integrated exhibition, science popularization, entertainment, leisure and participatory performances. The landmark building of the park----China Dinosaur Museum was jointly constructed by Changzhou Municipal Government and the Ministry of Land and Resources (formerly the Ministry of Geology and Mineral Resources), which displays some most precious geological and mineral products. The park includes the China Dinosaur Museum, lake and lawn area, eco-performance area in Dinosaur Hill, rest area for foreign visitors, extreme game area, etc., allowing tourists to enjoy the mysterious world of the ancient era, discover the mysteries of prehistoric dinosaurs and adventure the thrilling yet fascinating modern amusements in a single day. China Dinosaur Park, a beautiful business card of Changzhou’s tourism industry, will build Changzhou into a new spotlight in east China together with the city’s other scenic spots.

Tianmu Lake----A Dreamy Landscape

Situated in the region of South Mountain in the joint area of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces, Tianmu Lake covers an area of 250 square meters and is filled with unpolluted rivers and brooks. The pure lake water is sparkling like a mirror, which features the unique quality. Surrounded by mountains and woods, the vegetation coverage rate of this landscape is over 80%, while the wide yards of bamboos and tea gardens are famous in the south of Yangtze River. The natural harmonization of mountains, lake and woods makes Tianmu Lake a pure green fairyland. Sweet water, fragrant tea and tasty fish head soup are the three treasures of Tianmu Lake. The lake also nurtures big gray carps----the raw material of "earthen pot fish head soup" and features the special food culture of TianmuLake. Reputed as an ecological land and dreamy paradise, Tianmu Lake is striving to build itself into the garden of Yangtze River Delta and the best choice for tourists.

Royal Combs----Everything Starts from the “Head”

There is an old saying that “everything starts from the head, while both hair and mind can be loosened by combs”. As one of the representatives of Changzhou’s folk crafts, the “Royal Combs” have long been famous around the world. Changzhou-made combs were originated from Jin Dynasty (AD 265-420), and have enjoyed a long history of above 1,500 years. The scene of “Wenheng Bridge is seen as crossing the moon; and lamplight in the comb-makers lane reflects on the canal” was reputed as one of the eight scenic sites in Changzhou in Qing Dynasty. Besides, the verse in the Changzhou Appraisal says, “Combs are made by cutting bamboo; Changzhou-made ones are popular among all royal families.” Such description proves that how prosperous the comb-making in Changzhou was in the history. In Qing Dynasty, Changzhou used to customize a batch of high-class combs for the royal families every year; therefore, Changzhou-made combs were also renowned as “Royal Combs”. The high reputation of Changzhou-made combs should be due to its strict material choosing, unique workmanship and high quality. In addition, Changzhou-made combs were awarded the gold medals at the Nanyang Business Fair in 1910 and the World’s Fair in Philadelphia in 1926. Nowadays, while inheriting and carrying forward the traditional skills of “engraving, drawing, carving and ironing”, the local handicraftsmen keep emerging out of the old by integrating with the features of daily appliance, artwork and decorations, thus infuse modern vigor into this traditional industry.

A Famous City in the Region of Wu----Yancheng Remains at the Spring & Autumn Period

Yancheng Remains is located in the south of Changzhou, about 7 kilometers away from the urban area, which is currently the oldest and best reserved city and moats during the Western Zhou Dynasty and Spring & Autumn period of China. It is said that Yancheng is the only ancient ground city with three circles of cities and rivers, covering an area of about 0.6 square kilometers, with a history of nearly 3,000 years.

Witnessing the past 3,000 years, the Yancheng Remains has become a master piece in the history. With clear streams flowing in the water town in southern Yangtze River Delta, Yancheng Remains represents a geometric monument in this fertile field for thousands of years and reserves the brilliant culture of Chinese nation. Walking in the remains is just like entering the paradise, where you will feel its everlasting antiquity and peace. “To learn the history of Ming and Qing Dynasties, please visit Beijing; to know the history of Sui and Tang Dynasties, please tour Xi’an; to study the history of the Spring & Autumn period, please go to Yancheng”, such is a well-known rhesis for appraising Yancheng Remains. Since 1958, a number of geometric stamped potteries, jars, urns, bowls and bronze wares have been unearthed from the Yancheng Remains. Among these relics, the canoes unearthed in the inner city made a stir inthe Chinese archaeological circles. The largest canoe hollowed from a whole trunk of nanmu is 11 meters long, 0.9 meters wide and 0.45 meters deep. With the reputation of “the First Canoe since the Beginning of History”, this canoe is now collected by Beijing Museum.