Changzhou
Changzhou Overview
Changzhou, nicknamed the Dragon City, is a prefecture-level city located in China's most prosperous Yangtze River delta. It is administratively divided into 2 county-level cities and 5 districts, covering 4,375 square kilometers (1,689 square miles). It has a population of 3.49 million (2005). Lying astride the Grand Canal just north of Lake Tai and about halfway between Shanghai and Nanjing, Changzhou is a peaceful riverine town. As with many of the canal towns, the old city of Changzhou is heart-shaped and ringed by canals. In southern Jiangsu Province, Changzhou is a well known cultural city and a rising industrial city.
History
Changzhou is a major town with a history of over 2,500 years. It was known as Yanling, Lanling, Jinling, and Wujin previously. Only 8 kilometers (about 5 miles) from Changzhou City are the remains of an ancient walled town, founded over 3,000 years ago at the beginning of the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC - 771 BC). Changzhou got its current name, meaning 'ordinary prefecture', in 589 AD, and after the Grand Canal was constructed, the town became a canal port and a transshipment point. Today it is an important industrial center for textiles, food processing, engineering and high technology.
Location
On the Grand Canal, 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) south of the Yangzi River and 150 kilometers (93.2 miles) northwest of Shanghai, Changzhou borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the west, Zhenjiang to the northwest, Wuxi to the east, and the province of Zhejiang to the south.
Climate
Changzhou is under the influence of East Asia Monsoon. The city has a mild and humid climate and seasons are distinct, with usually hot summers and plenty of precipitation throughout the year.
Tourist Resources
In recent years, Changzhou has been a national tourist hub and one of provincial industrial centers. Changzhou is famous for its well-known China Dinosaur Park situated in its New North District, in which there are over fifty dinosaur fossils exhibited in the museum, including the world's earliest, biggest and most complete hadrosaur fossil. The city is also home to the Tianning Temple-one of the largest Zen Buddhist temple and monastery in China. Another site in Changzhou worth mention is Hong Mei Park, which includes a small children's amusement park, a zoo, a rose garden and many scenic waterways. Changzhou City boasts of over 100 tourist attractions, including many political, military, religious and historic sites and scenic spots.
What to see: Tianmu Lake
