An Introduction to the
City
of Jiaxing, Zhejiang, China
Jiaxing has been known for centuries as a charming water
town that is “the home of silk and satin” and “land of fish and rice.” It is also the birthplace of a long list of
ancient philosophers and great modern writers, poets, scientists, and
celebrities.
Today’s Jiaxing is poised for economic development because
of its modern infrastructure in transportation, communication, electronics, and
turnkey labor solutions. It is located in the Yangtze River Delta in northeast Zhejiang province. Its
registered population is 3.3 million with a floating population of 1 million.
Jiaxing is within easy reach of several major cities in the Yangzte River Delta
that are linked by a network of airports, railways, and sea harbors. After the
high speed Maglev train project is completed in 2010, Shanghai
and Hangzhou
will be just 20 minutes from Jiaxing. The municipality covers 3,915 square
kilometers and has seven subordinate counties and cities under its governance.
All of them are listed among “China’s
100 best counties.”
Jiaxing acquired its name 1,700 years ago during the Qin
Dynasty. However, its early Ma Jia Bong
Culture existed as far back as 7,000 years ago. The landscape combines the
beauty of tides, lakes, rivers, sea, and mountains. Its South
Lake is one of the three famous lakes
in southeast China
known for their unique scenery. Jiaxing boasts two ancient tourist towns and
multiple national level scenic sites. The ancient town of Xitang
is where Hollywood star Tom Cruise filmed his
third episode of Mission Impossible. But Jiaxing has its own celebrities as well—of
the 1,800 scholars recorded in China’s
Encyclopedia, more than 80 are natives of Jiaxing. A Nobel Physics prize
winner, Dr. T.D. Lee, is also a native of Jiaxing.
Jiaxing has educational facilities of all kinds. The most
well known is Xiu
Zhou High
School, which was founded by Western missionaries
a century ago. Recently, Jiaxing has formed alliances with top national
institutions including Tsinghua University and the China Academy of
Sciences to develop both academic facilities and research institutes that will
provide turnkey solutions for the labor market as well as commercialize their
R&D products locally.
Jiaxing plans to turn its labor-intensive industries into
technology-based industries. GDP reached
$17 billion in 2006, which amounts to per capita income of $5000. Jiaxing has
12 state-approved development zones. Foreign investment has reached $11 billion
with 4,000 foreign-invested enterprises, including 23 of the world’s 500
biggest corporations. The current industries include textile, leather,
electrical instruments, and general equipment manufacturing. The city government has designated a special
area in Nanhu to welcome high tech companies and research institutes.
Jiaxing is an ancient city with a rich cultural
atmosphere. It is also full of energy
for growth and development. Although
Jiaxing’s size and population are greater than Rockville’s, from cultural, educational,
touristic, and economic standpoints, both cities will find they have much in
common. It is our mission to cultivate
these common interests through exchange and understanding and thus make our
world a more peaceful place.
Rockville Peony Garden
Peony Garden Location Map
Rockville-Jiaxing Relations 2009-2013