Changshu

Jiangsu Province Changshu City

Area	1264km?
Population	1,047,700
Administrative Rank	County-level city
Postal code	215500
Phone Area Code	0512
CPC Changshu Committee Secretary	Yang Shenghua

Changshu is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Suzhou, and is located in the south-eastern part of eastern-China’s Jiangsu Province as well as the Yangtze River Delta. Due to the mild climate and terrain there, it has enjoyed a high level of agriculture civilization since ancient times, and is named after this, for in Chinese Chang means “always, often” and Shu has the meaning of “crop harvest”. Not surprisingly, there is a town nearby called Taicang which means “Greatest Granary”.

Changshu comprises 12 towns and two provincial economy and technology development districts. As a famous city of history and culture, it is known for its long history of humanity, beautiful scenery and prosperity. Changshu is one of the most well developed counties in China: its reached 97.2 billion yuan in 2007, and GDP per capita reached 91,846 yuan , ranking among the top-10 counties within China.

History

Changshu first became an independent county in 540 AD, but in 581 was made subordinate to Suzhou. It was promoted to seat of a full prefecture in 1295, was rebuilt and fortified in the 1300s, but in 1370 was reduced again to the level of a county. In the 15th and 16th centuries Changshu was several times attacked by Japanese pirates.

Changshu has traditionally been a market town for locally-produced rice, corn, wheat, tea, and mulberry leaves, and since the 13th century has been a major cotton-producing district. Although administratively still a subordinate city to Suzhou, it is a provincial base of foreign trade. Currently a harbour is being developed on the Yangtze River near Changshu to service Suzhou and Wuxi.

Administrative divisions

Changshu is divided into 12 towns, one forest farm, two provincial development districts and a clothing and fabric market.

12 Towns

*Meili
*Bixi
*Xushi
*Heshi
*Dongbang
*Renyang
*Zhitang
*Baimao
*Guli
*Tangshi
*Shajiabang
*Yushanzhen
*Haiyu
*Xieqiao
*Dayi
*Mochen
*Xinzhuang
*Wangzhuang
*Yetang
*Liantang
*Yangyuan
*Zhangqiao

Forest Farm

*Yushan Forest Farm

Clothing and Fabric Market

*Zhaoshangcheng

Education facilities

College and universities

*Changshu Institute of Technology
*Changshu Radio & TV University

High schools

*Changshu High School of Jiangsu Province
*High School of Changshu City
*Changshu High School of Foreign Languages
*Meili High School of Changshu City Jiangsu Province

Vocation schools

*Changshu Farm & Side-line Vocation School
*Changshu Industrial Vocation School

Social Welfare Institute

Changshu Social Welfare Institute

Address:
No. 39, Bei Men Da Jie, Changshu City,
Jiangsu Province, China 215500

Tourism

Gardens and parks

*Fangta Tower Park
*Yushan Hill Park
*Shanghu Lake Park
*The Zengs' Garden
*The Zhaos' Garden
*The Yan Garden (燕园）

Hills

*Yushan Hill
*Fushan Hills
*Tongguan Hill
*Dianshan Hill
*Xishan Hill

Humanity remains

*Xingfu Temple
*Zhongyong's Tomb
*Yanzi's Tomb

Transportation

*Railroad: the Yangtse Riverine Railway
*Highways: the Yangtse Riverine Expressway, the Suzhou-Jiaxing-Hangzhou Expressway

Famous people

*Weng Tonghe , Confucian scholar and imperial tutor of two emperors during the Qing dynasty

At least four famous painters came from Changshu:
*Huang Gongwang , one of the Four Masters of the Yüan dynasty
* , one of the "Four Wangs" representing the orthodox school of painting during the and early dynasties
*Wu Li , one of the orthodox school of "literati painting" in the early Qing dynasty
*Jiang Tingxi , official painter and grand secretary to the Imperial Court in Kyoto.
*Wang Gangchang, an outstanding nuclear physical scientist