Natives of the area speak a variant of Wu Chinese, close to the Suzhou variant, and similar but distinct from Shanghainese. Communities surrounding the city are mostly rural, and their economies traditionally depended heavily on agriculture and water-based activities. The GDP reached RMB 105 billion yuan in 2007, a growth of 19.1% from 2006. The GDP per capita reached RMB 118,000 yuan .
City Description
A sprawling metropolis, Zhangjiagang has been recently undergoing drastic change. Modernization has built up many malls, high class establishments, and recreation facilities. Still, one can easily get around on foot or by bicycle. The city's main thoroughfare is Shazhou Road, which runs east to west and is sectioned off as a pedestrian shopping mall in the city center. You can see relatively few luxury vehicles on the roads, but the alarming rate of increase in the affordability of cars has indeed added more volume to the roads. A highway connecting Zhangjiagang with Shanghai was built in recent years, reducing the time of travel between the two locations to just an hour and a half, compared to 3 hours previously required. Zhangjiagang lacks a train station, but has two long-distance bus stations which make travel to major destinations relatively fast and convenient.
Zhangjiagang is known for being cleaner than most cities in China, and it certainly lives up to its reputation as a quiet and orderly city. There are several family-friendly parks scattered throughout the city, including Shazhou Park, Zhangjiagang Park, and Jiyang Lake. Zhangjiagang is also home to a large public indoor swimming pool and sports center, both of which are located on Renmin Road.There is not much crime to speak of, and very little visible poverty. The busiest part of town centers around the ''buxingjie,'' or "walk street," a shopping area restricted to pedestrian traffic. West of the pedestrian mall is the largest supermarket in the city, as well as a small strip of bars. Those in search of English-speakers can usually count on Malone's, an American-style sports bar frequented by local English teachers, expats, and business travelers alike. Another interesting area for nightlife is Long Tong Road, near the large public swimming pool. Tong Luo Wan, a popular bar on that strip, often features a band playing live music. Like most cities in China, Zhangjiagang also has its share of coffee shops, karaoke establishments, and dance clubs.
Geography
Only an hour and a half away from Shanghai, Zhangjiagang is located along the Yangtze River. The land surrounding Zhangjiagang is extremely fertile, with large spans of rice paddies as far as the eye can see. Many fish farms are located around the city. A good number of tributaries of the Yangtze have been contaminated from the uncontrolled construction of chemical factories in the suburb areas.
History
Zhangjiagang is a relatively new city, having been developed from a small farming town following the economic reforms of the mid-1980s. By 1994 the city had the second-highest economic rating in China, with an urban per-capita income of $1000/year. The rural population around Zhangjiagang is said to be even wealthier.
In 1993, Zhangjiagang was selected to be a unique model city for all of China. Householders were given pamphlets listing the 10 "don'ts" and 6 "dos" of what the government called "civilized behaviour". The new rules emphasized courtesy, mutual respect, and obedience to authority. Thanks to vigorous enforcement, the rules are followed to such a degree that visitors remark on the beauty, cleanliness and friendliness of Zhangjiagang relative to other Chinese cities. The government began trumpeting their accomplishment nationwide, in a campaign reminiscent of the old "Learn from the " propaganda effort of the Cultural Revolution. The current goal of the central government is to turn China into a country of mini-Singapores, with clean, pleasant cities filled with polite, obedient citizens. So far, clean, friendly cities are such a novelty in China that up to 300,000 tourists visit Zhangjiagang every year to sample what could be the future of urban life in China.
Suburbs
There are many agricultural as well as fishing suburbs around Zhangjiagang. They mainly consist of low, one-story concrete homes with open doors. Many chemical factories have also recently been constructed.
A handful of temples can be found in the area surrounding Zhangjiagang, including the Dongdu temple, which according to local legend used to be the home of a monk who traveled by sea to Japan. His story has been memorialized by locally-produced Dongdu cigarettes.
Education
Zhangjiagang is home to several primary and secondary schools, including the , one of the most prestigious middle schools of the nation. is one of the most important post-secondary educational institutions in the city. Many schools in the city hire natives of the United States, Canada, Australia, the UK, and other countries to teach spoken English. There are also a few private language training centers, among them , located in Zhangjiagang.
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