Jiangsu's 'Little Taipei'
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Editor's notes: Urbanization creates problems though, it's an unavoidable trend. This series of five stories try to discuss ideal modes for future development of Chinese cities and how people can create better cities in light of the problems faced by them. Following is the third of this series, singling out Kunshan for its growth from a small rural town into an industrial city.
Kunshan, located in southeast Jiangsu Province, has a long tradition of commercial activity. In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), a businessman named Shen Wansan(1330-1379) from Kunshan became the area's first millionaire; he was a pioneer of overseas commerce between China and foreign countries.
Before the 1980s, Kunshan was a relatively unknown name in China, as it was merely an agricultural marshland with no real urban center. Situated between Suzhou and Shanghai, its proximity to these large cities was perhaps its only advantage. In the 1980s, some village and township enterprises were set up in Kunshan; these attracted a small amount of private capital from Taiwanese businessmen and overseas sources.
Investment from the outside has increased steadily since then. In the late 1990s, there were already 1,500 Taiwanese firms in Kunshan, which earned it the nickname "Little Taipei." Since 2000, Kunshan has acquired even more overseas investment.
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In this series: |
Kunshan has experienced a great deal of development in the areas of industrial manufacturing, agriculture and tourism. It currently ranks as the most economically successful county-level administration in China. In fact, most of iPod Touch devices are manufactured in Kunshan. Toshiba, Dell, Fujitsu, and Hewlett-Packard all receive laptops from the Compal factory in Kunshan.
In 1985, Kunshan Economic & Technical Development Zone (KETD) was founded and in 2000, Kunshan Export Processing Zone was established in KETD. There are electronic information, optical, precision machinery industry and bonded logistics industry clusters in the Zone.
In addition to its remarkable economic development, Kunshan also boasts beautiful scenery, especially in Zhouzhuang, a "water township" in Kunshan. Zhouzhuang is renowned for its well-preserved ancient residences and elegant views of the water.
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Kunqu opera performance at Kunshan Pavilion on June 18, 2010. |
On June 18, 2010, the Kunshan International Tourism Festival kicked off. In order to attract more visitors during the Shanghai World Expo, the festival is featuring a carnival garden where tourists can play games and watch stage shows. The festival will last until the middle of October.
The Kunshan Pavilion in the Urban Best Practices Area (UBPA) showcases the city's sustainable development with a myriad of video displays and interactive games. The display features bridges and rivers, with the sound of Kunqu Opera playing in the background.
Kunshan women give sewing demonstrations, while young girls play traditional Chinese musical instruments. The exhibit tells the world about Kunshan's past, present and future, as well as demonstrates the practices that have made Kunshan so successful.
The fourth of this series on China's urbanization process, "Tiny, mighty Tengtou", will be online Sunday.
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