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SUZHOU The Soothing City
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ith an abundance of classical gardens – many of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites – Suzhou is a city that offers a dive into China’s ancient beauty. Often referred to as the ‘Venice of the East,’ visitors are treated to a plethora of historic canals, pagodas, stone bridges and temples that run through the city. Due to its rich cultural heritage and scenic surroundings, Suzhou has also been known as a breeding ground for scholars, artists, poets and writers since its founding in 514 BCE. Despite its rapid economic growth and infrastructural development in recent years, the city has done a great job of preserving its unique and serene Jiangnan-style beauty, and Suzhou remains one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. From the Song Dynasty, Suzhou was one of China’s most important commercial centers. Now primarily a manufacturing-based economy with a focus on iron, steel, textiles and electronic equipment, the city has become
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one of the country’s most important destinations for foreign investment. The China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP), a bilateral project initiated by Deng Xiaoping and former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, is a notable symbol of the city’s rapid growth. At the center of this 288-square-kilometer special area in eastern Suzhou is Jinji Lake, which offers a scenic backdrop to an area designed for technological and industrial development. Strongly influenced by Singapore, the SIP has been described by some as “a masterpiece of urban planning.” The Suzhou government has also been working to establish the SIP as an entertainment hub and hotspot for cultural activities. Art galleries, museums, shopping meccas, hotels and a wide selection of restaurants and bars offering local and international cuisines can be found in all corners of the SIP, making it a perfect place for living, working and traveling.
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