Zhangjiagang
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zhangjiagang (张家港; pinyin: Zhāngjiāgǎng; Wade-Giles: Chang-chia-kang; literally "Zhang Family Harbor") is a county-level city in Jiangsu province, China, under the direct administration of Suzhou. Zhangjiagang's population is around 800,000, with around 100,000 residents of the city proper. 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.
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[edit] City Description
A sprawling metropolis, Zhangjiagang has been recently undergoing drastic change. Modernization has built up many malls, high class establishments, and recreation facilities. Much like the larger cities of China, Zhangjiagang also has a central pedestrian shopping mall. 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.
[edit] 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. Many tributaries of the Yangtze have been contaminated from the uncontrolled construction of chemical factories in the suburb areas.
[edit] 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 Dazhai Commune" 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Education
Zhangjiagang is home to several primary and secondary schools, including a foreign-language speciality high school.
[edit] External links
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