Country Article / Postcards
Introducing Wuxi City
Date: 06/26/2005
Dear International Living Reader,
China's two largest cities, Beijing and Shanghai, garner most of the attention for tourism and trade in China's mainland, while little-known Wuxi, set between the two, remains virtually unknown to the outside world.
Located in the Jiangsu Province, on the southeast coast, Wuxi is among the oldest cities in China, with origins dating back to the Han dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220). It's a dynamic place, combining a natural landscape and age-old culture with plenty of urban attractions. Here, you'll experience a version of big-city life on a miniature scale that's far more digestible--and dare I suggest, inhalable--than its massive, overcrowded sister-cities Beijing (to the north) and Shanghai (to the south). Fabulous indoor shopping malls and charming boutique shops line the street along the renowned Zhongshan Road--Wuxi's equivalent to Main Street--where you'll find fine dining, upscale hotels, highrises, and local merchants peddling everything from beverages to skewered beef.
At night, the skyline glistens with sparkling lights, while the streets magically clear to an unexpected calm. Foreign investment and tourism are slower to develop here than in the bigger cities, and finding people who speak English outside of the hotels is not a foregone conclusion (though you will see the occasional American-style fast food joint or Western-style restaurant). Full meals to feed a family of four, at splendidly decorated traditional Chinese restaurants with welcoming hostesses, cost as little as $30--and you'll be spared the "Americanized" versions of Chinese cuisine!
For its relative quaintness and value, Wuxi is a pleasant and affordable surprise for travelers to China. It's well worth a weekend visit on your way to or from the bigger destinations.
You can get to Wuxi in 90 minutes by train from Shanghai (for about $10), or by a slightly longer flight from Beijing (for about $100 including taxes). Upon arriving at Wuxi's tiny airport, there are a number of waiting taxis and a community bus that will get you into the city center in 15 minutes for 10 Yuan ($1.20). Once there, taxis are abundant and can get you to almost anyplace within city limits for 10 to 20 Yuan ($1.20 to $2.40). Since most drivers don't speak English, it helps to have either a working knowledge of Chinese or a printed document naming your destination.
Vinnie Apicella
For International Living
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