Wuxi Overview

Founded 3,000 years ago, Wuxi is an old city in Jiangsu Province, China. The city name “Wuxi” may come from “Wuxu”, which means the ruins of the State of Wu. The area became flourished by developing local agriculture and waterways during Zhou Dynasty; and in Tang Dynasty, Wuxi reached its peak of its silk industry after construction of the Grand Canal.

Split in half by Lake Tai, Wuxi borders Changzhou to the west and Suzhou to the east. The northern half looks across to Taizhou across the Yangtze River, while the southern half also borders the province of Zhejiang to the south. Wuxi earned its nickname "Pearl of Lake Tai" because it's built on the shore of Lake Tai in a scenic setting.
The city plan, as is typical of many older Chinese cities, is of a central city with a roughly circular plan, crisscrossed with older canals, the main canal still seeing heavy barge traffic.

Wuxi is a famous tourism destination for both natural and man-made places of interests.
The Tai Lake provides a rich tourism resource. Noted spots include Yuantouzhu (the Islet of Turtlehead) and Taihu Xiandao (Islands of the Deities). Completed in 2008, this 115-metre (377 ft) tall Ferris wheel takes 18 minutes to complete one revolution. Passengers can enjoy the scenery of Lake Tai and the city center. At night, lighting effects are switched on around the wheel.
The Grand Canal passes through the city. There are two canals: one is the old canal that has been there since it was excavated, the other is the new canal created after 1949.
One of the handicraft specialties of Wuxi is the production of Huishan clay figurines.