Table of Contents

The Dragon City at First Glance
Historical and Cultural Changzhou
Changzhou's Famous Handicrafts
Amusement Parks and Scenic Areas
The Garden City
The Changzhou Community
Changzhou's Future
Shopping, Transportation and Other Tips
Final Thoughts

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Changzhou, located in Jiangsu Province, on the Yangtze River Delta, is a place to see. With over 2,500 years of history, it has much to offer. My intent in writing this book is to introduce you to Changzhou and to get the word out about how great this city is. I am completely biased as I have a background in urban planning and love cities.
This book sets out to show you a snapshot of life in the city of Changzhou, located in Jiangsu Province. Through my experiences and encounters traveling in Changzhou, I was able to meet with and talk to a whole range of residents-from the youngest to the oldest, both Chinese and foreign. In seeking out the most diverse group of people, this book offers a more well-rounded picture of Changzhou. 
In addition to these conversations and meetings, this book also tries to provide you just a bit of history here and here. As with every city in China, there's always an interesting story behind it. Changzhou is no different, as it has been nicknamed the "Dragon City" and its history dates back to the prehistoric era. Changzhou has a lot to offer. 
Mixed in with the history and the cultural venues, I was also able to check out some of the newest areas in Changzhou, such as the Creative Industries Park, the Changzhou Science and Education Town, as well as a new village tourist site, Yangqiao Village-to illustrate where Changzhou is headed in the future. It has one eye on traditional industry-tourism, and the other eye on a more service- oriented economy. 
Even though Changzhou is located on the Yangtze River Delta, it is not one of the foreign tourist hot spots. Unlike Nanjing or Shanghai, few people outside China have heard of this city, though it is only 45 minutes from each. This is an advantage if you just want to check out a Chinese city filled with beautiful parks. Changzhou's other nickname is the "City Within a Forest", as the government has been working hard to increase the amount of green space with a goal of 47% by 2020. 
I often hear from tourists and travelers alike the desire to visit an ordinary Chinese city. Changzhou is just that, an ordinary Chinese city with a pretty extraordinary history. 
Changzhou is a "small" city with a population of about six million that includes residents in the urban core and the outer districts. Of course, "small" is a relative term in China, relative to other cities. China is famous for having megacities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, or Chongqing with populations well over 15 million.