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Wuxi
Wuxi (Chinese: 无锡; pinyin: Wúxī, WOO-shee) is a city in southern Jiangsu, China. As of 2024, it had a population of 7,495,000. The city lies in the southern Yangtze delta and borders Lake Tai. Notable landmarks include Lihu Park, the Mt. Lingshan Grand Buddha Scenic Area and its 88-meter (289 ft)-tall Grand Buddha at Ling Shan statue, Xihui Park, Wuxi Zoo, and the Wuxi Museum. Transportation options include Wuxi Shuofang Airport, Wuxi Metro, Shanghai–Nanjing intercity high-speed railway, and Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway. Wuxi is home to Jiangnan University.
Despite varied origin stories based on the second Chinese character 锡 of the city's name meaning "tin", many modern Chinese scholars favor the view that the word is derived from the "old Yue language" or, supposedly, the old Kra–Dai languages, rather than reflecting the presence of tin in the area.
Clues are to be found at the Meili Museum and the Helv Relics Museum, Wuxi is the ancient capital of Wu State during the Spring and Autumn Period (770–476 BCE). Taibo and Zhongyong traveled southeast and settled in Wuxi Meili. There, Taibo and his followers set up the State of Wu, and made Wuxi as its founding capital which lasted for 600 years. The history of Wuxi can be traced back to Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). The tin industry thrived in the area in ancient times but it was eventually depleted, so that when Wuxi was established in 202 BCE during the Han dynasty, it was named "Wuxi" (the capital of Wu commandery). Administratively, Wuxi became a district of Biling (later Changzhou) and only during the Yuan dynasty (1206–1368) did it become an independent prefecture. Wuxi and Changzhou are considered to be the birthplaces of modern industrialization in China.
Agriculture and the silk industry flourished in Wuxi and the town became a transportation hub under the early Tang Dynasty after the opening of the Grand Canal in 609. It became known as one of the biggest markets for rice in China.
The Donglin Academy, originally founded during the Song dynasty (960–1279) was restored in Wuxi in 1604. Not a school, it served as a public forum, advocating a Confucian orthodoxy and ethics. Many of its academicians were retired court officials or officials deposed in the 1590s due to factionalism.
As a populous county, its eastern part was separated and made into Jinkui County in 1724. Both Wuxi and Jinkui were utterly devastated by the Taiping Rebellion, which resulted in nearly 2/3 of their population being killed. The number of "able-bodied males" (ding, 丁) were only 72,053 and 138,008 individuals in 1865, versus 339,549 and 258,934 in 1830.
During the Qing dynasty (1644–1912), cotton and silk production flourished in Wuxi. Trade increased with the opening of ports to Shanghai in 1842, and Zhenjiang and Nanjing in 1858. Wuxi became a center of the textile industry in China. Textile mills were built in 1894 and silk reeling establishments known as "filatures" were built in 1904. Wuxi has remained the regional center for the waterborne transport of grain. The opening of the railways to Shanghai and to the cities of Zhenjiang and Nanjing to the northwest in 1908 further increased the exports of rice from the area. Jinkui County merged into Wuxi County with the onset of the Republic in 1912. Many agricultural laborers and merchants moved to Shanghai in the late 19th century and early 20th century; some prospered in the new factories. After World War II, Wuxi's importance as an economic center diminished, but it remains a regional manufacturing hub. Tourism has increasingly become important. On 23 April 1949, Wuxi was divided into Wuxi City and Wuxi County, and it became a provincial city in 1953 when Jiangsu Province was founded. In March 1995, several administrative changes were made within Wuxi City and Wuxi County to accommodate for Wuxi New District, with the creation of 19 administrative villages such as Shuofang, Fangqian, Xin'an and Meicun. Jiangnan University was originally founded in 1902, before merging with two other colleges in 2001 to form the modern university.
The prefecture-level city of Wuxi administers seven county-level divisions, including 5 districts and 2 county-level cities. The information here presented uses the metric system and data from the 2020 Census.
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Wuxi
Wuxi (Chinese: 无锡; pinyin: Wúxī, WOO-shee) is a city in southern Jiangsu, China. As of 2024, it had a population of 7,495,000. The city lies in the southern Yangtze delta and borders Lake Tai. Notable landmarks include Lihu Park, the Mt. Lingshan Grand Buddha Scenic Area and its 88-meter (289 ft)-tall Grand Buddha at Ling Shan statue, Xihui Park, Wuxi Zoo, and the Wuxi Museum. Transportation options include Wuxi Shuofang Airport, Wuxi Metro, Shanghai–Nanjing intercity high-speed railway, and Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway. Wuxi is home to Jiangnan University.
Despite varied origin stories based on the second Chinese character 锡 of the city's name meaning "tin", many modern Chinese scholars favor the view that the word is derived from the "old Yue language" or, supposedly, the old Kra–Dai languages, rather than reflecting the presence of tin in the area.
Clues are to be found at the Meili Museum and the Helv Relics Museum, Wuxi is the ancient capital of Wu State during the Spring and Autumn Period (770–476 BCE). Taibo and Zhongyong traveled southeast and settled in Wuxi Meili. There, Taibo and his followers set up the State of Wu, and made Wuxi as its founding capital which lasted for 600 years. The history of Wuxi can be traced back to Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). The tin industry thrived in the area in ancient times but it was eventually depleted, so that when Wuxi was established in 202 BCE during the Han dynasty, it was named "Wuxi" (the capital of Wu commandery). Administratively, Wuxi became a district of Biling (later Changzhou) and only during the Yuan dynasty (1206–1368) did it become an independent prefecture. Wuxi and Changzhou are considered to be the birthplaces of modern industrialization in China.
Agriculture and the silk industry flourished in Wuxi and the town became a transportation hub under the early Tang Dynasty after the opening of the Grand Canal in 609. It became known as one of the biggest markets for rice in China.
The Donglin Academy, originally founded during the Song dynasty (960–1279) was restored in Wuxi in 1604. Not a school, it served as a public forum, advocating a Confucian orthodoxy and ethics. Many of its academicians were retired court officials or officials deposed in the 1590s due to factionalism.
As a populous county, its eastern part was separated and made into Jinkui County in 1724. Both Wuxi and Jinkui were utterly devastated by the Taiping Rebellion, which resulted in nearly 2/3 of their population being killed. The number of "able-bodied males" (ding, 丁) were only 72,053 and 138,008 individuals in 1865, versus 339,549 and 258,934 in 1830.
During the Qing dynasty (1644–1912), cotton and silk production flourished in Wuxi. Trade increased with the opening of ports to Shanghai in 1842, and Zhenjiang and Nanjing in 1858. Wuxi became a center of the textile industry in China. Textile mills were built in 1894 and silk reeling establishments known as "filatures" were built in 1904. Wuxi has remained the regional center for the waterborne transport of grain. The opening of the railways to Shanghai and to the cities of Zhenjiang and Nanjing to the northwest in 1908 further increased the exports of rice from the area. Jinkui County merged into Wuxi County with the onset of the Republic in 1912. Many agricultural laborers and merchants moved to Shanghai in the late 19th century and early 20th century; some prospered in the new factories. After World War II, Wuxi's importance as an economic center diminished, but it remains a regional manufacturing hub. Tourism has increasingly become important. On 23 April 1949, Wuxi was divided into Wuxi City and Wuxi County, and it became a provincial city in 1953 when Jiangsu Province was founded. In March 1995, several administrative changes were made within Wuxi City and Wuxi County to accommodate for Wuxi New District, with the creation of 19 administrative villages such as Shuofang, Fangqian, Xin'an and Meicun. Jiangnan University was originally founded in 1902, before merging with two other colleges in 2001 to form the modern university.
The prefecture-level city of Wuxi administers seven county-level divisions, including 5 districts and 2 county-level cities. The information here presented uses the metric system and data from the 2020 Census.