Wuxi is best known as a convenient base for visitors to Tai Hu (Lake Tai), which is located a mere five kilometers from the center of town. While there isn't much to see in the city itself, it lies in the heart of Jiangsu Province, sharing the region's long and interesting history. The Grand Canal runs straight through town and the local hills provide great views of the "Grand" Lake.

Wuxi's location, just upriver from Shanghai, places it directly in the region's industrial and agricultural heart. It thus lies in the middle of both scenic, fertile lands and an environmental travesty in the making. The waterways that bring life through Wuxi, and to the entire central east coast of China, have been exploited for over three thousand years and while the lakes, rivers and canals still attract tourists, their days of fueling a heartland with safe and clean water are certainly numbered as industry and its byproducts take over.

History

Wuxi is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in China with a recorded history that stretches back to at least the 11th century B.C. Archaeological evidence shows that inhabitants were there even before two Zhou Dynasty princes officially founded the city and established the region's Wu culture, but it is the Wu legacy that endures. Natural resources have made Wuxi an important place in the Middle Kingdom throughout its entire history. The earliest exploitation was tin from nearby "tin mountain" (Xishan), whose caches were eventually tapped, providing the town with the name "Wuxi," which means "without tin."

An important town along the Grand Canal, Wuxi was a great producer and container for grain and silk products in the first few centuries A.D., while extensive irrigation and transportation canals turned the Yangzi Delta into the bread (well, rice) basket of China. Mills of all kinds—cotton, silk, rice—cropped up in Wuxi, making it an early seat of industry.

The modern route of the Grand Canal still keeps Wuxi in business. Throughout the 20th century it was known as "Little Shanghai," or a "bright economic star." It has been developed at the same staggering pace as the rest of the Delta, following Shanghai's lead. Its other nickname, "the pearl of Lake Tai," shows its inextricable relationship with the third largest freshwater lake in China. While Tai Hu is a renowned scenic spot, with famous gardens and groves of flowering plum trees, its shores are crowded with factories and industrialized agriculture, which pollute Tai Hu's waters with abandon. As a result both the lake and Wuxi have made international headlines in recent years as one of the most polluted places in the world. Thus, horrific algae blooms, cyanobacteria outbreaks and cancer-causing fish may be the lasting legacy of Wuxi's nearly ten thousand year history.

Climate

The inland delta area of Jiangsu Province enjoys mild but wet weather with humid summers and drizzly winters. Temperatures get uncomfortably hot in July and August and can be penetratingly cold in January, but the long transitional months of fall and spring are quite pleasant with many sunny (well, usually hazy) days. Early spring's blossoming trees make it a strong contender for the best time to visit.

The hotels in Wuxi are hardly worth writing about. They are mostly simple and mid-range to overpriced. If you are coming to Wuxi primarily to visit the lake, it's best to head down to the shore of Tai Hu itself and spend a bit more for a relaxing, scenic or downright luxurious place to call home during your stay.

Small restaurants abound in Wuxi, and fish and crab feature prominently in the fare. But if you've heard any of the recent reports about Tai Hu seafood and how it should probably be glowing with toxins, you might want to sample Wuxi's famous barbecued pork ribs instead. For snacks, dumplings and wontons of all shapes and stuffings can be found all over town.

Getting Around

Taxis are the most convenient way to get around Wuxi, but the pricing system involves a lot of math: RMB 1.95 for the first two kilometers, RMB 2.31 per kilometer for three to eight, and RMB 2.85 per kilometer over eight kilometers.

Public buses, if you can decipher the route maps, can get you anywhere you want to go for RMB 1 (RMB 2 for air-conditioned buses). If you live in Shanghai or have just come from there, you can use your transportation card on Wuxi's buses as well.

To and from Wuxi

Air

Wuxi Shuofang Airport is located about 20 km from the city center, which has direct flights to Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and many other cities in China. Airport shuttle buses run between the railway station (city center) and the airport throughout the day for RMB 15.

Train

Wuxi Railway Station is an important hub for both the Huning Railway Line (linking Nanjing, Jiangsu Province and Shanghai) and the Xinchang Railway Line (linking Xinyi, Jiangsu Province and Changxing, Zhejiang Province). Almost all the trains running along the Huning Line stop at Wuxi, giving you access to Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Yichang and Ningbo starting from the Wuxi Station.

Bus

Wuxi has three major highways coming through town and three long-distance bus stations provide transportation in every direction, serving Suzhou, Anhui, Zhejiang, Shandong, Shanghai, and Nanjing, among other destinations, everyday.

As the center of the Wu culture, Wuxi is a good place to pick up some interesting arts and crafts. Silk products and embroidery are classy and affordable and the small clay figurines known as hui shan niren, which have been made in the area for thousands of years, can be found all over town in various incarnations. Many a famous painter and poet have hailed from Wuxi and art and calligraphy from the area is quite fine.