An Economic Powerhouse

Suzhou is one of the largest economies in China, witha GDP of over RMB 1 trillion (approx. USD 195billion). XJTLU is located in the Higher EducationTown of Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP), 80kmfrom Shanghai and connected by high-speed railand road links. SIP offers a lower cost of livingcompared to neighbouring Shanghai. One-fifth of the Fortune 500 top globalcompanies operate in Suzhou. This createsinternship and employment opportunities for XJTLU’s students.

Explore China and Beyond

Suzhou is well connected to other parts of Chinaand the rest of the world and is a great base toexplore all of East Asia. Other Chinese citiescan be reached via the high speed intercityrailway network. International and nationallinks are provided by Shanghai’s two majorinternational airports. Shanghai can be reachedin just 25 minutes.

Great Recreation and Nightlife

Some of Suzhou’s main entertainment hubs arelocated around the scenic Jinji Lake, near theuniversity. The Science and Culture Centrehouses a theatre and IMAX cinema, one of anumber of cinemas in the city. Suzhou also hasmany sports centres and international hotels.For nightlife, there are many restaurants,bars and clubs, with Ligongdi area one of the most popular locations.

Shopping to Suit Every Taste

There are many international supermarketchains, as well as smaller international foodstores, local markets and convenience stores.In addition to the traditional shops located inthe old district, there are modern internationalhigh-fashion centres such as Times Squareand InCity Mall.

2,500 Years of History

Suzhou has a rich history. The city’s old villagecanals, stone bridges, pagodas, and meticulouslydesigned UNESCO World Heritage gardensdraw millions of domestic and overseas touristseach year. Suzhou’s culture is famous acrossChina. Marco Polo once described Suzhou as the“Venice of the East”. Suzhou’s historic PingjiangRoad offers tourist shops, coffee shops and artgalleries. Other popular cultural attractionsinclude the Suzhou Museum designed by worldfamous architect I M Pei.

Religion

There are a number of places of worshiparound Suzhou, including those for majorChristian denominations, as well as Islam,Buddhism, and Taoism.