Jiangsu Province lies on the east coast of China. The Yangtze River passes through its southern part.
Jiangsu is very flat and low-lying with plains covering more than two-thirds of its area. Water covers another 18 percent of the province. With a well-developed irrigation system, Jiangsu is known as a "land of rivers and lakes". It refers to the rich, fertile land criss-crossed by a network of rivers and canals, lakes and reservoirs.
Jiangsu is one of the richest agricultural regions in China with a warm climate, moderate rainfall and fertile soil. It has been a center of economic development since the beginning of economic reforms in 1978. It's now one of China's most prosperous provinces, with the country's third highest GDP. In recent years, the development of hi-tech and telecommunications has taken the province's economy to a new peak.
Jiangsu has the highest density of academic institutions in the country making it a center of education and science.
Jiangsu is full of things to see and do. Its cities have a history of more than two thousand years and its heritage and culture can be seen in its museums, temples and mountains. Large numbers of tourists visit the historic sites in its capital Nanjing, classical ornamental gardens in Suzhou, and centuries-old Venice-like waterways, bridges and houses in the noted water-town of Zhouzhuang.
(CCTV September 18, 2009)
