Cixi Impressions
By Zhang Jun (Chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2004-06-07 14:18

Situated along the coastline of China's Southeast Zhejiang Province and the southern banks of Hangzhou Bay, Cixi city boasts a long history and prosperous culture.

The culture of reclaiming land for cultivation in Cixi can be traced back over 1,000 years. At the time, its inhabitants built individual dams based on the tideland topography called "scatter lands". And for over a millennium, people built 480 kilometers of dykes (Cixi's Reclamation Culture).

In addition, Cixi is a birthplace of Chinese porcelain from the Han Dynasty (206BC-AD220) until the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The city was also an important starting point for the famous "Marine Porcelain Road". China's famous Shanglinhu celadon has spread to many countries via Cixi, which is also known as the Celadon Culture.

Furthermore, the city was also known as an immigrants' haven. Beginning in the Song Dynasty, when China carried out its opening and reform policies, a great number of foreign laborers from other provinces had immigrated to Cixi, which became one of the most developed coastal cities in the world.

Hangzhou Bay Sea-crossing Bridge

The Hangzhou Bay sea-crossing Bridge, which begins in Jiaxing City in the north and ends in Cixi, Ningbo city after crossing the spacious Hangzhou Bay, will be 36 kilometers long upon completion. The bridge will cut the distance between Ningbo and Shanghai by some 120 kilometers.

A rough sketch of Hangzhou Bay Sea-crossing Bridge

The bridge was designed as a bi-directional six-lane expressway with a speed limit of 100 kilometers per hour. Its total investments reach about 11.8 billion yuan.

The Hangzhou Bay Cross-sea Bridge is currently the longest cross-sea bridge under construction in the world. The bridge will be opened in 2009.

Hangzhouwan Bay New Zone

The New Zone is 12 kilometers north of Cixi city. As planned, the general area, including its controlled area, amounts to 143 square kilometers. The Zone is divided into three different function sections from east to west: a 90 square-kilometer middle section for industrial development, 33 square-kilometer eastern section for economic, cultural and administrative functions and a 20-square-kilometer western section for developing high-resort villas, hotels and parks.

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