City guide:  Taizhou  

1. General introduction

    Taizhou, referring to "Peaceful Prefecture" in Mandarin, is a city with a history of

over 2,100 years. The city's name has not been changed in the past 2 centuries even

through its prefecture jurisdiction did modify.

    Taizhou City is one of Jiangsu thirteen prefecture-level cities which administers two

old municipal districts and 4 county-level cities, Jingjiang, Jiangyan, Taixing, and Xinghua.

    Dubbed “China's medical city”, the city has becoming a national hub for hosting

dozens of major international and domestic corporations in pharmaceutical, bio-medical,

biochemical and bio-tech enterprises.

Location & population

    Taizhou lies in the center of Jiangsu Province, lower reaches of the Huaihe River. It is

bordered by Yangzhou in the west, and separated from Suzhou and Wuxi by the Yangtze

River in the south.

    Taizhou jurisdiction has a population over five million and its land mass is 5,793 square

kilometer. The ethnic components are predominantly Han nationality, with 37 other

minority nationalities.

Climate

    Taizhou enjoys a subtropical humid monsoon climate with clear four seasons and

abundant rainfall. Winter is dry and chilly and summer is torrid and damp. Every May

to July is the plum rain period, so the weather is overcast and rainy.

Economy & industry

    Taizhou and its jurisdiction are traditionally considered as a farming land and its

moderate weather and rainfall make the city one of Jiangsu’s agricultural areas. The

farming income still occupied a major portion of the city’s economy nowadays.

Agricultural products include cotton, livestock, vegetable and aquatic products,

specifically for ginkgo and aquatic production.

    Over years, Taizhou and its jurisdiction have matching into industrialization.

Coming in investments and capital funds greatly improve its financial capability

and the new industrial sectors continue in emerging. After Jiangyin Yangtze River

Highway Bridge opening in 1999, spanning between Jiangyin (under the jurisdiction

of Wuxi) and Qingjiang (under the jurisdiction of Taizhou), Taizhou is now tightly

connected to the economically booming south of Jiangsu. The improvement of

transportation further attracts more investors to the town and all Jiangsu North. The

sectors include pharmaceuticals, mechanical, electrical manufacture, food manufactures

and textile. Industrial contribution to the city’s GDP has reached 60% and its share is

still in increasing.

    The establishments of two railways and Jiangying Yangtze Highway Bridge have

brought the city new opportunities for financial benefit and the city has established

multiple economic co-operations with more than a hundred of countries or regions.

Numerous international corporations have set up their regional offices in Taizhou.

    Dubbed "China's medical city", Taizhou has becoming a national hub in attracting

more major international and domestic corporations to settle their subsidiaries and

facilities. These enterprises mainly involves researches or manufactures in pharmaceutical,

bio-medical, biochemical and bio-tech fields as well as many pioneer projects, such as

stem cell research.

    The vast developmental and economic growth have improved the city's environment

and brought in opportunities. Now Taizhou is one of the well-known historic and cultural

cities in China. With its solid economic foundation and protected environment, rich

cultures and historic sites, Taizhou welcomes all the visitors around the world.

    Economic growth and environmental conservation have always seemed like two

different approaches. The industrialization of Taizhou has brought obvious contamination

to the city’ environment. Many cities under the jurisdiction have been putting stiff

environmental policies into practice and have spent significant funds over years to

protect their ecosystem. Jiangyan and Xinghua cities have been awarded the national

and provincial ecological reputation, respectively.

    A village of Jiangyan City, Heheng Village, with a nearby township, Shenggao Township,

was listed on the Global 500 Roll of Honour for Environmental Achievement by the United

Nations Environment Programme.

2. Transportation

Railway

    Taizhou Railway Station is a modern station, located 12 km north east of Taizhou

city centre. Local bus 26 (¥2) runs into downtown, taking around 30 minutes. A taxi costs

approximately 30 CNY. The station is simple enough to use - there are 2 waiting rooms

spread over 2 floors (2nd and 3rd floor) and 3 platforms. Taizhou is on the newly opened

Nanjing-Nantong railway line and is served by approximately 6 trains per day in each

direction - most just run between Nanjing (2 hours, ¥13 hard-seat) and Nantong but a

handful are K-trains continuing to Shanghai - there are also daily connections to

Guangzhou (26 hours) and Beijing (15 hours). The ticket office is fairly quiet at most times

and you never have to wait more than 5 minutes, although the staff don't speak English.

Air

    Yangzhou Taizhou Airport (IATA: YTY, ICAO: ZSYA) is a domestic airport serving the

cities of Yangzhou and Taizhou in China's Jiangsu Province. It is located 35 kilometers

north west of Hailing District in Taizhou. A taxi from the airport to Hailing District costs

approximately 100 CNY. Destinations include Beijing-Capital, Harbin, Shenzhen, Xiamen,

Xi'an and Chengdu.

3. Education & Health care

International Schools

Taizhou No.1 Foreign Language School

    TFLS offers the best of the country. Our campus is the perfect environment for

undisturbed study and getting here is simple.

    TFLS can provide everything you need, including accommodation in the euro-style

buildings.

    We have a wonderful surrounding at the school, and a proud inclination of producing

independent, often pioneering, young ladies and gentlemen with the drive and confidence

to make the most of opportunities and a difference in the world. 

    We specially offer lessons using American books and taught by foreign teachers, which

enables students to have perfect spoken English.

Hospitals

Taizhou People’s Hospital

Address: No.399, South Hailing Rd, Hailing District.

Tel: 0523-86361510

Taizhou Second People’s Hospital

Address: No.27, Jiankang Rd, Jiangyan District

Tel: 0523-88222551

4. Recreation

Shopping

    Hailing district is the main business and commercial hub of the city. Shopping is

concentrated in the blocks bordered by Dongjin Road to the north and Jichuan Road

to the south. Qingnian Road forms the western boundary for most shoppers while the

eastern boundary stretches at a push to Gulou Road.

   Taizhou Wanda Plaza, 228 Jichuan East Road, Hailing, Taizhou, Jiangsu, China. 

Huge modern shopping & entertainment complex located at the junction of Jichuan East

Road and Qingnian South Road. Includes shopping centre, restaurants, cinema & 2 hotels

(Doubletree by Hilton Jiangsu Taizhou and Jinjiang MetroPolo Taizhou).

Pizza Hut & Starbucks are on the ground floor of the main complex. Numerous

restaurants are on the upper floor, as is the IMAX cinema. Shops include Wanda

Department Store, Carrefour, Zara and numerous others. 

    Lotte Mart (Lotte Department Store), Jichuan East Road, Hailing, Taizhou, Jiangsu.. 

Large department store & supermarket located at the junction of Jichuan East Road and

Hailing South Road. KFC (one of many in the city) is on the ground floor. 

  Pozi Street Commercial Pedestrian Street (Pozi Street), Hailing, Taizhou, Jiangsu. 

    The street is at the centre of the traditional shopping and restaurants district in Taizhou

although it is now competing with the new Taizhou Wanda Plaza 2 km to the south.

Taizhou No. 1 Department Store is 1 block north of Pozi Street while Taizhou Fashion

Shopping Plaza is a largely dilapidated complex 1 block to the south. The area also includes

many restaurants including western staples McDonald's and Pizza Hut. Golden Eagle

Department Store is a higher end store, located east of Pozi Street at the junction of

Dongjin East Road and Gulou North Road. 

Nightlife

    Nightlife in Taizhou typically involves ordering beers in a restaurant or going to KTV

bars. There is little in the way of regular bars or clubs. KTV can be a great way to spend

the evening; order some beers, choose some songs and sing the night away. English

songs are available but the choice is limited. KTV bars are scattered throughout the city;

some of the bigger venues are concentrated around Pozi Street. A new 'bar street' has

been manufactured in the Taizhou Wanda Plaza complex but none of the bars there are

particularly inviting.

Cuisine

    Taking Huaiyang style in Su cuisine as its main body, the cuisine of Taizhou stresses

on the taste of fresh and origin of materials. The national popular dishes in Taizhou are

numerous and the most famous feast is Meilan Feast, which aims to commemorate Mei

Lanfang, an opera artist with fame reputation in China. Meilan Feast is formed by 21

dishes, which take the most well-known names of Beijing Opera Programs as dish

names. Taizhou’s cooks are good at cooking river foods and lake foods and local

delicacies include Zhongzhuang Drunk Crabs, Yangtze River Mixed Sea Food, Qin

Lake Mixed Eight Species of Lake Food, and Braised Saury with Eight Treasures. The

local snacks in Taizhou are also famous, such as Jingjiang Crab Dumplings in Soup,

Yibao Small Wontons, Taizhou Beancurd Noodles, and Jiangyan Flakey Pastry.

Attractions

    Qinhu Lake Scenic Area: Not only a wetland eco-tour scenic spot for Milu, but

also a holiday resort for water landscape, Qinhu Lake boasts fine scenery and humanistic

resources. The ancient water town of Qintong and the boating festival make up the

highlights of the scenic area.

    Mei Lanfang Memorial Museum: The museum is a combination of exhibition

hall for the historical materials of Mei Lanfang and the Mei Lanfang Garden to

commemorate this excellent art master of Beijing Opera. The museum contains old

buildings of Ming and Qing dynasties and the layout is like the garden in South China. 

    Shangfang Temple: Floating on the water of Wujindang Scenic Area, the temple is

the largest water Buddhist resort in China that rebuilt in modern time.

    Tourist Tips:

    1.Taizhou's south bus station (the central station) and west bus station undertake the

intercity road transportation to some tourist cities around, including Suzhou, Hangzhou,

Shanghai, Nanjing and Zhenjiang. The former one is located in the Qingnian Road (South)

and the other in Jiangzhou Road (North). The east station in Nantong Road mainly

operates bus lines within the city. 

    2. Almost all the bus stations of Shanghai operate bus lines to Taizhou with three

and a half hours' drive. Compared with other cities, Yangzhou is quite near to Taizhou.

Yangzhou Long-distance Bus Station is located in the Jiangyang Road (West), where

buses can reach Taizhou in one hour and a half. From downtown Taizhou, Nanjing

can be reached in about three hours. Visitor can have the aid of the Nanjing Lukou

International Airport if traveling by air.