Suzhou's timeline

China Daily | Updated: 2016-06-24 08:34

514 BC:

First record of Suzhou.

1982:

The State Council approves listing the city among the first batch of 24 Chinese cities with high historical and cultural significance. (The city has more than 60 gardens built in ancient times, among which 19 are open to visitors.)

1986:

The State Council issues guidelines on building modern communities while protecting historical areas.

1994:

Establishment of Suzhou Industrial Park, a government-to-government project between China and Singapore, the first of the kind in China, which is based on an agreement reached between the two countries in 1992.

The park later develops into a model for China's economic cooperation with other countries.

2002:

Suzhou National High-tech District (SND) established.

2005:

The city's GDP reaches 402.7 billion yuan, ranking first in Jiangsu province and fifth among all Chinese cities.

2006:

The State Council approves the establishment of Suzhou Industrial Park Integrated Free Trade Zone, which allocates an additional 10 square kilometers of land to Suzhou Industrial Park.

2009:

The city is home to 15 performing art groups, 12 cultural centers, 27 museums, and 12 public libraries.

Suzhou Industrial Park accumulates more than 100 billion yuan worth of foreign investment.

2010:

The State Council approves the establishment of Suzhou's Kunshan National Development Zone, which upgrades an industrial park set up by Ministry of Science and Technology in 1994.

2012:

The city is selected by Ministry of Housing and Urban Rural Development as the first national-level historic conservation city.

2014:

Suzhou Industrial Park's local GDP exceeds 200 billion yuan.

2015:

Suzhou is ranked seventh on the list of China's top 10 cities with comprehensive economic competitiveness compiled by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The local GDP reaches 1.45 trillion yuan - up 7.5 percent year-on-year - 136,300 yuan per capita.

2016:

Construction begins on high-speed rail lines to connect Suzhou, Shanghai, and Huzhou city in Zhejiang province with trains designed to travel at more than 250 kilometers per hour.

- Wang Yanfei