REGIONAL> Highlights
The SIP: "Just like home"
By Song Wenwei (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-04-14 16:15

The SIP:

The Christensens

“I always feel like [I’m] at home ever since I came to work here three years ago, and like the place very much,” said Anders Christensen, a teacher from Denmark at the International Kindergarten of Bayside Garden, a residential community in the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP).

The community holds over 4,000 families, of which about 270 are foreign families who work in the SIP, a government-level project between China and Singapore inaugurated 15 years ago.

With a well-planned location of factories, residential areas and infrastructure, the living environment in the SIP is envied by people who come to visit.

“From the very beginning, planning of the residential areas was made on the Singapore model so as to provide comfortable living conditions to attract overseas people to work in the SIP,” said Zhang Xingyuan, director of the community management committee.

Strolling around, one really feels like they’re taking a walk in a park. The green trees, lawns and clean roads all present a feeling of home, sweet home.

“I moved here after we got married and I think this is a really good place to live,” said Sarah Xi, Anders’ wife.

Sarah, a Chinese girl in her late 20s from Shenyang in northeast China, used to work in Shanghai. It was there that she met Anders and fell in love. She is now an HR consultant for R & J Management Consulting (Suzhou) Co Ltd.

“I came over to see him after we got to know each other and found this was a nice place to build a family, so I decided to move here when we got married,” said Sarah.

They now have a lovely one year-old baby boy who is looked after by Sarah’s father when the couple is at work.

The SIP:

Residents learning flower-making

To enrich residents’ extra-curricular life, foreigner and recreational clubs, a library and other facilities have been established in the community. People can enjoy sports, fitness training and other activities during their spare time and holidays.

Catering to residents’ needs, the community committee also organizes courses for people to learn traditional Chinese arts, such as calligraphy, painting, and handicrafts.

China Daily Jiangsu Bureau