Strolling down the streets of Wuxi City in east China’s Jiangsu Province, one can find self-driving minibuses that can accommodate six to eight people and have no steering wheel or accelerator in sight.
With LiDAR (light detection and ranging) sensors and cameras installed, the minibus can observe the flow of people and traffic around it in a 360-degree panorama, automatically make a stop at red lights, and identify road conditions ahead in advance.
Behind the minibus is Wuxi’s complete industrial chain of Internet of Things (IoT), covering chips, sensors, connectivity, platforms, applications and security.
Nestled on the shores of Taihu Lake, Wuxi shines as an economic jewel of the Yangtze River Delta. With a per capita GDP that ranks among the highest in China, the city is a thriving manufacturing base, empowered by tech innovation.
‘New engine’
In recent years, Wuxi has continuously opened up new areas for development by focusing on cultivating new quality productive forces.
The city has made significant breakthroughs in fields such as smart sensors, the Internet of Vehicles and the Industrial IoT. In terms of market scale, Wuxi is home to over 3,000 IoT enterprises, including 82 listed companies.
On April 1, Wuxi’s Liangxi, Xinwu and Binhu districts launched two-way “low-altitude logistics” routes for drones, helping the city become the first driverless delivery demonstration city in the Yangtze River Delta.
In addition, Wuxi has launched 55 low-altitude economic application scenarios in seven categories. Besides driverless delivery, four travel routes, including cherry blossom viewing in the air, have been announced.
Meanwhile, the city has more than 500 drones for public service, which are used for scenarios such as traffic inspections, emergency rescues and power inspections.
According to the local government, Wuxi is making an effort to systematically build a “5+X” development system for future industries, with general artificial intelligence, quantum technology, third-generation semiconductors, hydrogen energy and energy storage, as well as deep-sea equipment as the five main fields for future industrial development.
By 2027, the city is expected to build no less than 15 characteristic parks for future industries, cultivate eight innovation platforms such as technology innovation centers and engineering research centers for future industries, and develop 10 leading enterprises in the fields.
‘New vitality’
Wuxi is also a cultural gem with a storied heritage and abundant artistic legacies, harmonizing with modern civilization.
Yangshan Township, also known as the “hometown of honey peaches,” is one of Wuxi’s best destinations for ecological scenery, cultural heritage and entertainment.
Today, the tertiary industry is developing better than ever. From farmhouses and homestays to exhibition halls and peach-themed cafes, the township makes good use of its natural resources and promotes the integration of agriculture, culture and tourism to comprehensively advance rural revitalization.
In 2023, the output value of Yangshan honey peaches reached 900 million yuan (around $124 million) and the per capita disposable income of farmers in Yangshan reached 66,000 yuan. Meanwhile, the township attracted more than 2 million tourists in 2023, with tourism revenue reaching 1.58 billion yuan.
Wuxi’s economic and social development is inseparable from the strong support of culture.
China’s Grand Canal, a vast waterway connecting the northern and southern parts of China, was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014. Wuxi’s ancient canal, a segment of the Grand Canal, spans over 40 kilometers, meandering through the urban expanse of Wuxi.
Focusing on the protection, inheritance and utilization of the cultural heritage of the Grand Canal, Wuxi is continuing to promote the sorting, protection, renovation and development of cultural heritage.
Several creative parks built along the canal were born out of industrial heritage. After revitalization, they have been transformed into cultural and creative tourist attractions with distinctive characteristics, showcasing the city’s new image as an culturally rich city.
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