The ancient towns in Zhangjiagang is a magnet for tourists.

Viet Nam News Visitors to Jiangsu in eastern China will feel the unique character of the province, which rose from a traditional manufacturing city that relied on labour and resources to a high-tech powerhouse while still preserving its cultural heritage.

Yanghe liquor in Suqian City, one of China’s centres of liquor, was first made in as early as the 6th century. — VNS Photos Hồng Vân

You can taste all of the best that China has to offer in the province, from the famous “Bi Luo Chun” (Jade Spiral Spring) green tea grown near Tai Lake to the ancient 72-degree alcoholic rice wine of Suqian. See Yixing City’s scenic bamboo gardens and hear the 6,000-year-old Heyang folk song of Zhangjiagang.

In order to promote tourism and economic development, the Publicity Department of the CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee and China Daily has run an event called Hi Jiangsu since 2015.

The Heyang folk song of Zhangjiagang City has the history of more than 6000 years. It is the "oldest, longest and most complete folk song and most valuable spiritual wealth known".

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Zhou Shuchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the 13th National Committee of the CPPCC and Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of China Daily, said Jiangsu is one of the cradles of ancient Chinese civilisation, with the largest number of cultural heritages in China.

Hi Jiangsu 2018 was launched last week in a ceremony at the 85-year-old Nanjing Museum, one of the three most important museums in China and a huge treasure trove of Chinese culture and art.

It is estimated that every minute, there are more than 240 flowers and seedlings express delivery from Shuyang County, providing jobs for some 280,000 rural workers.

“Jiangsu is an open province with 13 cities which is home to more than 26,000 foreign enterprises,” Zhou said. “More and more people across the world are coming to the province to learn about China and Jiangsu.”

A local salesperson in Shuyang County is livestreaming on Facebook to sell flowers and bonsai.

With a population of 80 million, the province’s GDP surpassed 8.5 trillion yuan (US$1.33 trillion) in 2017, becoming the country’s second-largest contributor behind only Guangdong Province.

While its traditional techniques are still being used, local businesses in Suqian also bring innovation and transformation to their production line.

Known as China’s largest manufacturing province, it achieved annual GDP growth of 7.2 per cent in 2017 with a GDP per capita of $16,965, according to China’s National Bureau of Statistics.

Jiangsu Province is one of the wealthiest provinces of China with a population of 80 million.

After years of industrial upgrades and structural reform, Jiangsu has become home to projects related to high-tech innovation, modern industrial platforms and intelligent manufacturing. — VNS