Changzhou: A Colorful and Modern Route

2023-08-14 10:57:00

In this episode of City Walk, we also invited a special friend—Alina from Russia. Alina has been in Changzhou for seven years and is fluent in Chinese. Let us follow the footsteps of JICC reporter Florence and foreign friend Alina and take a look at Changzhou in the eyes of foreigners.

Changzhou is a diverse city. In this episode, we can feel the openness and internationalization of Changzhou in Xitaihu Lake International Community, marvel at the ecological and livable nature of Changzhou in the beautiful Lanyue Bay, and experience the profound cultural heritage of Changzhou in the unique Museum of Oil Lamps.

Xitaihu Lake International Community is located in the core area of Xitaihu Sci-Tech Park and is the first community for international talents in Changzhou. Foreigners can rent a nicely furnished apartment for around two to three thousand yuan per month.

Walking into Xitaihu Lake International Community, the modern architecture and design style caught our eyes: bright halls, spacious Chinese classrooms, tidy shared offices, comfortable foreign language libraries, and art galleries ...the fully functional public space and facilities are eye-opening. Here, foreign friends can eat, work, learn Chinese, and enjoy art exhibitions. If you have any questions, you can also seek help from the bilingual butler.

Xitaihu Lake International Community provides one-stop service for foreigners. The staff here assist them with immigration procedures and provide entrepreneurial guidance. Foreigners also get free Chinese lessons and can gather in the party room. Living here is like being at home—it is convenient and warm. Alina started her own bussiness in international trade with Russia, thanks to the help of the staff here. "It's great that they can help you with providing work permit, finding an aparment, starting up a business, and they provide free Chinese lessons," Alina said.

Just outside the entrance of the Xitaihu Lake International Community is Lanyue Bay. The "Star of Gehu" observation tower resembles a rising pearl on the lake. Walking along the lakeside of Lanyue Bay, the breeze blows, the willow branches flutter, and the birds sing, all make people feel the poetry and adventures of life. "I think the scenary here is quite beautiful," Alina said. "Here is a lake and a tower. It's also a quiet place with not so many cars, so you can take a leisurely walk around." This comes from the planning of Changzhou as the"Ecological Innovation Zone" and "The Most Beautiful Bay City", which aims to realize the coexistence of people, city and lake, and make it charming, ecological, livable and the most desirable.

Yajiyuan near Xitaihu Lake in Changzhou has many art galleries. Among them, the unique Oil Lamp Museum caught our attention. The Oil Lamp Museum located by Xitaihu Lake systematically displays oil lamps from different periods, materials, and nationalities—from the Neolithic Age to modern times according to the general history exhibition mode. Here, the painted pottery bean from the Neolithic period is the oldest oil lamp; there are rare pottery phoenion-bird-shaped painted lanterns from the Warring States period, lacquer lanterns from the Han Dynasty and stone lanterns from the Liao Dynasty. There are also interesting oil lamps such as "oil saving lamp".

We discovered a lamp called the "frustrated cat" lamp. Take a guess! Why it's named that? In ancient China, people designed completely sealed lamp containers to keep the oil inside the lamp, so the mice couldn't get to it. Since mice couldn't steal the oil, they stopped showing up, which frustrated the cats that were waiting to catch them.

They've gathered oil lamps from all around the world and across different eras here. The history of oil lamps is narrated within the context of Chinese and world history. "The comparison between Chinese oil lamps and Western oil lamps made me feel the distinct charm of each culture," Florence said.

Changzhou is modern, and it is reflected three aspects: internationalization, ecology and culture. Have you fallen in love with this inclusive city with beautiful scenery and profound cultural heritage? After watching this episode, do you know what services foreigners can enjoy in Changzhou, and why the "frustrated cat" lamp is called so? We welcome your replies and encourage you to explore this modern route!