Yangtze and Taizhou
For over two centuries the Yangtze has served as a transportation and commercial highway. Boats and barges can navigate up the river, from Shanghai, for almost 1000 Km and steamers can travel even further. A quarter of China’s ocean-going cargo travels on the Yangtze at some point of its transportation. Taizhou, reasonable close to Shanghai provide the Yangtze with one of its most important international port systems. The Port of Taizhou, in 2006, handled almost 11 million tons of cargo. It has the capacity to accommodate 50,000 ton ocean-going vessels with three working areas and fifteen berths.
The existence of the Yangtze River has inspired Taizhou to push the boundaries of modern technology. The Jiangyin Yangtze River Bridge crosses from Jingjiang, Taizhou to Jiangyin, Wuxi. At time of its completion in 1999, the bridge was the longest steel box girder suspension bridge in China and the fourth longest in the world. Jingjiang, at the southern tip of Taizhou, has a river bank of 52.3 Km.
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The Yangtze River is much more than just a commercial resource to Taizhou. It has played a pivotal role in the history of Taizhou and modern China. The Headquarters of the People’s Liberation Army Eastern-China Field Army was based in Taizhou, and in April 1949 the group formed what is now the Chinese Navy. Taizhou has transformed this location into an interactive and extraordinary museum.
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In terms of local folklore, the Yangtze River has left its mark. It is the root of Taizhou’s largest folkloric festival. The event, directly linked to the river’s contribution to communities is the Jingjiang Gourmet Festival.
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