The zone was approved by the State Council in 1992. It is the national model WTO tourism service zone in China . The zone is located beside the lake against beautiful hills. There are many cultural relics in the zone. There are 44 national scenic spots with hills, lakes, bridges and isles. There is also a national model agriculture park, a national forest park and a national geographic park in the zone. The well known local specialties are Biluochun Tea, loquats, whitebait, gingko nuts and bayberries etc.
The GDP of the zone in 2003 was 2.59 billion yuan and the profit and tax was 290 million yuan. The newly registered foreign capital was 69.19 million USD. The zone received 1.603 million tourists, with a business income of 862 million yuan. A series of activities were organized, like the 7th Suzhou Taihu Lake Plum Festival and the 2nd Taihu Lake Spring Tourism Month, National Bicycle Championship, China Suzhou Taihu International Tourism Picture Show and ˇ°Jian Qingfu Cupˇ±photo contests etc.
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