Zhenjiang

From Rock in China Wiki

Zhenjiang (镇江), known as “The Home of Sweet & Sour”, is situated on the crossway of the third longest river in the world—the Yangtze River and the longest man-made canal in the world—the Grand Canal. Zhenjiang is close to Nanjing (南京, the capital city of Jiangsu Province, 65km away from Zhenjiang) and Shanghai (上海, 240km away from Zhenjiang). The city is small to medium sized by Chinese standards, with a mere population of 2.67 million! Affected by the Asian Monsoon and Yangtze River, Zhenjiang has a subtropical climate and distinct seasons, which means that visitors to the MIDI Festival should prepare for the possibility of rain.

History and culture

With a history of over 3,000 years, Zhenjiang is a famous historical and cultural city and a top tourist destination, as well as a state model city for environmental protection in Jiangsu, China. With a large number of cultural relics and historical spots, Zhenjiang boasts three state-level and nineteen provincial-level units of cultural artifact protection. Zhenjiang enjoys a natural picturesque scenery, a very rich culture dating back to beginning of recorded Chinese history. Famous names include Shenkuo, Xin Qiji, Wang Anshi, Liu Xie and Wang Changling, etc., who have all contributed to the culture of the local area and China as a whole. More recently, the American Anthropoligist and writer Pearl S. Buck lived here during the 1930s, and is said to have based her most famous work The Good Earth on the lives of local villagers during that time.

The rock scene

May 2009: The Midi Music Festival 2009 is scheduled to happen in Zhenjiang.

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