According to the latest research results released by the Guo Xin Small and Medium Cities Index Research Institute on Sept 20, Taicang, a county-level city of Suzhou, has been recognized in four categories among the top 100 counties in China, underscoring the city's high-quality development.

An aerial view of Taicang. [Photo/WeChat account: tcfbgw]

Taicang ranked seventh in overall strength, second in technological innovation, and third in both green development and new urbanization quality among county-level cities. Additionally, all six towns of Taicang were among the top 1,000 towns in China in comprehensive strength.

Moreover, Taicang's Sino-German cooperation practices were honored as an "Outstanding Case among Small and Medium Cities in 2024", reflecting the city's high level of openness.

These rankings highlight Taicang's comprehensive and high-quality development.

Located just 50 kilometers from downtown Shanghai, Taicang is integral to major national economic development strategies such as the Yangtze River Delta integration, the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and the Belt and Road Initiative. In 2023, Taicang Port handled over 8 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), ranking eighth in the Chinese mainland and 20th globally.

An aerial view of Taicang Port. [Photo/WeChat account: tcfbgw]

The city also boasts a robust industrial foundation, with its three leading industries ― high-end equipment, advanced materials, and modern logistics — each exceeding 100 billion yuan ($14.25 billion) in scale. It is also home to over 500 German enterprises, earning it the nickname "hometown of German enterprises".

Taicang fosters a strong atmosphere of innovation, hosting prestigious institutions such as Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), and the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The city has nearly 30,000 talents with master's degrees or higher. In 2023, it was home to 1,175 high-tech enterprises, leading among counties nationwide.

An aerial view of the Taicang Campus of XJTLU. [Photo/WeChat account: tcfbgw]

Moreover, the city offers a high standard of living and has been named the happiest county-level city in China for the past eight years straight. The city has introduced a number of top-tier hospitals and schools, as well as numerous high-end tourist attractions. It is also among the cities with the smallest urban-rural income gap in China.