Xuzhou was known as Pengcheng in ancient times and was one of the nine states in ancient China. It has a civilization dating back more than 5,000 years and a city history of over 2,600 years. With a total area of 11,765 square kilometers, Xuzhou Municipality has a registered population of about 9 million and jurisdiction over 2 county-level cities (Xinyi and Pizhou), 3 counties (Feng, Pei, Suining), 5 districts (Yunlong, Gulou, Quanshan, Tongshan, Jiawang), Xuzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, Xuzhou National High-tech Industrial Development Zone, and Xuzhou Huaihai International Port Affair Area. In recent years, Xuzhou has successively ranked as the National Environmental Protection Model City, National Forest City, National Health City, and National Ecological Garden City. It has been awarded as the National Civilized City and one of China’s Safest Cities for several consecutive years. Besides, it also garnered the UN Habitat Scroll of Honour Award, and ranked among the happiest cities in China three times.
Xuzhou is a national famous historical and cultural city. Xuzhou boasts a profound history and rich culture heritage with numerous historical sites. It is “Master Peng Zu’s vassal state, Emperor Liu Bang’s hometown, General Xiang Yu’s old capital”, and a must-visit city for Han Dynasty culture. The “Three Wonders of the Han Dynasty”, namely, Han Tombs, Han Stone Relief Carvings and Han Clay Figurines of Terracotta Warriors and Horses , attract visitors from home and abroad. A large number of Han terracotta warriors and horses have been unearthed in Xuzhou. Unlike the realistic style of Qin terracotta warriors and horses in Xi’an, the Han terracotta warriors and horses in Xuzhou focused more on the expressions and inner emotions of soldiers in the Han Dynasty through freehand techniques. Thousands of Han terracotta warriors and horses, the mighty and majestic army of the Han Dynasty, have traveled through the time and space to recreate the history. In addition to cultural monuments of the Han Dynasty, Xuzhou is also home to other historic relics including Xiang Yu’s “Horse Training Platform”, Liu Bang’s “Great Wind Song Stele”, Su Shi’s “Crane Releasing Pavilion”, the “Dashi Buddha” of the Northern Wei Dynasty, the “Swallow Tower” of the Tang Dynasty, and the “city under the city” remains of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, giving this ancient city a unique cultural character.
Xuzhou is an important comprehensive transportation hub in China. Located in the juncture area of four provinces of Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan, and Anhui, it enjoys the strategic geographic advantages of connecting east and west, north and south, two-way opening, and shifting industrial layout. It is one of the four megacities and one of the core cities of the three major metropolitan areas in Jiangsu Province. It has always been known as the “gateway to five provinces” and an important transportation hub in China. A modern three-dimensional transportation system of five means of railways, aviation, highways, waterways and pipelines has been developed in the city. The national high-speed railways and conventional railways form a double crossroads in Xuzhou, and another crossroads of four high-speed railway lines is also taking shape. Xuzhou Guanyin International Airport is a national first-class air port with 36 international and domestic flight routes, including direct flights to Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Seven expressways go around the city, connecting it to all parts of the country. It boasts one of the most developed transportation networks in China.
Xuzhou is the central city of the Huaihai Economic Zone, which is one of the earliest regional economic cooperation organizations in China, involving ten cities in four provinces of Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan, and Anhui. The Huaihe River Eco-economic Belt Development Plan issued by the State Council in 2018 designated the positioning of Xuzhou as a central city in the Huaihai Economic Zone. The Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government prioritized the construction of Xuzhou into a central city in the Huaihai Economic Zone as an integral part of the province's “1+3” key functional zone strategy, and has issued specific supporting policies. At the end of 2018, city officials from the ten cities in the Huaihai Economic Zone gathered in Xuzhou again to sign the declaration for coordinated development, and proposed to join hands in blazing a new path of transformation and revitalization.
Xuzhou is a growing city with rapid development. Xuzhou is experiencing accelerating industrialization and urbanization with vast future potential. Its main indicators for high-quality development are in the top rank of the province, and it ranks first in the province's comprehensive evaluation of high-quality development. As an old industrial base and a resource-based city, Xuzhou has been focusing on the revitalization of the old industrial base and the construction of the central city in the Huaihai Economic Zone, made every effort to promote transformation in industry, urban development, ecology and society and has navigated a course of revitalization and transformation with Xuzhou characteristics.
