Wuxi is a city richly endowed by nature. Owing to its pleasantly warm and moist climate, it boasts a reputation of the 'Land of Fish and Rice'. Relying on the near-by Yangtze River and ancient Grand Canal, it had been a port city with the busiest rice and cloth market in China before 19th century. In modern times, with its rapidly developing industry, Wuxi became one of China's top 50 cities with broad strength and is thus called the 'Little Shanghai' for its prosperous economy.