Leisure and Recreational Areas in Suzhou Case Study

Leisure and Recreational Areas in Suzhou - Case Study Example China and Singapore then decided to forge a partnership in developing a modern industrial park east of Suzhou, China. In 1994, the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park was born right after then Chinese Vice Premier Li Lanqing and Singapore Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew signed the Agreement on the Joint Development of Suzhou Industrial Park in Shanghai. Adding to its beautiful landscape and surroundings, the Suzhou Industrial Park is better than the other leisure and recreational areas because it targets capital-intensive, technology-intensive and flagship projects. According to Xiaohui & Yucai (2005), said that Suzhou as a place is "ancient and beautiful." Supposedly, it has a rich history of culture going back to 2,500 years ago. Residents of the said land loved their customs and traditions but were at the same time open to new ideas and practices that could further improve their land's condition and the people's living. The old urban are of Suzhou is now referred to as the "old Suzhou" while the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) to be the "modern Suzhou." The modern land is 280 square kilometers in area, 70 of which is dedicated to the China-Singapore cooperation park. Since it has set itself to be an internationally competitive high technology industrial park and an outward-looking urban district, it is the city's center of the new and high-tech industry development. Industries like electronic information, bio-pharmaceuticals, precision machinery, and new materials have been at the core of such industry development plans. Moreover, it has showed great progress in developing service industries like logistics, education, conventions, and exhibitions. Another profitable focus of the urban district is the leisure business. Xiaohui & Yucai (2005) said that according to incomplete statistics, the leisure business projects in the park involve an investment of more than 10 billion Yuan or about $1.2 billion. More importantly, SIP has made full use of the attraction of wonderful surroundings for their visitors and customers. It has been focused on urban function facilities, environment and residential building development. In its leisure field, projects like the Golden Rooster Lake's eight major scenic spots, a sports park, Baitang park, sports fields, and the Red Maple Forest; Commercial projects like the neighborhood centre, F-City Commercial Centre, cultural water-corridor, commercial walking street, Lianfeng Shopping Centre, and Golden Rooster Lake Hotel. It's also a good thing that the SIP does not stop reinventing itself or inventing something new in order to cope with the changing times. In the same article, Xiaohui & Yucai (2005) said the park has actually started the construction of 10 major commercial facilities. What's more, facilities in the said park are not only fun to look at but also fun