Other industries

In addition to farming, other industries play a key role in the city's continued prosperity.

The port area of Taicang Economic Development Zone has attracted a total investment of more than 100 billion yuan($15.6 billion).

It has built up three pillar industries worth more than 10 billion yuan - petrochemicals, electricity and energy, and light industrial papermaking.

Meanwhile, emerging industries, like alternative energy, new materials and new equipment, have also taken shape in the area.

Taicang is now home to 26 Fortune 500 companies and 25 State-owned enterprises.

More than 500 enterprises from Europe and the United States have also based their operations in the city.

One example is the surging number of German companies that have invested in Taicang.

The city has introduced 180 projects from Germany with a combined annual output value of roughly 30 billion yuan, making Taicang one of China's best places for foreign investment.

The local government's focus is on building a modern city that has a strong economy, a wide range of services, a pristine environment as well as a sophisticated culture and society, Lu said.

Balanced development

Despite the city's increasing economic clout, the integration of its urban and rural areas remains weak relative to peer cities throughout China.

In the near future, it will be formed into a metropolis surrounded by smaller suburbs.

"Just like the ones in Europe, the smaller cities here have facilities to meet the basic needs of life. Residents can go to the main city conveniently as well," Lu said.

Ye Haisheng, director of the Taicang Building and Public Construction Bureau, said that like many other cities, Taicang has encountered its share of problems during its industrialization process.

Those problems include air pollution and disparities between urban and rural areas in terms of incomes and public services.

"Therefore, the guideline for us with regard to urban construction is to be green and integrated," Ye said.

The city will build a rapid transit bus system to advocate low-carbon transport.

Traditional modes of development, which lead to congestion and chaos, will be avoided.

Another important goal of the blueprint is to enhance public services for rural residents so that they can enjoy the same rights as their urban counterparts, Ye said.

To achieve the goal, Taicang is encouraging rural residents, who traditionally are spread throughout small villages, to live together in communities."We will improve infrastructure for these communities to enable farmers to enjoy convenient transportation and other benefits, such as water safety, medical care, education and a cleaner environment," Ye said.