Xuzhou, referred to as “Xu” for short, was called Pengcheng in ancient times. It is a prefecture-level city in Jiangsu Province, a national historical and cultural city approved by the State Council, a national comprehensive transportation hub, and a central city in the Huaihai Economic Zone. As of 2019, Xuzhou has jurisdiction over 5 municipal districts, 3 counties, and 2 county-level cities, with a total area of 11,765 square kilometers and a permanent population of 8.825 million.
Xuzhou is located in the southeast of the North China Plain and the northwest of Jiangsu Province. The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal crosses the border. The Longhai Railway and the Beijing-Shanghai Railway intersect here. It is known as the “five provinces”. Xuzhou is an important gateway city in East China , an important economic, science, education, cultural, financial, medical and foreign trade center in East China, an important node city of the “Belt and Road” and an important central city in the north wing of the Yangtze River Delta , the core city of Xuzhou metropolitan area and an international new energy base, has the reputation of “China’s capital of construction machinery”.
Xuzhou has a temperate monsoon climate with four distinct seasons, including Yunlong Lake, Yunlong Mountain, Peng Zuyuan, Chu King’s Mausoleum, Pan’an Lake, Dalong Lake, Yaowan Ancient Town and other tourist attractions, with historical celebrities such as Peng Zu, Liu Bang, Sun Quan, and Li Yu. Xuzhou has won the titles of China Excellent Tourism City, National Civilized City, and UN Habitat Award. In May 2021, the 13th China (Xuzhou) International Garden Expo will be held in Xuzhou for a period of 6 months.