Nantong: a severely underrated Chinese city shadowed by her neighbours

[AndrewJin]

Nantong, a city you will never hear in the news.....
But it is actually China's 18th biggest city in terms of GDP (773 billion yuan in 2017).

Suzhou-Nantong Yangtze River Bridge
We all know Suzhou across the river....
But Nantong? 90+% Chinese don't.

Nantong University

Park in the city centre

New CBD

Lots of rivers in the downtown

Industrial zone,
Nantong-Shanghai Yangtze River bridge under construction in the background
Upper level: 6-lane expressway + lower level: 4-track high-speed railways
To open in 2019

 

[AndrewJin]

Shanghai-Hutong Yangtze River Bridge

Total length more than 11km, main span 1092m
cable-stayed bridge with 6-lane expressway and 4 track HSR
it will become the largest cable-stayed bridge ever built

 

[KAMDEV]

I love Chinese miracle.

 

[AndrewJin]

Nantong, a city you will never hear in the news.....
But it is actually China's 18th biggest city in terms of GDP (773 billion yuan in 2017).

View attachment 517486

Suzhou-Nantong Yangtze River Bridge
We all know Suzhou across the river....
But Nantong? 90+% Chinese don't.

Nantong University
View attachment 517479

Park in the city centre
View attachment 517481

New CBD
View attachment 517482

View attachment 517485

Lots of rivers in the downtown
View attachment 517483

Industrial zone,
Nantong-Shanghai Yangtze River bridge under construction in the background
Upper level: 6-lane expressway + lower level: 4-track high-speed railways
To open in 2019
View attachment 517484

Last time I took a bus from Shanghai to Nantong using this bridge....
Terribly congested......
Hope Shanghai-Nantong bridge can ease the huge traffic flow across the Yangtze.

If it were Suzhou on the north bank the river, there had been already 5+ bridges in operation.....

Underrated city again....

I love Chinese miracle.

If it was a miracle, there won't be thousands of commuters trapped on the only bridge every day.
Also see how dense expressway network is to the south of the river, perhaps the densest in the world.

Nantong is in a awkward location.

 

[KAMDEV]

Last time I took a bus from Shanghai to Nantong using this bridge....
Terribly congested......
Hope Shanghai-Nantong bridge can ease the huge traffic flow across the Yangtze.

If it were Suzhou on the north bank the river, there had been already 5+ bridges in operation.....

Underrated city again....


If it was a miracle, there won't be thousands of commuters trapped on the only bridge every day.
Also see how dense expressway network is to the south of the river, perhaps the densest in the world.

Nantong is in a awkward location.

View attachment 517489

And i love the way chinese work, i love the Chinese model of comprehensive development

 

[AndrewJin]

And i love the way chinese work, i love the Chinese model of comprehensive development

An expressway has design speed of at least 100km/h.
But driving on this bridge between Suzhou and Nantong even during the non-peak time is painful.....

Unfair resources distribution......

And back in Wuhan my hometown, we are still using the 6-lane expressway that was designed for damn 1990s to travel to the second biggest city in the province with traffic jams throughout the day.

 

[TaiShang]

An expressway has design speed of at least 100km/h.
But driving on this bridge between Suzhou and Nantong even during the non-peak time is painful.....

Unfair resources distribution......

And back in Wuhan my hometown, we are still using the 6-lane expressway that was designed for damn 1990s to travel to the second biggest city in the province with traffic jams throughout the day.

Mainland China still needs lots of infrastructure. Still what has happened so far would be impossible under a populist regime because these investments remain mostly hidden and their benefits are huge but indirect.

Suzhou-Nantong Yangtze River Bridge
We all know Suzhou across the river....
But Nantong? 90+% Chinese don't.

Everyday I discover how little I know about China as I see the level of development going on at every corner.

 

[rott]

I love Chinese miracle.

Two cities in India is impressed me. 1. Chandigarh 2. Hyderabad.

@AndrewJin, This looks like my hometown Meizhou.

 

[KAMDEV]

Good strategy.

Two cities in India is impressed me. 1. Chandigarh 2. Hyderabad.

View attachment 517494

@AndrewJin, This looks like my hometown Meizhou.

We have a long way to go to achieve real progress.

 

[powastick]

Any HSR plans?

 

[rott]

Good strategy.



We have a long way to go to achieve real progress.

Good luck!

 

[AndrewJin]

Two cities in India is impressed me. 1. Chandigarh 2. Hyderabad.

View attachment 517494

@AndrewJin, This looks like my hometown Meizhou.

Chandigarh the planned city?

@KAMDEV @Realtalk108 @anant_s

Any HSR plans?

Now, only the upgraded slow railway (160-200km/h) for bullet trains, Nantong-Nanjing line.
284km needs 2 hours.....

The entire Jiangsu Province north to Yangtze River has one of the lowest density of high-speed railways in Eastern China.
And railways in general.....
This is a historical problem...
All resources are concentrated south to Yangtze River in the province....

The upcoming Shanghai-Nantong bridge will carry the future Shanghai-Nantong HSR.

There is also a planned Yancheng-Nantong HSR to form one section of the Coastal HSR.



Long-term plan 2030

 

[anant_s]

Chandigarh the planned city?

Well yes.
Chandigarh as a city was designed by Swiss-French Architect/ Town planner Le Corbusier.

The city is a joint capital of Indian states of Punjab and Haryana and one of the most beautiful cities in India.
Among many other things, it is home to Famous Rock Garden.

 

[oprih]

Looks more modern and way cleaner compared to major western cities like new york.

 

[prashantazazel]

Beautiful indeed.