Current Time in Rugao, China

Rugao lies in Jiangsu Province in eastern China, on the flat alluvial plain north of the Yangtze estuary, within the prefecture of Nantong and about two hours by road from Shanghai. A county-level city administering more than a million people, with several hundred thousand in the urban area, it combines a very old town centre with modern industrial parks and a stretch of deep-water frontage on the Yangtze.

Rugao has been a county for more than sixteen centuries, established in the year 411, and its historic layout is unique in China. The old town is enclosed by an inner moat within an outer moat, forming two concentric rings of water around the centre, a pattern preserved to this day and best appreciated by boat. At its heart lies Shuihui Garden, a classical garden of ponds, pavilions and rockeries whose reputation rests as much on romance as on design: it is associated with the late Ming scholar Mao Xiang and the courtesan Dong Xiaowan, whose story has been retold in Chinese literature for centuries.

The city is best known nationally for longevity. Rugao has one of the highest concentrations of centenarians in the world and has been formally recognised as a longevity region, a distinction attributed locally to the mild climate, the mineral content of the soil and water, a diet built on vegetables, congee, radish and soy, and close family and village life. Researchers from around the world have studied its ageing population, and the theme has been turned into a modest tourism and health industry.

Rugao also has a long craft tradition. It is one of the principal schools of Chinese penjing, the art of miniature landscape and tree cultivation, and the surrounding countryside is filled with nurseries and flower farms supplying garden plants across China. Rugao ham is counted among the country's finest cured hams, and dried radish, dumplings and other local specialities are widely sold.

Industry has developed rapidly. Automotive components, machinery, textiles, food processing and shipbuilding along the river form the base, and the city has become a national demonstration area for hydrogen energy, hosting fuel cell manufacturers and hydrogen powered buses. Its port on the Yangtze handles bulk cargo and shipbuilding.

Transport improved dramatically with the opening of the railway between Shanghai and Nantong in 2020, which brought high-speed trains to the city, complementing the expressway network and the airport at Nantong. Shanghai is close enough for day trips in either direction.

Education is taken seriously here: Rugao High School, founded in 1902, is one of the most respected secondary schools in Jiangsu, a province already famous for academic competition, and teacher training and vocational colleges serve the region.

Old moats, classical gardens, remarkable longevity and modern manufacturing make Rugao an intriguing stop in the Yangtze delta.