初遇常州Discovering Changzhou（英文版）

　　Come along as Alainna discovers Changzhou - the Dragon City！This quaint city， located on the Yangtze River， is one of China'seconomic powerhouses. And it is also one of China's \GreenestCities\， with dozens of parks found throughout it， includingHongmei Park， modeled after New York's Central Park.Changzhou was founded in 547 BC， by Jizha， a prince of the Stateof Wu. Known for his intellect， Jizha was even admired by one ofChina's greatest philosophers，Confucius. You can find out more about him and his contributionsto Changzhou inside these pages.Alainna takes you along as she visits Changzhou's famous sites -from QingguoAlley and the Yan City Ruins to the contemporary and fun -Dinosaur Park， Changzhou's dinosaur-themed amusement park.Along the way， she meets up with people who live， work and playin Changzhou - an American businessman， a master artisan， retiredvillagers - to name a few. Each of them provides a unique view ofChangzhou's past， present and future.Changzhou is also known for its arts. Random stitch embroidery，Liuqing bamboo carving and imperial combs are just some ofChangzhou's famous handicrafts.Alainna meets with the masters who are keeping these handicraftsalive. Look inside these pages and see for yourself！

　　Alainna Thomas is a doctoral candidate studying urban planningat the University of California， Berkeley. She first came to Chinain 1994 to study Chinese at Peking University and she has beenfascinated by China ever since. She has worked， lived and traveledall over China， from Qinghai Province in the west to Beijing in theeast. She intends to continue working on China-related issues andprojects after she receives her doctoral degree.