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Dr. Norbert Egger, a former long-serving mayor of Mannheim and honorary citizen of Zhenjiang and Qingdao, has been coming to China since 1985, and has been a regular visitor for the past 34 years, sometimes paying several visits to the different provinces and regions of China in the same year. Since his first visit to Zhenjiang 25 years ago in 1994, he has been fascinated by the long history and great culture of this pearl in the Yangtze Delta. With its wonderful riverside location and its significant sights framed by an array of impressive mountains and hills, Zhenjiang is a magnet for tourists. Over the years, Dr. Norbert Egger has been able to enter into close ties and friendships with the official representatives and various citizens of Zhenjiang. Drawing on what are in part very personal and intimate insights, the well-informed author describes the almost 3,000-year history of this city at the junction of the Yangtze with the Grand Canal up to the present day and illustrates its transformation into a city that has become a model for clean air and better environmental conditions in China.

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