Government administration center of Hai'an [Photo/haian.gov.cn]

Hai'an, adjacent to the Huanghai sea to the east and facing the Yangtze River to the south, is the center of land and water transportation in the middle of Jiangsu province. Its total area stands at 1,180 square kilometers and its population is 960,000. Hai'an now administrates ten districts and towns, including one national development zone, one provincial high-tech zone, and one provincial park for commerce and trade logistics, as well as Laobagang Binhai new district.

Hai'an has long been noted for education, equipment manufacturing, architecture, cocoons and silk, puffer fish, textiles, flower drums, and longevity. In recent years, it has witnessed great strides in economic and social development of ever rising comprehensive strength. Hai'an's gross domestic product (GDP) was 99.3 billion yuan ($14.1 billion) in 2018. Its revenue in the general public budget was expected to reach 6.2 billion yuan, an increase of 2.8 percent over the actual figure. Also on the rise were the per capita disposable incomes of urban and rural residents at 44,112 yuan and 21,473 yuan, up 8.5 percent and 9.3 percent respectively over the figures for 2017.

Hai'an is the place of origin of river and sea civilizations recognized by academic circles. The Qingdun Neolithic Site in Hai'an confirms a human history of 6,000 years on the Jianghuai plains.

The long history and ancient civilization have a created a modern Hai'an that is elegant and graceful. A number of masters came from Hai'an, such as the mathematician Yang Bing and the linguist and lexicographer Wei Jiangong. The elder generations of proletarian revolutionaries, including Liu Shaoqi, Chen Yi and Su Yu, have left their brilliant footprints in Hai'an. It was also the site of the famous seven victories in seven fights won by the Communist Party in the middle of Jiangsu province, and preserves the revolutionary flame of the Jiaoxie Red Flag Militia Regiment.