Following the decisions in the 1980s to reduce the size of China's armed forces, a large number of military aircraft were withdrawn from service and became surplus. In the early 1990s the PLA Air Force built a large aircraft depot to accommodate these retired aircraft. China gathered over 1,000 fighters, transport planes, and bombers at Rugao Airbase in central China, which became the second largest aircraft storage facility in the world, ranking only after Davis-Monthan AFB in the United States.
Located at the Yangtze River entrance to sea, near Shanghai, Suzhow and Wuxi across the River, Rugao County was founded in the 7th year of the Yixi Era of China's East Jin Dynasty in the Fifth Century AD. With approval of hte State Council, Rugao city was founded in 1991. With an area of 1477 SQ.KM , a total population of 1.45 million and 14 towns and 36 townships under its jurisdiction, it is one of the China's coastal open cities. It has become one of China's 100 most advanced cities (or counties) in both science and technology. Rugao is well known for its diversified economy, including sericulture, pigs, goats and chicken raising, flowers and trees and potted landscapes. Rugao radish are famous around the country for its superiority over other counties. With a history of more than 200 years, Lingzi cake is not only a dessert, but also a high-grade present to relatives. With a history of one hundred years, Rugao sausage was first produced in Tongzhi era of Qing Dynasty. There are more than 1,600 different kinds of enterprises in the whole city, among which there are 23 large-scale enterprises, 12 Jiangsu provincial enterprise groups and 7 provincial high and new technological enterprises. It's about 20 kilometers from Rugao airport to downtown, 60 kilometers from Nantong airport to Rugao. Regular flights from the Rugao Airport depart directly to Beijing and Guangzhou. Profiting directly from the Shanghai Harbor, Rugao Port will be built as the second Yangtze River Port, by which industry, trade and tour will develop comprehensively in the Port Zone.
