Despite varied origin stories based on the second Chinese character 锡 of the city's name meaning "tin", many modern Chinese scholars favor the view that the word is derived from the "old Yue language" or, supposedly, the old Kra–Dai languages, rather than reflecting the presence of tin in the area.

There, Taibo and his followers set up the State of Wu, and made Wuxi as its founding capital which lasted for 600 years.

[7] Agriculture and the silk industry flourished in Wuxi and the town became a transportation hub under the early Tang Dynasty after the opening of the Grand Canal in 609.

The opening of the railways to Shanghai and to the cities of Zhenjiang and Nanjing to the northwest in 1908 further increased the exports of rice from the area.

[7] After World War II, Wuxi's importance as an economic center diminished, but it remains a regional manufacturing hub.

Subsequently, many enterprises with textile, silk and grain processing industries as the main body were born and developed rapidly.

[18] After the reform and opening up, private enterprises in Wuxi developed vigorously on the basis of the southern Jiangsu model represented by township industries.

First, it plays an increasingly important role in the economic development of the entire Yangtze River Delta.

[18] After the reform and opening up, Wuxi has gradually become an important economic center in the east and a very dynamic commercial city with the opportunity brought by the Southern Jiangsu model.

[22] The annual urban consumer price index (CPI) rose by 2.1%, an increase of 0.4 percentage points over the previous year.

Since it was established in 1992, Wuxi New District (WND), covering an area of 220 square kilometers (85 sq mi), has evolved to be one of the major industrial parks in China.

[24] In 2024, the GDP of Wuxi City will reach 1626.329 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.8% at constant prices, higher than the national average (5.0%).

[25] As an important commercial center in East China, it has always been famous for its unique geographical location and historical background.

With the evolution of history, Wuxi has gradually become a transportation hub and commercial center in the Jiangnan area.

Since the establishment of Yaohan, the first Sino-foreign joint venture retail enterprise in Jiangsu Province in 1996, and the establishment of Metro, China's second foreign-funded hypermarket, in Wuxi in 1997, the concentration of foreign-funded commercial retail in Wuxi is second only to Shanghai in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Today, it includes Center 66, Great Orient Department Store, Wuxi Yaohan, IKEA Gathering, Yaohan Center, Bailian Outlets, Apple Direct Store, Mixc City, Coastal City, Maoye Department Store, a large number of Wanda Plazas and Rong Commercial retail benchmarking enterprises such as Chuangmao and Outlets Chuanzhisha still maintain their uniqueness in Jiangsu Province or in the Yangtze River Delta region, thus establishing Wuxi as one of the most important commercial center cities in Jiangsu Province and even in the Yangtze River Delta region Wuxi is also a major city among the top 200 cities in the world by scientific research outputs, as tracked by the Nature Index.

Since the Ming Dynasty, famous doctors such as You Zhongren, Shi Zhongmo, Deng Xingbo, Ke Huaizu, Xue Fuchen, etc.

Wuxi City Sports Park Stadium hosted the 2017 ITTF Asian-Championships (Ping Pong),[48] and the 2019 World Cup in snooker in June 2019.

[51] Wuxi has many private gardens or parks built by learned scholars and illustrious people in the past.

The gardens contains a long embankment with willow trees and a path beside the lake with numerous small bridges and pavilions.

[53] Also in Binhu District is Wuxi Zoo and Taihu Lake Amusement Park, an AAAA national landmark with over a 1000 animals including Asian elephant, leopard, chimpanzee, giant panda and white rhinoceros and an ecology and science exhibition and recreation area.

[55] Xihui Park, established in 1958 at the foot of Xi Shan to the west of the city, contains Jichang Garden and the Dragon Light Pagoda.

[58]Hongshan Archaeological Museum in Wuxi New District opened in 2008 and houses artifacts related to the local Wu culture between 770 and 221 BC.

The items, which include miniature jade engravings and objects related to burial and musical customs, were unearthed at Hongshan Tomb Complex in 2004.

At the national expert demonstration meeting held in 2008, the site was identified as the capital of King Helu of Wu, and was named one of the "Top Ten New Archaeological Discoveries in China in 2008".

In March 2013, it was named the seventh batch of national key cultural relics protection units by the State Council.

In December of the same year, it was selected into the National Archaeological Site Park Project List announced by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.

152 Xueqian Street in Chong'an district, is the former home of Zue Fencheng, a noted diplomat of the late Qing dynasty and is open to the public.

5The claimed province of Taiwan no longer have any internal division announced by Ministry of Civil Affairs of PRC, due to lack of actual jurisdiction.