Major Economic Indicators (2007)

Source: Quanzhou Economic and Social Development Report 2007

Introduction

Quanzhou is a prefecture-level city in the southeast of Fujian Province. It is located in the middle of Putian and Xiamen, both of which are connected to the city by highways.

Quanzhou has a subtropical monsoon climate, with an average temperature of 20 Celsius and rainfall of 1100 mm. The climate is warm and wet throughout the whole year, and as such, Quanzhou has been dubbed "Warm Hill".

The city has a coastline of 541 km, and four bays with many deep-water docks. It is also one of Fujian's major marine food production areas, with over 500 products such as fish, shells and algae.

Economic Features

In 2007, the industrial output of enterprises above designated scale in Quanzhou reached RMB 341.8 billion, up 24.6% over 2006. Quanzhou has an industrial structure focusing on the light industry. In 2007, the ratio of light industry to heavy industry by industrial output was 1.7:1. Foreign invested companies accounted for the largest percentage (54.7%) of the total industrial output.

Quanzhou's traditional industries include textiles and garments, building materials, food processing and machinery. In 2007, the industrial output of the four sectors reached RMB 223.3 billion, accounting for 65.3% of the city's total. The food processing industry enjoyed a growth of 50.9% - the fastest among the four traditional industries.

The textile and garment industry is Quanzhou's most competitive industry. In 2007, the sector's industrial output reached RMB 95.0 billion, up 12.5%. Presently, there are over 8,000 textile and garment companies, eight of which exceeded RMB 1 billion in industrial output in 2007.

Quanzhou's newly-emerging industries include petrochemicals, electronics, automobiles and auto parts, shipbuilding, and biopharmaceuticals. In 2007, the industrial output of the five aforementioned industries reached RMB 45.0 billon, accounting for 13.2% of the city's total. Of these five industries, petrochemicals industry is the largest, with an industrial output of RMB 38.4 billion.

The Petrochemical industry is the key industry that the city encourages in terms of development. The petrochemical industrial group in Quanzhou Port is also Fujian Province's key project in its eleventh five-year plan (2006-2010). The Fujian Refining & Petrochemical Company is the largest investment in this sector. With an annual refining capability of 12 million tons, its industrial output will exceed RMB 60 billion after completion, and a petrochemical industrial chain with an industrial output of RMB 150 billion will be formed.

In 2007, Quanzhou's foreign trade grew by 24.8% to US$6.9 billion, US$5.0 billion of which was generated by export. The U.S. and EU were major export destinations, accounting for 20.6% and 15.3% of the total export. Within the same year, utilized FDI reached US$1.7 billion, up 17.1% over 2006.

Cultural Highlights

Quanzhou has a history spanning more than 1,500 years. It was the starting point of China's Marine Silk Route, and also one of the four largest ports in the world during the Tang Dynasty.

Quanzhou is one of the main birthplaces of many overseas Chinese, especially Taiwanese. Approximately 44.8% of Taiwanese originated from Quanzhou. In Quanzhou's history, overseas Chinese from Quanzhou made great economic contributions to the area due to their love for their motherland and hometowns.

Tourist Attraction

Major tourist attractions in Quanzhou include the Qingyuan Mountain, Kaiyuan Temple, Qingshui Rock, Tianhou Temple, Confucian Temple, Luoyang Bridge, Qingjing Mosque, Longshan Temple, Chongwu Ancient Town, Kiln of Qudou Temple, Tomb of Zheng Chenggong, Moslem Saint Tombs, Anping Bridge, Jiuri Mountain, Chengtian Temple and Gusao Pagoda. 

Quanzhou's food is famous for its unique flavors, wide variety, nutrition and tastiness. Local dishes include gruel cooked from thread-like noodles, Haozaijian, Shishi Tian, Shenhu Fish Ball and Yongchun Bangshe.

Major Development Zones

By the end of 2007, Quanzhou had one state-level development zone.

State-level Development Zones in Quanzhou

Source: National Development and Reform Commission

Honors

National Model City for Environmental Protection (2007)
---Ministry of Environmental Protection

National Excellence in Innovation (2007)
---National City Development Institute

National Habitat Award (2006)
---Ministry of Construction

National Sanitary City (2005)
---Ministry of Health

National Garden City (2005)
---Ministry of Construction

China Charming City (2004)
---CCTV

International Garden City (2003)
---International Park Association