Major Economic indicators (2007)

Source: Nanping Economic and Social Development Report 2007

Introduction

Nanping is located in the northern part of Fujian Province. Lying in the upper reaches of Minjiang River, the city borders Ningde to the east, Sanming to the south, Jiangxi Province to the west, and Zhejiang Province to the north. Covering an area of 26,278 sq km, it is the largest city in Fujian Province. Mountains and hills are the main landform in Nanping.

The city is the northern gate of Fujian Province. The Yingxia Railway and the Waifu Railway connect the city with Yingtan, Xiamen and Fuzhou. Two national highways, namely the State Highway 316 and the State Highway 205, cut the drive time from Nanping to Fuzhou to 3 hours. Wuyishan Airport offers regular flights to Hong Kong, Beijing, Nanjing, Wuhan, Guangzhou, and other 12 domestic cities.

Nanping has rich natural resources. The city has 70 kinds of mineral resources, 400 species of animals, 2,000 species of insects and 1,700 species of plants. It is rich in niobium, tantalum, zinc, tin and fluorite. It also has plentiful forest resources. The city's woodlands account for almost one third of Fujian Province.

Economic Features

In 2007, the GDP of Nanping soared 15.0% from a year earlier to RMB 47.3 billion, ranking eighth in Fujian. Primary, secondary and tertiary industry contributed 25.2%, 37.3% and 37.5% to the city's GDP, respectively.

The city's gross industrial output amounted to RMB 41.9 billion in 2007, with an increase of 26.7% year on year. Bamboo and wood products processing, paper making, food processing, fine chemicals manufacturing, wires and cables, auto parts, and textiles are the major industries in the city. The total industrial output from these major industries amounted to RMB 25.2 billion, about 60.1% of the city's total.

Nanfu Battery was set up in Nanping in 1988. A leading battery maker, it had total assets of RMB 1.8 billion in 2007. Its products are exported to over 50 foreign countries and regions. Its shareholders include U.S.-based P&G as well as Dafeng Electronic Appliances. Nanping Sun Cable, a large cable maker in China, was established in 1958. Its annual sales revenue exceeded RMB 1 billion in 2006.

The value-added output from the service sector edged up 15.7% year on year to 17.8 billion. The tourism sector saw faster growth. In 2007, the revenue from tourism exceeded RMB 3 billion, up 21.9% year on year.

Foreign trade value in Nanping totaled US$626 million in 2007, representing an increase of 20.3% over the previous year. The export value in Nanping rose 17.2% to US$503 million, about 1% of Fujian's total. The import value soared 34% to US$123 million.

Nanping approved 80 foreign-invested firms in 2007, with the total contractual foreign investments rising 10% year on year to US$664 million. The utilized FDI in the city was increased by 10.3% to US$419 million.

Cultural Highlights

Nanping has a history of about 5,000-6,000 years, stretching back to when ancient people started living in this region. During the Qin Dynasty, Minzhong Shire was set up. It administrated the present-day Nanping, and several regions in modern-day Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian and Guangdong. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, an administrative system was established in the territory. Nanping is one of the important birthplaces of Min Culture, a culture prevailing in Fujian Province.

Tourist Attractions

Wuyi Mountain is the most popular tourist attraction in Nanping. The mountain is 15 km south of Wuyishan City. It was listed in the World Cultural and Natural Heritage List in 1999. It not only has many species of plants and wild animals, but also historical ruins over 2,000 years old. It has boat-shaped hanging coffins, which are said to be the earliest hanging coffins in China. The city is suitable for visiting all year around.

There are also many delicate local dishes available in the city, including Pi Li Jelly, Bitter Zhu Cake and Shu Qu Guo (a dish mixing mushrooms, meat, bamboo shoots and salty vegetables).