Major Economic indicators (2007)

Source: Wuhu Economic and Social Development Report 2007

Introduction

Located in the southeast of Anhui Province in Central China and the southern bank of lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Wuhu covers an area of 3317 km², including 720 km² urban area.

It has four subordinate districts: Jinghu, Yijiang, Jiujiang and Sanshan. It also contains three counties: Wuhu, Fanchang and Nanling. At the end of 2007, Wuhu had 2.3 million registered residents in total.

The area enjoys a subtropical humid monsoon climate with plenty of sunshine, moderate precipitation and four distinct seasons. There are three highways and five trunk railways through Wuhu. It is about 140 km away from Hefei, the capital of Anhui and just a two hour drive from Nanjing.

Economic Features

The city is the third largest economy in Anhui province, after Hefei and Anqing. In 2007, Wuhu's GDP reached RMB 58.1 billion, an increase of 16.5% over the previous year. Its per capita GDP was RMB 25,294, with a year-on-year rise of 15.6%.

Wuhu's pillar industries include automobiles, auto parts, electronic products and home appliances. The output of automobiles has increased by 25.5% to 387,900 units in 2007. Chery Auto, one of the largest home grown carmakers in China, is headquartered in the city. In 2007, Chery ranked fourth among top ten passenger car manufacturers in the country with sales totaling 381,000 units. It also exported 119,800 cars, an increase of 132.0%, cementing its place as the largest passenger car export enterprise in China.

Its foreign trade reached US$1.7 billion in 2007, of which export amounted to US$1.2 billion. In that year, it exported US$635 million to the EU and US$323 million to Asia, accounting for 51.6% and 26.3% of the total export value respectively.

In 2007, 67 foreign-funded enterprises were newly approved in Wuhu. The utilized FDI reached US$440 million, an increase of 154.3% over the previous year. Auchan Supermarket, Xinyi Glass and PPG Automobile Paint have settled in Wuhu and 32 Fortune 500 enterprises have invested or set up branches there so far.

Cultural Highlights

Wuhu is rich in historical and cultural resources. Historically, Wuhu had great advantages in agriculture, handicraft industries and commerce. From the Southern Song to the Yuan Dynasty, Wuhu developed into a prosperous town. During the Ming Dynasty, Wuhu gradually grew into an important trading port among areas in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It was known for its great handicraft industries like starching and dyeing.

Tourist Attraction

The most famous 4A level attractions in Wuhu include the Maren Peak Scenery Area, Zheshan Scenery Area and Wang Jiaxiang Memorial Park. Bordering Fanchang, the Maren Peak Scenery Area is the only province-level forest park of Anhui. It is well known for its unusual cliffs and odd stones.

Wuhu's local special products include Wuhu Preserved Bean-curd, Wuhu Melon Seeds and Wuhu Iron Pictures. Wuhu Iron Pictures recall 300 years of history, as they were first created n the Kangxi years of the Qing Dynasty. They are called “a wonder of China” and are a face of Chinese Arts and Crafts history.

Major development zones

Wuhu currently has two state-level development zones. The area size and pillar industries of these two zones are presented in the following table:

Source: State Development and Reform Commission of P.R. China

Honors
Top City for Investment in Central China (2007)
--- Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Best Business City in China (2006)
--- Forbes

Model Prize of China First Habitat Environment (2003)
--- Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, PRC

China Best Tourism City (2000)
---National Tourism Administration, PRC