Major Economic indicators (2007)

Source: Huaibei Economic and Social Development Report 2007

Introduction

Huaibei is located in the northern part of Anhui Province. Situated at the juncture of Anhui Province, Jiangsu Province and Henan Province, the city borders Suzhou (Jiangsu Province) to the east, Bengbu to the south, Bozhou to the west, and Yongcheng (Henan Province) to the north. It covers an area of 2,741 sq km and has a population of 2.1 million. Enjoying a temperate monsoon climate, Huaibei has an average temperature of 14.8C.

The city has a well-established railway and highway network, with the Beijing-Shanghai Railway, the Lianyungang-Lanzhou Railway, and the Beijing-Kowloon Railway as well as six state and provincial highways going through the city. Xuzhou Guanyin Airport is merely 50 km from Huaibei's downtown. Lianyungang Port, one of China's top 10 seaports by cargo traffic in 2007, is 280 km away. In 2007, the cargo throughput of Lianyungang Port rose 53.8% year on year to 85 million tons.

Over 56 kinds of mineral resources, over 300 species of trees and 140 species of Chinese medical herbs have been found in Huaibei. The city has 3.5 billion tons of coal reserves, ranking second in Anhui Province after Huainan. Huaibei has sufficient power supply, as Kengkou Power Plant is a major electricity supplier in Anhui.

Economic Features

Huaibei's economy is relatively small in Anhui. In 2007, the city's GDP paced up 12.5% from a year earlier to RMB 25.9 billion, accounting for 3.5% of Anhui and ranking 15th among the 17 prefecture-level cities in Anhui Province.

As the main sector, the industrial sector generated value-added output of RMB 14 billion, contributing 54% of the city's economy. The city produced 36.8 million tons of coal, 1.9 million tons of cement and 61.1 million liters of distilled liquor in 2007, accounting for 40.3%, 3.6% and 29.1% of Anhui's total, respectively.

Coal mining and dressing, metallurgy, construction materials, electricity production and supply, chemicals, liquor producing and textiles are the pillar industries in the city. Examples of major players in the city's industrial sector include Huaibei Mining Group, Kouzi Brewery and Datang Huaibei Power Plant.

Huaibei Mining Group begun as Huaibei Mining Bureau, which was set up in 1958. The group has an annual coal dressing capacity of 20 million tons, a coal production capacity of 29.7 million tons and a coal refining capacity of 10 million tons. In 2008, the group's assets were RMB 25.3 billion.

Kouzi Brewery is located in Suixi, a town with over 2,000 years of brewery history. The major brand of the brewer is "Kou Zi" distilled liquor. Goldman Sachs acquired a 25% stake in Kouzi Brewery for US$50 million in 2008.

The service sector realized value-added output of RMB 9 billion in 2007, comprising 34.8% of the city's GDP. Rich in tourist attractions, Huaibei attracted nearly 2 million domestic and foreign tourists, with tourism income soaring 28.6% year on year to RMB 990 million in 2007.

The foreign trade value in Huaibei exceeded US$73 million in 2007, with a sharp rise of 36.2% from the previous year. Export value rose 23.6% to US$58.5 million and import value rose 130.8% to US$14.5 million. Textiles and garments, electronic and mechanical products, and chemical products are the main export products from the city. The major foreign trade partners are the UAE, Cameroon, the E.U., the U.S., and Russia.

In 2007, the city utilized foreign direct investment (FDI) of US$63.2 million, up 39% compared with the previous year.

Cultural Highlights

Huaibei's history extends back to the early Neolithic Age, over 7,000 years ago. About 4,000 years ago, a city was set up in the current downtown of Huaibei. During the Xia Dynasty (2100-1600BC) and the Shang Dynasty (1600-1100BC), it was called Xiangcheng, and was under the control of Xuzhou. During the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), it was the capital of the Pei State. During the Song Dynasty (AD960-1279), the capital city was moved from Suiyang to the present Huaibei. During the following dynasties, different administrative agents were set up in the region. Huaibei has diverse Chinese traditional operas, such as Bangzi Opera, Sizhou Opera and Huagu Opera (also known as Flower Drum Opera).

Tourist Attractions

The most famous tourist attraction in Huaibei is the Linhuan Ancient Tea Town, which is located 37 km southeast of Suixi County. The town has a history of over 3,000 years. Along the 500-meter central street there are more than 16 teahouses. Other recommendable scenic spots in the city include the Xiangshan Mountain Park, the Longji Mountain Natural Reserve Scenic Area, the Qianlong Lake Tourism Scenic Area and Nanhu Park. The Xiangshan Mountai Park is situated in the north of Xiangcheng. Xiantong Temple, first built during the Western Jin Dynasty (AD 265-316), and rebuilt during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), is located in the Xiangshan Mountain Park. It is famous for stele inscriptions by the Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty and for the cliffside inscriptions on the Shenshui Crag.

Huaibei has diverse flour-made local snacks, such as Lao Mo (a kind of dough baked in a pan), Vegetable Pancake, Sesame Pancake, Steaming Paozi (steamed dough filled with meat, vegetables or mushrooms) and Baked Dumplings.   

Honors

National Garden City (2006)
---Ministry of Construction of P.R. China