Major Economic indicators (2007)
| Land Area |
8,272 km2
|
|
Population
|
1.6 million
|
|
GDP
|
RMB 15.7 billion (US$2.1 billion), 15.2% up
|
|
GDP Composition
|
|
Primary Industry (Agriculture)
|
21.5%
|
|
Secondary Industry
(Industry & Construction)
|
38.1%
|
|
Tertiary Industry(Service)
|
40.4%
|
|
GDP Per Capita
|
RMB 11,515 (US$1,530)
|
|
Unemployment Rate
|
4.4%
|
|
Fixed Asset Investment
|
RMB 14 billion (US$1.9 billion), 53.6% up
|
|
Utilized FDI
|
US$77.9 million,47% up
|
|
Total Import & Export
|
US$66.3 million, 10% down
|
|
Export
|
US$55 million, 3.9% down
|
|
Import
|
US$11.3 million, 31.2% down
|
|
Sales of Consumer Goods
|
RMB 5.4 billion (US$713 million), 17.8% up
|
Source: Chizhou Economic and Social Development Report 2007
Introduction
Chizhou is a prefecture-level city in the southwestern part of Anhui Province. It is adjacent to the Yangtze River to the North and the Huangshan Mountains to the south. The city borders Tongling to the east and Huangshan to the south. It adjoins Anqing across the Yangtze River and is separated from Jiangxi Province by Mount Lushan.
Chizhou is the first state-level ecological demonstrative area in China. The city possesses a good ecological environment. The city enjoys a subtropical monsoon climate with humid and temperate weather. It has four distinct seasons and the average temperate in the city is about 16-17?.The city is rich in non-ferrous metal resources, such as lead, zinc and manganese.
The transportation in the city is convenient. Chizhou Port, a top port in Anhui Province, handled over 21 million tons of cargo in 2007. State Highway 318, State Highway 206 and the Hefei-Jiuhuashan-Huangshan Highway run through the city, connecting the city with Beijing, Nanjing, Hefei and other large cities. It takes less than 3 hours to drive from Chizhou to Hefei Lugang Airport, Huangshan Airport, Anqing Airport or Nanjing Lukou International Airport.
Economic Features
Chizhou is the smallest economy among the 17 prefecture-level cities in Anhui Province. In 2007, the city's GDP rose 15.2% from the previous year to RMB 15.7 billion, contributing 2.1% to Anhui's economy.
The value-added output from the agricultural sector rose 9.7% year on year to RMB 3.4 billion, comprising 21.5% of the city's GDP. The secondary sector generated RMB 6 billion in value-added output, making up 38.1% of the city's GDP. The service sector, the largest sector, realized RMB 6.3 billion in value-added output, contributing 40.4% to the city's economy.
The city's economy features a low level of industrialization. In 2007, the value-added industrial output from the city was RMB 4.3 billion, accounting for 27.3% of the city's GDP. Heavy industry is dominant in the city's industrial sector. The value-added industrial output from heavy industry and light industry rose 25.3% and 24.9% to RMB 2.6 billion and RMB 540 million, making up 83.9% and 16.1% of that from the city, respectively.
Coal mining and dressing, metallurgy, chemicals, equipment manufacturing, auto parts, agricultural products processing and textiles are the major industries in the city. Tianfa Tea Industry and Chizhou Non-ferrous Metal Company are the two largest private companies in Chizhou. Tianfa Tea Industry was set up in 1997 with registered capital of RMB 10.3 million. It specializes in the production of tea and tea accompaniments. Its sales revenue exceeded RMB 280 million in 2007.
Chizhou has 19 A-level scenic spots. In 2007, the city attracted over 7.3 million tourists. The tourism revenue in the city more than tripled, reaching RMB 5.8 billion and accounting for 10% of Anhui's total.
The foreign trade in Chizhou saw a downward trend. In 2007, the foreign trade value fell 10% from a year ago to US$66.3 million. The export value fell 3.9% to US$55 million, while the import value sank 31.2% to US$11.3 million. Mechanical and electronic products and agricultural products are the major export products in the city, accounting for 40.7% of the city's total export value.
The contractual foreign investments in the city surpassed US$125.8 million in 2007. In the same period, the utilized FDI amounted to US$77.9 million.
Cultural Highlights
Chizhou's history spins back to the Qin and Han Dynasties, when iron smelting, shipbuilding and metallurgy were developed in this region. It has been called Chizhou since AD 621, during the Tang Dynasty. Chizhou has a Buddhist culture. Jiuhua Mountain is known for its history of Buddhist culture. In AD719, Jin Qiaojue, the King of Xinluo Country (now known as South Korea) visited Chizhou and became a monk there. The city is the birthplace of large number of great ancient literary figures, such Du Mu, a great poet in the Tang Dynasty.
Tourist Attractions
The most recommendable scenic spot in Chizhou is Jiuhua Mountain Scenic Area, which was listed as one of the top four Buddhist Mountains along with Putuo Mountain in Zhejiang, Wutai Mountain in Jiangxi and Emei Mountain in Sichuan. It is located 20 km southwest of Qingyang County of Chizhou. The sea of clouds and the pine trees, as well as many historical sites, make it the most popular tourist attraction in Chizhou. Chizhou has several nature reserves, including Guniu River National Nature Reserve, Shengjin Lake National Nature Reserve and Guichi Laoshan Nature Reserve, providing tourists opportunities to view the beautiful scenery in Chizhou.
Chizhou has many tasty local snacks, such as Salty Duck Egg, Shrimp Ball with Soup and Steaming Paozi (a kind of flour food stuffed with shredded pork or vegetables), which are also beloved by the tourists.
Honors
Provincial Historical and Cultural City of Anhui (1996)
---Anhui Provincial Government
