Major Economic indicators (2007)

Source: Anqing Economic and Social Development Report 2007

Introduction

Anqing, seated in the southwestern part of Anhui Province, is a port city at the lower reaches of Yangtze River. The city faces Chizhou and Tongling across the Yangtze River to the east. It adjoins Jiujiang in Jiangxi Province to the south, Huanggang in Hubei to the west, and Lu'an and Chaohu in Anhui to the north. The city covers an area of 15,398 sq km and has a population of 6.1 million.

With a subtropical humid climate and vast fertile lands, Anqing is an important production hub for crops, cotton, oil plants and aquatic products in China. It is rich in mineral resources, such as copper, iron ores, silver, lead and limestone. It also has abundant wild animals, such as cranes and water birds.

Situated at the juncture of Anhui Province, Hubei Province and Jiangxi Province, Anqing is a transportation hub along the Yangtze River. Anqing Port, which has an annual cargo capacity of over 30 million tons, is a large inland port in Anhui. Anqing has comprehensive highway network, as the Anqing-Jingdezhen Highway, the Anqing-Hefei Highway, the Shanghai-Chengdu Highway, State Highway 105, State Highway 206 and State Highway 318 intersect in the city. Anqing Tianzhushan Airport offers flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xiamen, making the city also accessible by air.

Economic Features

In 2007, the city's GDP rose 13.4% from a year earlier to RMB 59.4 billion in 2007, ranking second in Anhui, shortly after the provincial capital of Hefei.

The agricultural sector gained value-added output of RMB 11.4 billion in 2007, comprising 9.4% of that from Anhui Province. The agricultural sector contributed 19.2% of Anqing's economy. In 2007, the city produced 2.6 million tons of crops, accounting for nearly 9% of Anhui Province's total crop output.

The secondary sector, the largest contributor to the city's economy, generated RMB 24.9 billion in value-added output in 2007, making up 42.0% of Anqing's GDP. The value-added industrial output from enterprises with designated size and above in Anqing exceeded RMB 15.4 billion in 2007, up 24.8% year on year. Heavy industry and light industry generated value-added industrial output of RMB 10 billion and RMB 5.4 billion, comprising 64.9% and 35.1% of the city's total, respectively.

The pillar industries in the city are petrochemicals, textiles and garments, construction materials and machinery. Anqing is home to many large companies, such as Anhui Huamao Group<000850>, Anhui Conch Cement Huaining Company, Anhui Conch Cement Zongyang Company, Anqing CSSC Diesel Engine and Anhui Shuguang Chemicals Group.

Anhui Huamao Group began as Anqing Textile Work Shop in 1958. Its products include yarn, thread and gray fabrics. Listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in 1998, its sales revenue rose 5.8% to RMB 1.4 billion in 2007 and the net profit rose 47.4% to RMB 178 million.

Anhui Conch Cement Huaining Company and Anhui Conch Cement Zongyang Company are two subsidiaries under Wuhu-based Anhui Conch Cement<600585>, a top cement producer and supplier in China. Both the units have a daily cement production capacity of over 5,000 tons.  

The service sector, the second largest contributor to Anqing's economy, realized value-added output of RMB 23 billion in 2007, comprising 38.8% of the city's GDP. The logistics sector and the wholesaling and retailing sector gained value-added output of RMB 4 billion and 3.9 billion, accounting for 17.4% and 16.9% of the total value-added output from the service sector, respectively.

The foreign trade value in Anqing amounted to US$370.6 million in 2007, with an increment of 31.3% year on year. The export value hit US$286.7 million, up 29.9% year on year, while the import value exceeded US$83.9 million, up 36.4% year on year. Exports to Asia soared 25.3% from a year earlier to US$129.3 million, accounting for 45.1% of the city's total export value. Mechanical and electronic products are the city's major export products. In 2007, the export value of these products surpassed US$91 million, accounting for 24.5% of the city's total export value.

The utilized FDI in Anqing stood at US$141.4 million in 2007, representing an increase of 23.9% year on year. U.S.-headquartered International Paper planned to invest US$1.8 billion to expand its annual production capacity in Anqing to 1 million tons of paper and 0.8 million tons of paper pulp in 2007.

Cultural Highlights

Anqing's history can be traced back to the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770BC-221BC), when it was governed by the Wan Kingdom. Anqing City was first constructed in 1217, during the Southern Song Dynasty (AD1127-1279) and has a history nearly 800 years long. Anqing is considered the origin place of Huangmei Opera and Hui Opera, which are two traditional forms of Chinese opera.

Tourist Attractions

There are many historical and cultural landmarks in Anqing, among which the most popular is Yingjiang Temple. Yingjiang Temple, situated along the Yangtze River, was first built in the Song Dynasty (AD960-1911). It was named Wanfo Temple during the Song Dynasty and changed into Yingjiang Temple during the Qing Dynasty (AD1644-1911). The famous Zhenfeng Pagoda is located in the temple. Other great scenic spots in the city include Tianzhu Mountain, Sikong Mountain, Tongcheng Wen Miao (Tongcheng Wen Temple) and Xiaoguanshan Hill.

Mozi Crispy Cakes, Hu Yu Mei Can Dou Spicy Catsup (a kind of horsebean source) and Huaining Tribute Cake are very tasty and enjoy a good reputation among tourists.  

Honors

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

National Historical and Cultural City (2005)
---State Council of P.R. China  

Best Tourism City in China (2000)
---National Tourism Administration of P.R. China