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Profiles of China Provinces, Cities and Industrial Parks



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Content provided by :  China Knowledge
   
29 Aug 2011
Zhangye ( Gansu ) City Information

Major Economic Indicators (2010)

Land Area (km2) 42,400
Population (million) 1.29
GDP (RMB billion) 19.2
GDP Composition
Primary Industry 27.9%
Secondary Industry
(Industry & Contruction)		 37.8%
Tertiary Industry (Service) 34.3%
GDP Per Capita (RMB) 14,908
Unemployment Rate 2.9%
Fixed Asset Investment (RMB billion) 9.5
Utilized FDI (USD million) N.A.
Total Import & Export (USD million) 44
Export (USD million) 43.9
Import (USD million) 0.1
Sales of Consumer Goods (RMB billion) 5.7
Source Source: Zhangye Economic and Social Development Report 2009

   

 
Introduction
 

Zhangye is located in the western part of Gansu Province, in central Hexi Corridor. It covers an area of 42,400 sq km, ranking second after Jiuquan in Gansu. Population of the city amounted to 1.29 million by the end of 2009.

Zhangye has a dry continental climate. Average temperature of the city is 6° C. Average annual precipitation is 127.5 mm, while average annual evaporation amounts to 2047.9 mm.

Zhangye is rich in natural resources. There are 26 rivers running through the city with average annual runoff of 2.7 cubic meters. Reserves of mineral resources such as coal, gypsum, clay, brick, copper, iron, zinc and tungsten rank first among all prefecture-level cities.

Transportation in Zhangye is very convenient. The State Highway 312 (Shanghai-Yining), the State Highway 227 (Xining-Zhangye), and the Lanzhou-Urumqi Railway, run through the city. In addition, the local government is currently expanding the Zhangye Airport, which is 24 km from the city’s downtown.
 
Economic Features
 
Zhangye realized GDP of RMB 19.2 billion in 2009, representing a rise of 11.5% year on year. The city's GDP accounted for approximately 5.7% of Gansu's total and ranked ninth out of fourteen prefecture-level cities in Gansu province.

The agricultural sector, the smallest contributor to the city’s economy, generated value-added output of RMB 5.4 billion in 2009, accounting for 27.9% of the city's GDP. Grain output of Zhangye totaled 1 million tons in 2009, accounting for 11.1% of the province's total.  

In 2009, secondary industry (industry and construction) , the largest contributor to the city's economy, realized value-added industrial output of RMB 7.3 billion, accounting for 37.8% of the city's total.  

During 2009, value-added industrial output of industrial sector amounted to RMB 5.5 billion, while total value-added industrial output of the enterprises above designated size reached RMB 4.6 billion, accounting for 83.6% of industrial sector's total.  

Electricity, metallurgy and chemicals are pillar industries of the city. Currently, Zhangye has produced capacity of 6.5 billion kw electricity, 121,500 tons of ferrous alloys and 17,700 tons of fertilizers in 2009.

The service sector generated value-added output of RMB 6.6 billion, accounting for 34.3% of the city's total GDP in 2007.  

In 2009, sales of consumer goods reached RMB 5.7 billion, up 18.7% year on year. Meanwhile, the sales revenue from accommodation and catering amounted to RMB 964 million, up 21.3% year on year.  

Tourism is also an important pillar of the service sector. During 2009, 1.2 million tourists visited the city, up 11.7% year on year, while tourism income totaled RMB 415 million, representing a rise of 11.8% compared to the previous year.

In 2009, export value of Zhangye amounted to US$43.9 million, up 10% year on year. Agriculture and sideline products are major export goods of the city.
 
Cultural Highlights
 

Zhangye was an important commercial port on the ancient Silk Road and once had the status of present Shanghai. The city is granted the reputation of "lush southern-type fields in the desert".

The city is well known for its special products such as Chinese date, apple, pear, garlic, honey, wine and cashmere, a fiber obtained from the Cashmere goat. The Chinese date is also called the Red Date.

Zhangye is abundant in food sources, both grain and livestock. It is dubbed as "Gold Zhangye", the granary of the food-scarce.
 
Tourist Attraction
 

With the Heihe River flows through and sheltered by the Qilian Mountain and Longshou Mountain, Zhangye is an oasis in the desert. Zhangye is rich in historic sites and amazing natural sceneries.

The largest nirvana Buddha in China is well preserved in the Giant Buddha Temple. Simply a finger of the Buddha can provide one a sound sleep on it and his ear is big enough for eight people to sit side by side.

The Bell and Drum Tower, also called Zhenyuan Tower, is the biggest drum tower in the Hexi Corridor. The three-storey tower is a traditional Chinese architecture with splendid cornice and fine carving.

Other scenery sites include the Wooden Pagoda Temple, which is regarded as the symbol of Zhangye, the Relics of Heishui Kingdom and Mati Temple in Sunan Yugur Autonomous County.

Zhangye snacks are famous inside and outside of Gansu Province. The Saozi noodle (noodle with minced pork) is the most popular breakfast there.

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