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Profiles of China Provinces, Cities and Industrial Parks



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

Major Economic Indicators (2010)

Land Area (km2) 40,201
Population (million) 0.7
GDP (RMB billion) 5.8
GDP Composition
Primary Industry 24.8%
Secondary Industry
(Industry & Contruction)		 23.4%
Tertiary Industry (Service) 51.8%
GDP Per Capita (RMB) 8,472
Unemployment Rate 3.4%
Fixed Asset Investment (RMB billion) 6.2
Utilized FDI (USD million) N.A.
Total Import & Export (USD million) 42.02
Export (USD million) 41.98
Import (USD million) 0.04
Sales of Consumer Goods (RMB billion) 1.7
Source Source: Gannan Economic and Social Development Report 2009

   

 
Introduction
 

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, one of ten Tibetan Autonomous Prefectures in China, is located in the southern part of Gansu province, bordering Sichuan and Qinghai provinces. It covers an area of 40,201 sq km. Population of the city amounted to 0.7 million by the end of 2009.

Gannan, with average altitude of 3,000 meters, has a plateau continental monsoon climate. The weather here is humid and extremely cold. Average temperature of the city is 4° C, while average annual precipitation is 400-800mm. Average sunshine hours amount to 1,800-2,600.

Gannan is rich in natural resources. There are approximately 600 various traditional Tibetan herbal medicines in the city. Reserves of gold, uranium, arsenic, mercury, bismuth and peat rank first among all the prefecture-level cities of Gansu province. Additionally, there are 120 rivers and streams running through the city with theory reserves of hydro-energy of 3.6 million kw, accounting for 20.9% of the province's total. 

Transportation in Gannan mainly relies on the State Highway 213 (Lanzhou of Gansu province to Jinghong of Yunnan province), which runs through Gannan from north to south.
 
Economic Features
 
Gannan realized GDP of RMB 5.8 billion in 2009, representing a rise of 12.5% year on year. The city's GDP accounted for approximately 1.7% of Gansu's total and ranked last out of fourteen prefecture-level cities in Gansu province.

The agricultural sector generated value-added output of RMB 1.4 billion in 2009, accounting for 24.8% of the city's GDP. Grain and herbal medicine output of Gannan reached 86,762 and 18,535 tons in 2009, accounting for 1% and 3.7% of the province's total respectively.  

In 2009, secondary industry (industry and construction), the smallest contributor to Gannan's economy, realized value-added industrial output of RMB 1.3 billion, accounting for 23.4% of the city's total.  

During 2009, value-added industrial output of industrial sector amounted to RMB 1.2 billion,while total value-added industrial output of the enterprises above designated size reached RMB 863 million, accounting for approximately 70% of industrial sector's total. Hydro-power, agricultural products processing, building material, metallurgy and Tibetan medicine are pillar industries of the city.

Service sector, the largest contributor to Gannan's total GDP, generated value-added output of RMB 1.4 billion, accounting for 51.8% of the city's total GDP in 2009.  

Tourism is an important pillar of the service sector. During 2009, 1.6 million tourists visited the city, up 93.8% year on year, while tourism income totaled RMB 310 million, representing a rise of 120% compared to the previous year.

In 2008, total foreign trade of Gannan amounted to US$42.02 million (comprising export value of US$41.98 million and import value of US$50.04 million). Dairy products are major export goods of the city. Germany, the U.S., the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia are major export destinations of the city.
 
Cultural Highlights
 

Gannan was the domain of the ancient Qiang people, before the Qin State during the Spring and Autumn Period partly governed this area. It was one of the main birthplaces and residential areas of the Qiang.

In 111 AD, the Han Dynasty brought Gannan into the feudal regime of Central China. Gannan has played an important role in proving the relationship between the Han and the Tibetan.

The south of the Silk Road and the Tang-Tibet Ancient Road all passed through Gannan, which has special local products such as Tibetan souvenirs, such as ornaments, embroidery, Tibetan herbs, silver wares and religious handicrafts.

Apart from the traditional Tibetan festivals, Gannan also has some special festivals for monasteries. For those who are interested in these Buddhist ceremonies, visitors can visit the Labrang Monastery during the third lunar month.
 
Tourist Attraction
 

In midsummer, Gannan will hold Xiangbala Tourism Arts Festival, the largest comprehensive tourism festival in Gannan Prefecture.

During the fifth and the sixth lunar months, there are many festivals and ceremonies, such as Xianglang Festival, Erecting Arrow Festival and Caihua (Flower Picking) Festival.

The city is also famous for its beautiful attractions such as the Labrang Monastery, which is located at the foot of the Phoenix Mountain northwest of Xiahe County in Gannan.

The Grand Sutra Hall is the dominant place for the religious activities of the Labrang Monastery and for the adherents' worshipping.

The Saozi (minced meat) noodle is the most popular breakfast there. In addition, Babao Tea, which contains lots of tea materials such as rock candy, Chinese wolfberry, jujube, walnut, longan, sesame seeds, raisins, apple chip, is also popular among local Tibetan people.

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