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Profiles of China Provinces, Cities and Industrial Parks



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Content provided by :  China Knowledge
   
12 Sept 2011
Xiangxi ( Hunan ) City Information

Major Economic Indicators (2010)

Land Area (km2) 15,486
Population (million) 2.75
GDP (RMB billion) 30.34
GDP Composition
Primary Industry 16.3%
Secondary Industry
(Industry & Contruction)		 39.9%
Tertiary Industry (Service) 43.8%
GDP Per Capita (RMB) 12,033
Unemployment Rate 4.5
Fixed Asset Investment (RMB billion) 20.85
Utilized FDI (USD million) 6.02
Total Import & Export (USD million) 250
Export (USD million) 240
Import (USD million) 10
Sales of Consumer Goods (RMB billion) 11.7
Source Source: Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture Economic and Social Development Report 2010

   

 
Introduction
 
Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture, located in the northwestern part of Hunan Province, is famous for Phoenix Town (Feng Huang Cheng), which has a profound history, renowned culture, colorful ethnic customs and splendid scenery. Xiangxi is adjacent to Huaihua to the east, Zhangjiajie to the northeast, Guizhou Province to the southwest, Chongqing to the west and Hubei to the northwest. Jishou is the capital of the prefecture.

The prefecture covers an area of 15,486 sq km, accounting for 7.3% of Hunan's total area. It has a population of 2.75 million, of which 75.4% are minorities, including the Miao, the Tujia and the Buyi. It enjoys a subtropical mountain monsoon climate, with humid and moderate temperature all year around.

Xiangxi is rich in natural resources. It has abundant wild plants and animals. Over 237 species of animals, 4,175 species of insects and 1,039 kinds of plants are found in the prefecture. It also has plentiful mineral resources. The proven manganese reserves in the city’s lands exceed 31 million tons, ranking second after Yongzhou in Hunan.

The transportation in Xiangxi mainly relies on the railway. Regular trains from Xiangxi Railway Station connect the city with other major cities in Hunan Province.
 
Economic Features
 
In 2010, Xiangxi's GDP stood at RMB 30.34 billion, featuring a rapid growth of 8.3% from a year ago. However, its economy lags far behind other cities in Hunan Province, such as Changsha and Yueyang. It ranked 12th out of 14 prefecture and prefecture-level cities in the province.

Value-added output from primary industry rose 4.1% to RMB 4.94 billion in 2010, contributing 16.3% of Xiangxi's GDP. Secondary industry and tertiary industry realized value-added output of RMB 12.12 billion and RMB 13.29 billion, contributing 39.9% and 43.8% to the city's economy, respectively.

Xiangxi is a tobacco production base in Hunan Province. In 2010, it produced 34,900 tons of tobacco, up 29.3% year on year. It produced 12.31 tons of tealeaves and 0.8 million tons of fruit, up 11% and 7.6% year on year.

In 2010, Xiangxi's total value-added industrial output soared 5% to RMB 10.22 billion, while enterprises with designated size or above gained RMB 9 billion in value-added industrial output.

Heavy industrial and light industrial enterprises realized value-added industrial output of RMB 7.94 billion and RMB 1.06 billion in 2010 comprising 88% and 12% of the city's total, respectively.

Mining, tobacco, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and electricity are the pillar industries in the city. In 2009, their value-added industrial output amounted to RMB 7.15 billion, accounting for 93% of the city's total. The city still lacks large large companies in its pillar industries. The city's major industrial products are manganese products, iron alloy products, Chinese medicinal herb tablets and construction materials.

The city is a hot tourism destination in Hunan Province. In 2010, more than 12.55 million tourists visited the city, representing a rise of 18.4% from the previous year. The tourism income in the city soared 25.3% to RMB 6.35 billion.

In 2010, the foreign trade value in Xiangxi totaled US$250 million, increased 48.8% from the previous year. The export value increased 45% to US$240 million, while the import value stood at US$10 million. Agricultural products, metal products and pharmaceuticals are the major export products from Xiangxi.

In 2010, the utilized FDI in Xiangxi hit record high of US$6.02 million, increased 246% from a year earlier.
 
Cultural Highlights
 

Xiangxi has a long history. As early as in the Neolithic Age, human settlers started living in this area. The area was controlled by different administrative agents in ancient times, such as Jinzhou during the Xia Dynasty and Qianzhong Shire during the Warring States Period.

Xiangxi culture is a blend of Chinese Han Culture, Tujia Culture, Miao Culture and other local ethnic cultures. The Tujia and the Miao are the major ethnic groups in the prefecture. Traditional festivals, fairs, customs, costumes and folk arts of the Tujia and the Miao are well-preserved.
 
Tourist Attraction
 

Xiangxi boasts a large number of traditional ethnic villages, such as Sanjiang Miao Village, Phoenix Town and Dehang Miao Village, where the travelers can experience different cultures and customs. Phoenix Town was named after the Phoenix Mountain. It is famous for the wooden houses built along the riverbank. These houses are called Diaojialou, which means buildings with hanging legs. The Miao and the Tujia live in this town. Phoenix Town is home to great writer Shen Congwen, who wrote "Border Town" about a love story in Phoenix Town.

Xiangxi is famous for Miao-flavor dishes such as Sour Fish, Picked Radish, Vegetable Tofu and Xue Ba Duck (which is cooked with stewed duck meat, duck blood and glutinous rice). Sour Fish is a traditional dish for the Miao people. It is a spicy soup cooked with fish, chili and other traditional Chinese ingredients.

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