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Profiles of China Provinces, Cities and Industrial Parks



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

Major Economic Indicators (2010)

Land Area (km2) 18,189
Population (million) 6.2
GDP (RMB billion) 149.16
GDP Composition
Primary Industry 18.8%
Secondary Industry
(Industry & Contruction)		 45.9%
Tertiary Industry (Service) 35.3%
GDP Per Capita (RMB) 24,058
Unemployment Rate 4.1%
Fixed Asset Investment (RMB billion) 61.32
Utilized FDI (USD million) 251
Total Import & Export (USD million) 257.88
Export (USD million) 139.49
Import (USD million) 118.40
Sales of Consumer Goods (RMB billion) 46.95
Source Source: Changde Economic and Social Development Report 2010

 

 
Introduction
 
Changde is seated in the northern part of Hunan Province. Changde borders Yiyang and Yuanjiang to the east, Zhangjiajie to the west, Hubei Province to the north and Wuyi Mountain to the south. It covers an area of 18,189 sq km and has a population of 6.2 million.

The city is known as a "land of fish and rice". It has abundant agricultural resources, such as crops, cotton, oranges and freshwater fish. Hunan is rich in mineral resources. Its bismuth reserves amounted to 0.29 million, accounting for two thirds of China's total. Qidong Iron Ore Mine, the largest iron ore mine in Hunan, has 930 million tons of iron ore, comprising 38% of Hunan's total.

Changde enjoys efficient transportation. Changde Taohua Airport, located merely 12.2 km from the downtown area, operates regular flights to Changsha, the provincial capital of Hunan Province, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Haikou. Regular trains from Changde Railway Station connect Changde with Guangzhou, Zhangjiajie, Shijiazhuang, and Xiangfan. Changde also has a well-established highway network. State Highway 319, State Highway 207, the Changsha-Changde Highway and the Changsha-Zhangjiajie Highway run through the city.
 
Economic Features
 
In 2010, the GDP of Changde hit a record high of RMB 149.16 billion, representing a steady growth of 15.2% over the previous year. The city's GDP ranked third out of 14 in the province, following Changsha and Yueyang.

Changde is an important crop and cotton production base in Hunan Province. The value-added output from the agricultural sector rose 4.4% to RMB 28.01 billion in 2010, contributing 18.8% to the city's GDP. It produced 3.79 million tons of crops and 0.13 million tons of cotton, respectively.

Secondary industry, the main sector of Changde's economy, generated value-added output of RMB 68.53 billion in 2010, comprising 45.9%% of the city's GDP. Total value-added industrial output of enterprises with designated size and above in the city rose 24.7% to RMB 51.91 billion.

Machinery, aluminum, food, tobacco, textiles and construction materials are the pillar industries in the city. Changde Textile Machinery, Changde Cigarettes Factory and Hunan Chuangyuan Alumina are the leading companies in their respective sectors.

Changde Textile Machinery, set up in 1960s, is capable of producing over 50 types of knitting machines. Changde Cigarettes Factor, a subsidiary under China Tobacco Hunan Industrial Corp, was established in 1951. Major brands include Furong, Furongwang and Dongfanghong. In 2009, the sales revenue amounted to RMB 51 million, and operating loss of RMB 8.9 million.

The service sector, the second largest contributor to Changde's economy, realized RMB 52.62 billion in value-added output in 2010, constituting 35.3% of the city's GDP. Changde has a booming consumer market. In 2010, sales of consumer goods in Changde soared 18.7% to RMB 46.95 billion, ranking third in the province, after Changsha and Yueyang.

In 2010, foreign trade value in Changde increased 33.4% from a year earlier to US$257.88 million, consisting of US$139.49 million in export value and US$118.40 million in import value. Mechanical and electronic products are the major exports from Changde.

The city attracted over US$295 million in contractual foreign investment and utilized US$251 million FDI in 2010.
 
Cultural Highlights
 

Changde enjoys a long history. As early as over 300,000 years ago, primitive people started living in this region. In 227BC, Linyuan was established there. In AD1117, Changde was given its current name. The Battle of Changde, a major battle in the Sino-Japanese War, took place in Changde in 1943. Over 300,000 civilians died in the battle because of Japan’s biological and chemical weapons.
 
Tourist Attraction
 

Changde is known as "a fairy land of peach blossoms" because of the large planting area of peach trees in Taohuayuan (whose name means “peach tree grove”) in Taoyuan County. Taohuayuan was highly praised by Tao Yuanming, a great poet of the Jin Dynasty, for its beautiful scenery. The best season to visit there is March, when all the peach trees bloom.

The city has diverse historical sites, including Jiashan Temple, Rongding Emperor Mausoleum of Ming Dynasty and Torii of Yu Family.

It also offers various delicate local dishes, such as Changde Rice Noodle, Changde Braised Duck and Wuling Sliced Bean-curd.
 
Honors
 

International Garden City (2005)
-International Garden Association

National Garden City (2003)
-Ministry of Construction of P.R. China

Best Tourism City in China (1998)
-National Tourism Administration of P.R. China

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