Major Economic indicators (2007)

Source: Yichun Economic and Social Development Report 2007

Introduction

Yichun, lying in the northeastern part of Heilongjiang Province, adjoins Hegang to the east, Harbin, the provincial capital city, to the south and Suining to the west. It faces Russia across the Heilongjiang River and shares a 2,495-km-long boundary with Russia. It covers an area of 32,759 sq km and has a population of 1.3 million. It enjoys a cold temperate monsoon climate, with an average temperate of 1.0 Celsius. It is among the coldest cities in China.

Yichun is easily accessible by air, rail and highway. Yichun is 350 km from Harbin Taiping International Airport and 150 km from Jiamusi Airport. Yichun Railway Station operates daily trains to Harbin, Jiamusi, Beijing, Tianjin and cities in Liaoning and Shandong. The Yichun-Hegang Highway and the Yichun-Mengying Road connect the city with other cities in Heilongjiang Province.

The city is rich in natural resources, such as timber, fresh water and minerals. Total water storage in the city exceeds 10.2 billion steres. The city is rich in spruce, Korean pines and Chinese medicinal herbs. Major mineral resources found in Yichun include gold, silver, iron and lead.

Economic Features

In 2007, Yichun's GDP grew 11.5% from a year earlier to RMB 15.4 billion, accounting for 2.2% of Heilongjiang Province's total. Yichun has the third smallest economy in the province. Primary industry, secondary industry and tertiary industry accounted for 26%, 37.1% and 36.9% of the city's GDP, respectively.

In 2007, value-added output from primary industry surpassed RMB 4.0 billion, representing a growth of 9.6% from a year ago. Forestry is a pillar of primary industry in Yichuan. Value-added output from forestry reached RMB 1.1 billion, accounting for 27.5% of primary industry's total.

Value-added output from secondary industry (construction and industry) amounted to RMB 5.7 billion in 2007, rising 11.9% from a year earlier, of which value-added output from the industrial sector hit RMB 4.9 billion, increasing by 16.8% from a year earlier.

Wood processing and metallurgy are the main industries in Yichun. In 2007, value-added industrial output from wood processing surged 19.2% to RMB 2.3 billion, comprising 46.9% of the industrial sector's total, while that from metallurgy rose 9.1% to RMB 1.1 billion, accounting for 19.3% of the industrial sector's total. These two industries accounted for 66.2% of Yichun's total value-added industrial output.

Yichun Guangming<000587>, the sole listed company in Yichun, was set up in 1986. It is mainly engaged in furniture production and supply. In 2007, its sales revenue fell 56.6% to RMB 114.7 million, while it reversed net losses of RMB 122 million in 2006 to earn net profit of RMB 18 million in 2007.

Tertiary industry in Yichun is rather strong. In 2007, value-added output from tertiary industry surpassed RMB 5.7 billion, climbing 11.9% from a year ago. Tourism industry is growing rapidly in the city. In 2007, over 3 million tourists visited Yichun, whose tourism income was RMB 1.2 billion, up 27.6% year on year.

In 2007, foreign trade value in Yichun surged 47.1% year on year to US$ 135.1 million, comprising US$104.8 million in export value and US$30.3 million in import value. Agricultural products, wooden products and metal products are the major exports from Yichun. Yichun has formed foreign trade relationships with 67 countries and regions, of which Russia is the most significant.

The utilized FDI in Yichun was US$11.8 million in 2007, representing an increment of 9.2% from the previous year.

Cultural Highlights

Yichun was named after the Yichun River. Its history stretches back to the Shang Dynasty. It was inhabited by many ethnic minority groups before the Tang Dynasty. Since the Tang Dynasty, the current territory of Yichun has been under the control of China's central government.

Yichun is a multi-cultural prefecture-level city in Heilongjiang. Many minority groups, such as Manchus, Mongols and Koreans, are living in this city.

Tourist Attractions

Yichun is famed for its beautiful natural scenery, diverse wild plants and vast Korean pine forests. It won the name of "natural oxygen bar", the "capital of forests" and the "home town of Korean pines". Yichun is also the place where Heilongjiang Manzhou Dinosaur Fossil was discovered. So it is also called the "capital of dinosaurs" in China.

People traveling in Yichun should try the delicious local dishes, which include Preserved Vegetable Soup, Fried Sliced Pork, Spicy & Cold Sliced Pork and Radish Dipped in Sesame Sauce. 

Honors

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