Major Economic Indicators (2007)

Source: Hunchun Economic and Social Development Report 2007

Introduction

Hunchun is located at the Eastern edge of the Jilin Province, bordering North Korea to the South-West, and Russia to the South-East. It is a county-level city, and was established as a border-opening city in 1992. A border-economy cooperation zone was set up at the same time.  

Hunchun has a mild and wet climate, sustaining a very long winter. The annual average temperature is 5.7 Celsius, and the rainfall is measured at 618 mm. 

Hunchun has the province's largest coal mine, with reserves reaching 1.2 billion tons. Hunchun also has plenty of wood and water reserves, with a forest coverage rate of 76.5%.

Economic Features

In 2007, the industrial output of Hunchun grew by 83.4% to RMB 6.2 billion, while the value-added industrial output reached RMB 2.3 billion, up 62.0% over the previous year. The pillar industries of Hunchun include hydraulic power generation, forest products-processing, textiles, garments, electronics and information technology. In 2007, the industrial output of these four sectors accounted for about 50% of the city's total.

Hunchun has convenient transport conditions, enabling easy access to Russia and North Korea. It has two ports that connect with Russia; namely, the Sino-Russia International Railway Port, and the Hunchun-Changlingzi Road Port. It is 93 km away by water from the Korean Najin Port; ships can enter the Japanese Sea through Tumen River in a distance of 15 km. These transport conditions have been immeasurable in their use for Hunchun to develop an export-oriented economy.

In 2007, Hunchun's foreign trade jumped 50.3% to US$676.8 million; most of the trade was from border trade, of which 91.2% came from export. The utilized FDI was US$45.7 million, accounting for 5.2% of the province's total.

Cultural Highlights

Hunchun has a comparatively shorter history, compared to other cities in Jilin. It was first set up as a county in 1914, and became a city much later, in 1988. In Manchu language, "Hunchun" means “the border”, which indicates its special location.

Bordering Russia and North Korea, the mixed culture of Hunchun has been clearly impacted and imprinted upon by the cultural interaction of different countries.

Tourist Attractions

Hunchun is home to over eighty historical and scenic spots, including tombs, tablets, city sites and ancient architecture. The most popular include Fort Sites in East and West Hunchun, Beach State and the Ancient City of Bohaikuo.

Famous local dishes in Hunchun include weever cooked with white wine, beef noodle cooked with bree, and sweet lavender pie.

Major Development Zones

By the end of 2007, Hunchun had two state-level development zones.

State-level Development Zones in Hunchun

Source: National Development and Reform Commission of P.R. China