Major Economic Indicators (2007)
| Land Area |
27,119 km2
|
|
Population
|
2.5 million
|
|
GDP
|
RMB 20.1 billion (US$2.7 billion), 13.3% up
|
|
GDP Composition
|
|
Primary Industry (Agriculture)
|
16.2%
|
|
Secondary Industry
(Industry & Construction)
|
59.2%
|
|
Tertiary Industry (Service)
|
24.6%
|
|
GDP Per Capita
|
RMB 7,998 (US$1,063)
|
|
Unemployment Rate
|
3.8%
|
|
Fixed Asset Investment
|
RMB 14.5 billion (US$1.9 billion), 49.5% up
|
|
Utilized FDI
|
N.A.
|
|
Total Import & Export
|
N.A.
|
|
Export
|
US$96.0 million, 6.9% up
|
|
Import
|
N.A.
|
|
Sales of Consumer Goods
|
RMB 4.9 billion (US$651 million), 18.1% up
|
Source: Qingyang Economic and Social Development Report 2007
Introduction
Qingyang is located in the eastern part of Gansu Province, bordering Shaanxi Province and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. It covers an area of 27,119 sq km. Population of the city amounted to 2.5 million by the end of 2007.
Qingyang has a semi-dry continental climate with plenty of sunshine. Average temperature of the city is 7-10 Celsius. Average annual precipitation is 480-660 mm, while average annual sunshine amounts to 2,250-2,600 hours.
Qingyang is rich in natural resources. Reserves of petroleum amount to 2.8 billion tons, making the city an important oil field of Gansu Province. In addition, reserves of coal reach 142.8 billion tons, contributing 94% to the province's total.
Transportation in Qingyang is very convenient. State Highway 211 (Yinchuan-Xi'an) and the Provincial Highway 202 run through Qingyang from east to west, while State Highway 309 (Rongcheng-Lanzhou) and the Provincial Highway 303 cross the city from north to south.
Economic Features
Qingyang realized GDP of RMB 20.1 billion in 2007, representing a rise of 13.3% year on year. The city's GDP accounted for approximately 7.4% of Gansu's total and ranked fifth out of fourteen prefecture-level cities in Gansu province.
The agricultural sector, the smallest contributor to the city's economy, generated value-added output of RMB 3.2 billion in 2007, accounting for 16.2% of the city's GDP. Grain output of Qingyang totaled 881,000 tons in 2007, accounting for 10.7% of the province's total.
In 2007, secondary industry (industry and construction) , the largest contributor to the city's economy, realized value-added output of RMB 11.9 billion, accounting for 59.2% of the city's total.
During 2007, value-added industrial output of industrial sector amounted to RMB 10.8 billion, while total value-added industrial output of the enterprises above designated size reached RMB 10.3 billion, accounting for 95.2% of industrial sector's total.
Petrochemical, food processing, building materials and pharmaceuticals are pillar industries of the city. Representative enterprises of these pillars include Changqing Oilfield Second Production Factory, Tongda Juice Co, Jiulian Mountain Cement Co, and Xifeng Pharmaceutical Factory.
The service sector generated value-added output of RMB 4.9 billion, accounting for 24.6% of the city's total GDP in 2007.
In 2007, telecommunications, transportation, storage and postal communications generated value-added output of RMB 987 million, accounting for 20.1% of the service sector's total.
Tourism is also an important pillar of the service sector. During 2007, 660,000 tourists visited the city, up 7% year on year, while tourism income totaled RMB 101 million, representing a rise of 4% compared to the previous year.
In 2007, export value of Qingyang amounted to US$96.0 million, up 6.9% year on year. Agriculture and sideline products are major export goods of the city. The U.S., the U.K., Germany, the Netherlands and Japan are major export destinations of the city.
Cultural Highlights
Qingyang was part of the region where the earliest cultures along the Yellow River developed. The city, once part of the heartland of the Qin state that would eventually unite China, was also an important place in the communist revolution.
Qingyang is well-known for its rich folk cultures. Traditional local Chinese art forms include shadow puppet theater, Qingyang sachet, paper cuts, needlework, folk music, and songs.
Tourist Attractions
The city is famous for its Qingyang North Grotto Temple, which is located at the junction of the Ru River and is 25 km away from the downtown. The North Grotto Temple is the key cultural relics under national protection and one of the four greatest grottoes in Gansu Province.
Other tourist attractions include Zhouzuling National Forest Park, Twin Pagoda Temple (Shuangta Temple) and natural scenery Xinlong Mountain.
The city's special foods include Qingyang noodle, low-alcohol functional rice wine, apricot, melon seeds, buckwheat, sun-cured tobacco, white melon seed, walnut, acid jujube and Chinese pear-leafed crabapple.
