Major Economic indicators (2007)

　　Source: Xianning Economic and Social Development Report 2007

Introduction

Xianning is located in the southeastern part of Hubei Province, along the south bank of the Yangtze River. It is part of Wuhan City Cluster, of which Wuhan, the provincial capital, is the core. The cluster also contains eight other cities within 100 km of Wuhan, including Huangshi, Ezhou, Xiaogan, Huanggang, Xianning, Xiantao, Qianjiang and Tianmen. Wuhan Cluster won approval to be a pilot zone for the construction of a resource-conserving and environment-friendly society. The zone contributed over 60% of Hubei Province's total GDP and is home to over one half of the province's population.

Xianning enjoys an ideal geographic location. Situated at the juncture of Hubei Province, Jiangxi Province and Hubei Province, it neighbors Jiangxi Province to the south, Hunan Province to the west, and Wuhan and Ezhou to the north. State Highway 106, State Highway 107 and State Highway 316 run through the city, linking it with other cities in China.

It covers an area of 9,861 sq km and has a population of 2.9 million. It is rich in mineral resources, such as magnesium, stibium and gold.

Economic Features

In 2007, Xianing's GDP reached RMB 28.7 billion, representing a growth of 15.9% from the previous year. It contributed merely 3.1% of Hubei Province's total and was the fourth smallest economy among 13 prefectures and prefecture-level cities in the province.

Secondary industry (industry and construction) realized value-added output of RMB 12 billion in 2007, accounting for 41.8% of Xianning's GDP. The service sector, the second largest contributor to the city's economy, generated value-added output of RMB 9.9 billion, making up 34.3% of the city's GDP. Value-added output from the agricultural sector surged 8.3% to RMB 6.8 billion, comprising 23.9% of the city's GDP.

In 2007, gross output value from the agricultural sector amounted to RMB 11.2 billion, rising 13% from a year earlier. However, Xianning’s agricultural sector is quite small for Hubei Province. It only accounted for 4.9% of the province's total gross output.

Value-added industrial output surged 30.7% to RMB 7.9 billion in 2007, making up 73.8% of Xianning's total value-added industrial output. There are four province-level development zones in the city, namely Xianning Economic and Technological Development Zone, Chibi Development Zone, Jiayu Development Zone and Tongcheng Development Zone. In 2007, the four development zones gained value-added industrial output of RMB 3.7 billion from enterprises with designated size or above, accounting for 46.2% of the city's total.

Electricity production and supply, textiles, food and beverages, paper making, machinery, and construction materials are the pillar industries in Xianning. The industrial sector in the city is still weak compared with other cities such as Wuhan and Yichuang in Hubei. Xianning’s total value-added output accounted for only 3.8% of Hubei's total. It lacks large competitive companies in its major industries.

Tourism is a pillar of the service sector. In 2007, over 4.3 million tourists visited Xianning, increasing by 28.8% compared with a year earlier. Total tourism income in the city exceeded RMB 1.5 billion, with a sharp rise of 57.7% from the previous year.

In 2007, the foreign trade value in the city rose 28.2% year on year to US$103.1 million, comprising US$79.9 million in export value and US$23.2 million in import value. Export value from the private enterprises surpassed US$55.1 million, taking up 54.9% of the city's total export value.

The utilized FDI in Xianning topped US$71.2 million in 2007, representing an increment of 15.3% from a year earlier. It attracted investments from many large multinational companies, such as U.S.-based Amway and Thailand-based Red Bull.

Cultural Highlights

Xianning's history can be traced back to over 3,000 years ago. During the Xia and Shang Dynasties, it belonged to Jingchu. During the Qin Dynasty, it was controlled by Nan Shire. Xianning got its current name in AD1007 during the Song Dynasty. Xianning became a prefecture-level city in 1983.

Tourist Attractions

Xianning is reputed as a "town of thousand bridges". The city is dotted by various bridges, most of which were built during the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. Xiapu Bridge, first built in AD1881, is 80 meters long and 10 meters high. It is decorated with blue stones. Travelers should also visit Ancient Chibi (Red Cliff) Battlefield Site and Jiugong Mountain Scenic Area. There are two Chibi in Hubei Province, one is in Huanggang and the other is in Xianning. The famous Chibi War of the Three Kingdoms Period occurred in Chibi City, a county-level city of Xianning.

Chibi Fish Cake (made of egg white, fish meat, minced ginger and other ingredients), Jiayu Fish Ball and Tongci Ci Tuo (a kind of rice cake) are the most famous local dishes in Xianning.

Source: China Knowledge