Major Economic indicators (2007)

　　Source: Xiaogan Economic and Social Development Report 2007

Introduction

Xiaogan, situated in the northeastern part of Hubei Province, is adjacent to Wuhan, the provincial capital of Hubei Province, to the east, Xinyang of Henan Province to the north, Xiangfan, Jingzhou and Shiyan to the west, and Jianghan Plain to the south. It covers an area of 8,910 sq km and has a population of 5.2 million. It is part of Wuhan City Cluster, which consists of 9 cities, Wuhan, 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 city cluster takes up less than one third of Hubei Province's total land area and contributes over 60% of the province's total GDP.

The Beijing-Zhuhai Highway, the Xiaogan-Xiangfan Highway and the Wuhan-Xiaogan Highway make for a convenient highway transportation network in Xiaogan. It takes less than 1 hour to drive from Xiaogan to Wuhan Tianhe Airport, which operates flights to over 20 domestic cities.

The city is rich in mineral resources, such as gypsum, rock salt and phosphorite. It has 249 million tons of gypsum, 280 million tons of rock salt and 172 million tons of phosphorite. It is also rich in wild animal and plants resources. Over 138 species of wild animals, including swans, cranes and giant salamanders have been found in the city’s lands.

Economic Features

In 2007, Xiaogan's GDP was RMB 48.1 billion, representing a growth of 14.6% over the previous year. It composed 5.3% of Hubei Province's total GDP and ranked fifth among the 13 prefecture and prefecture-level cities in the province, following Wuhan, Yichang, Xiangfan and Jingzhou.

Secondary industry, the main sector in Xiaogan, realized value-added output of RMB 19.1 billion in 2007, contributing 39.7% of the city's economy. The tertiary sector also contributed significantly to the city's economy. It generated value-added output of RMB 18.1 billion, accounting for 37.6% of the city's GDP. The primary sector, with value-added output of RMB 10.9 billion, comprised 22.7% of the city's GDP.

Major agricultural products in Xiaogan are crops and vegetables. In 2007, Xiaogan’s output of crops and vegetables exceeded 2.2 million tons and 2.8 million tons, accounting for 9.8% and 9.5% of Hubei's total, respectively.

In 2007, value-added industrial output from industrial enterprises with designated size and above in the city soared 25.8% to RMB 12.5 billion, comprising 76.3% of the city's total. Equipment manufacturing, chemicals, textiles, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals and metal products are the pillar industries in Xiaogan. In 2007, their value-added industrial output totaled RMB 8.1 billion, making up 64.8% of Xiaogan's total.

Examples of large industrial firms in Xiaogan include Shuanghuan Tech<000707> and Hubei Fuxing Science &Technology<000926>, both of which are Shenzhen-listed companies. Shuanghuan Tech is mainly engaged in the manufacture of raw chemicals and chemical products, such as saline and alkaline. Its revenue rose 29.2% to RMB 1.3 billion in 2007. Hubei Fuxing Science &Technology is large steel wire producer. In 2008, its operating revenue exceeded RMB 3.2 billion and its net profit exceeded RMB 330 million.

Xiaogan has a large consumer market. In 2007, the sales of consumer goods in the city grew 18.9% to RMB 21.8 billion, accounting for 5.4% of Hubei's total and ranking seventh among 13 prefecture and prefecture-level cities in Hubei Province.

The foreign trade value in Xiaogan surpassed US$226 million in 2007, soaring 13.4% from a year earlier. The export value stood at US$181 million, up 40.3% year on year, while the import value was US$45 million, down 35.9% year on year. Electronic and mechanical products are the main export products from the city.

In 2007, the utilized FDI in Xiaogan exceeded US$113 million, increasing by 18.5% from the previous year. Germany-based Siemens and France-based Renault have set up businesses in the city.

Cultural Highlights

Xiaogan, whose name means filial piety and pity in Chinese, derives its name from a legend, which has it that a man named Dong Yong sold himself to pay for his father’s burial and that a god took pity on him for his filial deed. The city was named Xiaochang in AD454 during the Song Dynasty and its name was changed into Xiaogan in AD924 during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period.

Xiaogan is an origin place of Chu Culture, which is an important part of Chinese Culture. Over 460 historical sites are well-preserved in the city.

Tourist Attractions

Xiaogan is rich in historical and cultural relics, such as the bamboo slips of the Qin Dynasty, the lacquerware of the Qin and Han Dynasties and the pottery of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Lingyun Tower and Qiuzhou Temple are the top two historical sites in Xiaogan. Lingyun Tower was first built in 1848. Because it looks like a pen, it is also called the Pen Tower. Xiaogan has a subtropical monsoon climate. The best time to visit Xiaogan is during the period from April to October.

Xiaogan Ma Tang and Xiaogan Rice Wine are very famous in China. Xiaogan Matang, made of refined glutinous rice, sesame, osmanthus and other ingredients, is sweet and tasty.

Source: China Knowledge