Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture Overview — Industry (Part 6)
Section 6 Construction of Economic Development Zones. Economic development zones are a major decision of the CPC Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture Committee and the Prefecture People's Government in implementing the national strategies for developing the West, boosting the rise of the central region and developing western Hunan, and a major measure to accelerate industrialization and an important platform for clustering industries. Developing the zone economy means developing the prefecture's economy.
This article has been compiled from historical materials in the "Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network" (33519.com · City Overview section). Some administrative divisions, population, socioeconomic data, and policy information may be outdated and are for reference only; for the latest situation, please refer to official releases by the local government and scenic areas.
Section Six: Economic Development Zones
Building economic development zones is a major decision of the CPC Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture Committee and the Prefecture People's Government in implementing the national Western Development strategy, promoting the rise of the central region, and advancing the Hunan Province Xiangxi Region Development strategy. It is a major measure to accelerate the industrialization process and an important platform for clustering industries. Developing the economy of economic development zones means developing the prefecture's economy. To do a good job in building economic development zones, the main tasks are to innovate the construction and management systems of economic development zones, advance them as complete organizational units, operate them in a corporate manner, do a good job in land reserves and the entry of advantageous key projects, and make economic development zones carriers for industrial clustering, factor agglomeration, and resource conservation, and platforms for accelerating industrial development. The provincial-level economic development zones approved by higher authorities in Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture are Hunan Xiangxi Jifeng Economic Development Zone, Hunan Jishou Economic Development Zone, and Hunan Yongshun Economic Development Zone.
I. Hunan Xiangxi Jifeng Economic Development Zone
Hunan Xiangxi Jifeng Economic Development Zone (formerly Xiangxi Jifeng Industrial Park) is located at the junction of Jishou City, the capital of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, and Fenghuang County, a national historical and cultural city. It is an economic development zone established by the CPC Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture Committee and the Prefecture People's Government. In November 2005, it passed the joint review of the national development zone cleanup and rectification organized by the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Land and Resources, and other ministries and commissions. In May 2006, the Hunan Provincial People's Government issued a document approving it as a provincial-level development zone. In July of the same year, it was publicly announced and approved by the National Development and Reform Commission and formally upgraded to a provincial-level economic development zone by document of the Hunan Provincial Institutional Organization Commission.
Hunan Xiangxi Jifeng Economic Development Zone has a planned area of 7.12 square kilometers, mainly including 9 villages such as Mulinping Village, Guniuping Village, and Wanxi Village in Ganziping Township, Fenghuang County, and Xinglong Village and Shuanghe Village in Qianzhou Subdistrict, Jishou City, with a population of more than 5,000. Transportation is very convenient.
Jifeng Economic Development Zone focuses on developing Category I industries that are pollution-free and high value-added, selectively introduces Category II industries that are low-pollution and high value-added, and strictly prohibits Category III industries from entering. It prioritizes biomedicine, modern food, deep processing of agricultural and sideline products, and new materials. Based on the advantageous resources within the prefecture, the development zone actively introduces deep-processing projects, green ecological projects, and technological development projects from outside the prefecture; guides and supports small and medium-sized enterprises within the prefecture that comply with industrial policies to enter the zone and grow stronger; and actively undertakes industrial transfer projects from the eastern coastal regions.
Based on its industrial positioning, Jifeng Economic Development Zone is divided into three major functional areas: first, the industrial area along both sides of the road axis of Jifeng Industrial Avenue and the area south of Changtan Road; second, the cultural and educational residential area east of Jifeng Road and north of Xueyuan Road, centered on Xiangxi Vocational and Technical College for Nationalities; third, the administrative and business area with Jifeng Road as its axis, centered on the area north of Changtan Road where the Wanrong River and Wanxi River converge.
The development zone adheres to the path of green ecological construction, implements the environmental protection first-approval authority, and strictly protects river and groundwater quality. It implements a separate rainwater and sewage system, plans and builds complete sewage pipelines and sewage treatment plants, exercises effective management over all sewage, and achieves compliant discharge. Adhering to a people-oriented approach, it strives to create a comfortable living environment. A natural hill is preserved in both the north and south of the development zone, and two parks—Mulinping and Sanpaotai—are planned for construction. The development zone is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with lush trees, fresh air, and a beautiful environment. The Wanrong River and Wanxi River flow through the zone, and scenic belts are planned along both banks, with grass slopes and trees protecting the embankments, green waters and blue mountains reflecting each other like a painting. East of the Wanrong River, a modern villa area is planned by the mountains and water.
In accordance with the development goal of "getting off to a good start in one year, laying the foundation in three years, reaching scale in five years, and taking shape in eight years," the development zone highlights three key tasks—infrastructure construction, investment attraction, and investment and financing—and through hard work and pioneering progress, strives to achieve catch-up and leapfrog development. It plans to complete the main road network and basically equip the infrastructure by 2007. By 2012, with infrastructure perfected, functions fully equipped, secondary industry developed, tertiary industry prosperous, and the economy and society harmonious, a new industrial-based urban area will have basically taken shape.
By 2005, the development zone had completed an investment of 441 million yuan, basically completing two main roads—Jifeng Road and Jifeng Development Avenue (Changtan Road). Four primary and secondary trunk roads—Jifeng Industrial Avenue, Jifeng Construction Avenue, Jifeng Development Avenue, and Jifeng Entrepreneurship Avenue—were under construction. The drainage pipelines of the main roads were basically completed, and other supporting facilities were under construction. Thirteen projects had entered the development zone, among which Hongcheng Pharmaceutical Company had already been completed and put into production, five projects were building factory buildings, and the remaining seven projects were selecting sites and requisitioning land. In the area where Jifeng Development Avenue (Changtan Road) and Jifeng Industrial Avenue (National Highway 209) intersect, the development zone had initially formed a biomedical industry cluster. The development zone has received support from multiple financial institutions including the China Development Bank and China Construction Bank, establishing strategic cooperative relationships, with unlimited prospects for development.
II. Hunan Jishou Economic Development Zone
"Developing the Qianzhou New District and building another Jishou" is a major strategic decision by Jishou City in response to the national western development initiative and to accelerate urban development, and it is also an important platform for Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture to implement western development. On March 28, 2000, the development zone broke ground. On March 19, 2001, the Hunan Provincial People's Government approved the establishment of Jishou City Qianzhou Economic Development Zone. In February 2006, it was renamed Hunan Jishou Economic Development Zone. The development zone has an internal management committee and an urban comprehensive development limited liability company, adopting a management model of "two signboards, one team," respectively performing administrative management and development zone construction and financing responsibilities.
Jishou Economic Development Zone is located in Qianzhou within the southern end of Jishou City, starting from Xianzhenying in the west, reaching Xiaozhuang Village in the east, from Yaxi Village in the north, to the Jishou-Fenghuang boundary in the south, with a planned area of 20 square kilometers. It is 85 kilometers south of Tongren Daxing Airport in Guizhou and 150 kilometers north of Zhangjiajie International Airport. National Highway 209 passes through the city from north to south, and the Changji Expressway under construction, the planned Jihuai Expressway, and the Zhi-Liu Railway all pass through the development zone, providing convenient and rapid transportation.
The functional positioning of Jishou Economic Development Zone is led by six major functions—administrative offices, commerce and finance, culture and entertainment, living and residence, green product processing, and tourism—integrating other related supporting functions into an ecological, garden-style city. The stylistic tone of urban architecture is a blend of ethnic characteristics and modern colors, and the planning emphasizes a "people-oriented" approach. The plan is divided by function into four areas: the administrative center area, the southern area, the eastern area, and the ancient city area.
By the end of 2005, the development zone had completed a cumulative fixed asset investment of 1.8 billion yuan. First, 900 million yuan was invested in infrastructure construction. Nearly 40 kilometers of urban construction roads were started, among which the 6.38-kilometer urban roads of the administrative office area (one vertical and five horizontal), the 9.98-kilometer urban roads of the southern area (two vertical and three horizontal), and the 8.3-kilometer urban roads and bridges of the eastern area were completed and opened to traffic. Urban sewage treatment projects, landfill treatment projects, the ring-city ecological zone, and water supply, flood control, electricity, communications, and broadcasting infrastructure were built in tandem with road projects. Second, 635 million yuan was invested in industrial park projects. Yaxi Industrial Park and Jizhuang Industrial Park basically took shape, with 28 industrial projects under construction in the parks, with a total project investment of 2 billion yuan. Projects such as the technical transformation and expansion of Hesheng Raw Tobacco Company, the new drug project of Xiangquan Pharmaceutical Company, the kiwi deep-processing project of Laodie Company, the dairy construction project of Wende Fu Company, and the artemisinin expansion of Huali Pharmaceutical Company were successively started. In 2005, partial production lines of 14 projects were completed and put into production, achieving sales revenue of 650 million yuan and profits and taxes of 100 million yuan that year. It is expected that after all 28 industrial projects in the industrial park are completed and put into production, the total industrial output value can reach over 3 billion yuan, with total profits and taxes exceeding 450 million yuan. Third, more than 50 commercial and real estate projects entered the park, completing an investment of 265 million yuan. Jishou City's Party and government organs and the vast majority of municipal-level units have smoothly relocated to Jishou Economic Development Zone, and some prefecture-level units have also moved in. The commercial and real estate market development is increasingly booming, with high-rise buildings of modern style rising one after another, and stilted small buildings with ethnic characteristics dotting the new city.
In 2005, Jishou Economic Development Zone achieved a total technical, industrial, and trade income of 756 million yuan, an industrial added value of 205.8 million yuan, a high-tech enterprise output value of 245.9 million yuan, and enterprise profits and taxes of 275 million yuan, of which taxes were 31.6 million yuan.
III. Hunan Yongshun Economic Development Zone
Xiangxi Mengdong River Tourism Economic Development Zone was approved for establishment by the Hunan Provincial People's Government in 2001. In 2004, when the state cleaned up and rectified development zones, it was merged with Xiangxi Mengdong River Ecological Economic Development Zone and renamed Xiangxi Mengdong River Tourism Ecological Development Zone. In 2006, it was approved and named Hunan Yongshun Economic Development Zone by the National Development and Reform Commission. The zone is located in Wangcun Town, Yongshun County, with an initial planned area of 3 square kilometers.
Hunan Yongshun Economic Development Zone has unique development advantages. First, its location advantage is obvious. The Zhangjiajie-Jishou secondary highway, the Zhi-Liu Railway, and the Youshui River converge here. It is 8 kilometers from Mengdong River Railway Station, 85 kilometers from Zhangjiajie, and 66 kilometers from Jishou. Second, tourism resources are abundant (see Chapter 9 of this book). In 2005, Mengdong River tourism received 710,000 visitors, with tourism revenue of 120 million yuan. Third, the investment environment is superior. It enjoys the great preferential environment of national western development and Hunan Province's Xiangxi region development, and the development zone has formulated and issued a series of preferential policies for project construction and enterprise development. All investment projects in the development zone implement "one-window external service, one-stop approval, one-dragon service, and full-process agency service," enjoying special preferences such as "low price, low tax, free of charge, and controlled inspection."
With tourism as its core industry, the development zone vigorously develops emerging industries such as tourism services, tourism commodity processing, biopharmaceuticals, and green food processing, highlighting green ecology and Tujia ethnic culture. It plans to build five major functional areas: public facility services, tourism reception, commerce, residence, and industrial processing. In accordance with the requirements of "industrial clustering, industrial concentration, land intensification, and management integration," it fully leverages the clustering effect, guides various funds into the park in a concentrated manner, and builds a new type of town with a beautiful environment, complete facilities, perfect functions, thriving industries, strong radiation functions, and a population of 50,000 to 80,000.
To accelerate the construction and development of the development zone, the development zone established a management committee and, in accordance with a corporatized and market-oriented operating model, formed a wholly state-owned construction limited liability company with a registered capital of 50 million yuan. By the end of 2005, the overall construction plan and regulatory detailed plan of the development zone had been completed, infrastructure construction started smoothly, and a cumulative investment of over 200 million yuan had been completed. Among these, 20 million yuan was invested in the 880-meter-long, 34-meter-wide Xiangtan Avenue, which was completed and opened to traffic; 50 million yuan was invested in the Wangcun Water Plant project with a daily water supply capacity of 20,000 tons, a Japanese aid loan project, which entered the final stage; 25 million yuan was invested in the Wangcun Farmers' Market, a Japanese aid loan project, whose main structural framework was completed; 30 million yuan was invested in the Furong Town Ethnic Tourism Commodity Market, which broke ground; and 30 million yuan was invested in Furong Avenue, a China Development Bank loan project, which was about to be completed. Investment attraction achieved initial results, with projects such as Mengdong River Tourism Bus Station, China Tujia Source, Wangcun Administrative Center, PetroChina Wangcun Gas Station, and Sinopec Furong Town Gas Station entering the preliminary stages of site selection and feasibility studies. In terms of bank financing, it entered the fourth round of financial cooperative development with the China Development Bank, and the first-phase loan of 70 million yuan had signed a loan contract and was being put into use in installments. In terms of enterprises entering the park, Hunan Bencao Pharmaceutical, Xiangxi Aoruike, Yongshun Calcite Plant, and Yongshun Compound Fertilizer Plant had already settled in the zone. Hunan Yongshun Economic Development Zone is gradually becoming a hot spot for investment in Xiangxi development.
IV. Industrial Economic Development Sub-zones
Since 2003, a number of industrial economic development sub-zones have been successively established in Huayuan, Baojing, Luxi, Guzhang, and other counties of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture.
Huayuan Chengnan New District is a comprehensive economic development zone integrating commerce and residence, offices, industry, and tourism. High-tech enterprises such as Dongfang Manganese Group's selenium-free high-purity electrolytic manganese, Xianghui Company's artemisinin production line, and Zhenxing Company's micro spherical aluminum powder production line have settled in this development zone, completing an investment of 196 million yuan and adding an annual output value of 260 million yuan. In the development of Chengbei New District, in the Shizi Bridge and Wangcheng area, a new trimanganese tetroxide production line project was launched, a Wangcheng metal magnesium plant was built with introduced investment, and one additional Cuiyun Mountain generator unit was added. In Tuanjie Town, relying on the advantage of lead-zinc mineral resources, lead-zinc mining and smelting enterprises were developed. By 2005, there were 21 private enterprises including Taifeng Group, with an annual output value of 140 million yuan. In 2004, Huayuan County ranked 27th among the 100 counties and cities with the fastest county economy growth in China, and was the only county in Hunan Province on the list.
Baojing County, on the basis of county town expansion and renovation, the completion and power generation of the Wanmipo Hydropower Station, and the development of magnesium ore and purple clay ceramic resources, successively formed economic development zones such as Zhonglingshan, Maogou, Fuxing, and Wanmipo. Xiyang Group in the Qianling Development Zone became one of the national-level leading agricultural industrialization enterprises. The leading enterprise in Maogou Development Zone, Jinshi Company, created an annual gross output value of 230 million yuan and annual profits and taxes of 18 million yuan, making important contributions to the economic development of Baojing County. Fuxing Development Zone has 12 industrial enterprises above designated size, with an industrial output value of 258 million yuan and profits and taxes of 26 million yuan. With the completion and operation of the large Wanmipo Hydropower Station, a number of industrial enterprises were established around it, forming a new economic development zone.
Luxi County, on the basis of completing the "one corridor, three sub-zones" plan, focused on the construction of the Yantou River new industrial demonstration zone, where Jintian Aluminum High-Tech Co., Ltd. grew and expanded, becoming a well-known high-tech enterprise.
In 2005, Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture had 29 industrial economic development zones (sub-zones), with 262 enterprises entering the zones, 300 projects entering the zones, and 25,000 employees in development zone enterprises, achieving sales revenue of 2.14 billion yuan, accounting for 24% of the prefecture's industrial sales revenue; and paying taxes of 172 million yuan, accounting for 14% of the prefecture's total fiscal and tax revenue. The construction of industrial economic development zones in Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture will change the prefecture's backward industrial layout characterized by scattered, small, and poor operations, improve the comprehensive utilization rate of resources, accelerate the development of industrial chains, and create a good platform for industrial cluster development.