Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture Overview — Industry (Part 3)
Section 3 Characteristic Industries. Xiangxi is relatively rich in natural resources, mainly agricultural, forestry and livestock products such as grain, oilseeds, tea, fruit, vegetables, pigs, cattle and sheep; medicinal resources such as coptis, yellow ginger, phellodendron and sweet wormwood; and mineral resources such as manganese, aluminum, lead, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium and purple clay. Relying on these advantageous resources and advanced science...
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 Some administrative divisions, population, socioeconomic data, and policy information may be outdated and are for reference only; for the latest situation, please refer to official releases by the local government and scenic areas.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 3 Characteristic Industry
Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture is relatively rich in natural resources, mainly including agricultural, forestry, and livestock product resources such as grain, oil crops, tea, fruit, vegetables, pigs, cattle, and sheep; medicinal resources such as coptis, yellow ginger, phellodendron, and sweet wormwood; and mineral resources such as manganese, aluminum, lead, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, and purple clay ceramic soil. Relying on advantageous natural resources, advanced science and technology, and economic and technological cooperation, it has developed green food, biopharmaceutical, and mineral processing industries with ethnic, local, and contemporary characteristics, embarking on a path of industrialization for the Xiangxi ethnic region.
I. Green Food Industry
The green food industry is an advantageous industry of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture. It is a livelihood industry that connects urban and rural areas, links industry and agriculture, develops production, and improves living standards. It is a long-lived industry with self-renewing resources, recyclable raw materials, ever-increasing demand, and an ever-expanding market. In the era of the planned economy, this industry developed slowly in a state of self-sufficiency; under the conditions of the socialist market economy, it has developed by leaps and bounds.
(1) Beverage Industry
The Tujia and Miao peoples of Xiangxi have traditionally had the habit of brewing and drinking alcohol. In the 1950s, all 10 counties within the prefecture had established distilleries, but until the 1970s they remained at the stage of low-grade baijiu. With the discussion of the criterion of truth and the convening of the National Science Conference, people's thinking became active. Cadres, workers, and technicians of the Jishou Distillery used glutinous rice and sorghum from the Xiangxi mountain areas, the three springs of Longquan, Fengquan, and Shouquan at Jishou Shoutang, and traditional folk brewing methods to carefully brew Xiangquan liquor, and then Jiugui liquor. This liquor is clear and bright, soft and fragrant, pure and sweet, with a long aftertaste. The famous Tujia painter Huang Yongyu designed a simple yet exquisite package for Jiugui liquor. Thus Xiangquan liquor, riding the spring breeze of reform and opening up, soared upward, leaping from an obscure, simply equipped small factory to the large enterprise "Jiugui Group," "renowned throughout China and famous overseas," and built the magnificent Xiangquan City in the once poor Tujia villages and Miao townships. Driven by Xiangquan liquor, specialty beverages such as Guzhang "tea polyphenols," Baojing "Qin bamboo slip liquor," and "Qin bamboo slip tea" appeared one after another. Drinking Xiangquan liquor and tasting Guzhang tea has become a fashion among Xiangxi people.
(2) Food Industry
In the 1950s, counties within the prefecture successively established some food factories engaged in the processing and production of rice, flour, oil, vinegar, sauce, meat, milk powder, and egg products to guarantee the basic living needs of urban and rural people. However, at that time materials were scarce and supplied by ration coupons, and "the emperor's daughter never worries about getting married"—no matter how poor the product quality, people would still line up to buy. "The sauce is not fragrant, the vinegar is not sour, and the biscuits are like refractory bricks" had already become commonplace. In building socialism with Chinese characteristics, people have raised higher demands for material life, and green food production has shown a vigorous new situation of development.
In developing the food industry, the Baojing County Egg and Meat Processing General Factory stood out. In June 1996, the factory obtained ISO9002 quality system certification issued by the China Import and Export Commodity Inspection Quality Certification Center, certifying that the "Xiyang Brand" preserved eggs and salted eggs produced by the factory had long-term stable quality, conformed to internationally accepted quality standards, and could be exported without inspection and sold in countries and regions around the world. This was the first enterprise in China's egg products industry, Hunan's food industry, and all industries in Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture to obtain this certificate.
Hunan Laodie Agricultural Science and Technology Development Service Co., Ltd. is a rising star in developing the green food industry. The company currently has a 70,000-mu kiwifruit base and can process 50,000 tons of fresh kiwifruit annually. Guided by the scientific research of Jishou University and supported by the capital of a Beijing company, the company follows the path of high-tech development of kiwifruit resources and vigorously advances kiwifruit industrialization projects through the model of "company + university + association + cooperative + farmers." The company has now developed and produced more than 10 kinds of kiwifruit products, which are highly favored by domestic and international markets. Among them, Laodie selenium-enriched kiwifruit juice beverage filled a domestic gap and successively won honors including the green food label awarded by the China Green Food Development Center of the Ministry of Agriculture, the third prize of the Hunan Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award, and the Golden Elephant Award at the China Yangling Agricultural High-Tech Achievements Expo. Among them, the fruit king essence product is a world first; approved by the national health authorities, it has health functions of regulating blood lipids and delaying aging, and was approved as a national key new product by five ministries and commissions including the Ministry of Science and Technology and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.
In grain and oil food processing, the focus was on developing the "Kesha rice" that was a tribute in past dynasties. Townships such as Songbo, Shiti, and Kesha were designated as high-quality rice production bases, with a planting area of 50,000 mu, to build the "Songbai" brand and seize market share. The Wende Fu Group was established to produce "Wende Fu" brand high-quality edible oil. A joint venture with Hong Kong businessmen, Senyuan Oil Co., Ltd., was established to develop edible oil production.
Vegetable processing highlights the characteristics of the Xiangxi mountain areas. In 2001, Huayuan Xiangyuan Company produced 15 tons of ginger essence and 2 tons of capsaicin, all for export. The wild vegetable processing factory in Fenghuang County produced a series of products including fern, Chinese toon, and bamboo shoots, which were sold to Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and other places. Longshan County built a processing factory with an annual output of 1,000 tons of large-head mustard and 500 tons of Chinese onion, and "Wulongshan" brand large-head mustard and Chinese onion foods were exported to Japan. Wild vegetable production in counties and cities such as Guzhang and Jishou also showed strong momentum. By 2005, the prefecture had more than 30 specialty vegetable processing enterprises of initial scale. Seven vegetable processing enterprises, including Longshan Fuli Industrial Co., Ltd. and Guzhang Yajie Food Company, received bank loan support and were working to become stronger and larger.
Longshan County's specialty food industry, mainly based on lilies and off-season vegetables, developed very rapidly with good results. In 2003, the county planted 45,000 mu of lilies, achieving an output value of 100 million yuan and increasing farmers' income by nearly 20 million yuan. At the Third Hunan Famous, Excellent, Special, and New Agricultural and Sideline Products Expo, "Xile Brand" Wulongshan lily fine powder and lily box vermicelli won the gold and silver awards respectively. Through methods such as supporting the strong and merging and reorganizing, Longshan County integrated the county's lily processing enterprises into a biotechnology development company and Bojie Specialty Food Co., Ltd., forming a production capacity of processing 8,000 tons of fresh lilies and 2,600 tons of finished products annually. That year it processed 1,500 tons of lily products, creating an output value of 130 million yuan and profits and taxes of more than 35 million yuan. The county also cooperated with institutions of higher learning such as Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Central South University, Hunan Agricultural University, and Jishou University to carry out research on deep processing of lilies, developing five new products including lily alkaloids, sulfur-free dried lily slices, and lily polysaccharides, and the development momentum of specialty foods became increasingly strong.
In addition, traditional green foods with ethnic characteristics, such as Baojing soy sauce, Hexi aromatic vinegar, Qianzhou pressed duck, Wanping tofu, Fenghuang ginger candy, and Longshan pickled mustard, also saw new development. Hexi Aromatic Vinegar Co., Ltd., relying on Hunan Normal University, reformed traditional brewing techniques and improved product packaging, creating a batch of highly market-competitive "premium vinegar" and "health vinegar."
II. Biopharmaceutical Industry
Biopharmaceuticals have special therapeutic effects that chemical drugs cannot replace and do not have the toxic side effects of chemically synthesized drugs. They are a health industry benefiting humanity and a rising sunrise industry.
In Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture, the biopharmaceutical industry has a relatively long history. In the early 1960s, the former prefectural chemical plant used the woody medicinal resource "Mahonia" to produce berberine, which briefly became a major industrial industry in the prefecture. Later, due to resource depletion, production was forced to stop. In the 1980s, the former prefectural pharmaceutical factory also used the wild herbaceous medicinal resource yellow ginger to produce biopharmaceuticals such as saponin, cortisone, and prednisone, which became important export products of the prefecture and earned large amounts of foreign exchange for the country. Later, also due to resource depletion, production was forced to stop. From this people realized that although wild medicinal resources are abundant and renewable, if harvested indiscriminately, resources can also be depleted, turning it into a sunset industry.
The biopharmaceutical industry became a sunrise industry as a result of implementing scientific development. In 1996, the Jishou City Pharmaceutical Factory, in cooperation with units such as the Institute of Chinese Materia Medica of the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Hunan Provincial Chemical Industry Design Institute, developed artemisinin pharmaceutical intermediates, an important raw material drug for treating malaria. It was recognized by the State Science and Technology Commission as a high-tech product and is one of the four drugs from China included in the world pharmacopoeia. A production line with an annual output of 15 tons of artemisinin was then established. By 2000, cumulative output value reached 13.68 million yuan and profits and taxes reached 40,000 yuan. In 2001, Chongqing Holley Holdings Co., Ltd. acquired the Jishou City Pharmaceutical Factory and successfully formed an artemisinin-centered interest community of "company + farmers"—Hunan Holley Jishou Artemisinin Co., Ltd. It invested 100 million yuan in Jishou City to develop and plant 50,000 mu of sweet wormwood and built an artemisinin processing production line with an annual output of 40 tons in Qianzhou New District, laying a solid foundation for the development of the biopharmaceutical industry.
After entering the new century, the biopharmaceutical industry of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture developed vigorously. Hunan Xiangquan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. invested 35 million yuan to implement a GMP project and passed national drug GMP certification in September 2004, forming a production line meeting the requirements of the national Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). At the same time, it introduced high and new technologies to carry out technical transformation of its leading product "Fuyankang Tablets," improving product quality and forming an annual production capacity of 2 billion tablets. It was rated as a "Hunan Famous Brand Product" and a "National Traditional Chinese Medicine Protected Variety" in 2004, achieving an output value of 21 million yuan and profits and taxes of 3.5 million yuan that year. Hunan Bencao Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. invested 22 million yuan, acquired 93 mu of land, built a production line meeting the requirements of the national Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), and completed national drug GMP certification. Counties within the prefecture also strengthened implementation of the national project (GAP)—standardized cultivation demonstration of Chinese medicinal materials, creating more favorable conditions for the development of the biopharmaceutical industry. Some depleted medicinal resources such as yellow ginger are being restored and developed through standardized cultivation. The Xiangxi Oruike hormone production line was completed and put into operation in 2005.
Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture also has more than 100 kinds of aromatic plants, such as Shan She Cao, Ba Yan Xiang, fennel, and camphor, so the development of the biological spice industry has great prospects. Yongshun County Lanhu Spice Company used aromatic plant resources to produce spices and essences and achieved relatively good results. In 2004 it completed an output value of 11.39 million yuan, an increase of 2% over the previous year. Lanhu Spice Co., Ltd. became one of the key private industrial enterprises in Yongshun County. Relying on Xiangxi's rich biological resources, the essence and spice industry is expected to become another characteristic industry of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture.
III. Mineral Processing Industry
Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture is rich in mineral resources (see Section 2, "Product Resources," Chapter 1 of this book), which are a huge material wealth.
After the founding of New China, Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture successively developed mineral resources. Before reform and opening up, mineral development focused on developing inferior resources such as coal and iron and steel; the development of advantageous nonferrous metals started relatively late and remained at the rough processing stage for a long time, with low mineral resource utilization rates, high energy consumption, heavy pollution, and poor benefits. In the mid-to-late 1990s, through restructuring, reorganization, and transformation, enterprises enhanced their capacity for independent innovation, and advantageous mineral resources were effectively developed. Many enterprises adopted advanced technology, comprehensively utilized resources, reduced energy consumption, and lightened environmental pollution, developing a resource-saving, product-innovative, and environmentally harmonious economy. The mineral processing industry took on a completely new look and became another characteristic industry of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture. In 2004, according to statistics on the scale of mineral product development and utilization and the degree of impact on economic development, the order of various mineral processing industries was manganese series products, lead-zinc series products, aluminum series products, building materials series products, and ceramic series products.
Development and utilization of manganese series products. In 2004, the prefecture's annual development and utilization volume of manganese ore was 1 million tons; there were 41 electrolytic manganese production enterprises with an annual production capacity of 320,000 tons and actual output of 163,500 tons, a capacity utilization rate of 51.1%; 10 enterprises were under new construction or expansion, with a production scale of 68,500 tons. There were 13 silicomanganese alloy production enterprises with an annual production capacity of 102,000 tons and actual output of 33,600 tons, a capacity utilization rate of 32.9%. There was 1 electrolytic manganese dioxide production enterprise with an annual production capacity of 6,000 tons. There was 1 trimanganese tetroxide production enterprise with an annual production capacity of 2,000 tons. The output value of manganese series products was about 2.7 billion yuan, accounting for 32% of the prefecture's total industrial output value.
Development and utilization of lead-zinc series products. In 2004, the prefecture had 82 lead-zinc mining and dressing enterprises, with zinc concentrate output of 76,000 tons. There were 10 electrolytic zinc enterprises with an annual production capacity of 267,000 tons and actual output of 116,700 tons, a capacity utilization rate of 43.7%. There was 1 zinc oxide production enterprise with an annual production capacity of 5,000 tons. The output value of zinc series products was 1.8 billion yuan, accounting for 21.5% of the prefecture's total industrial output value.
Development and utilization of aluminum series products. In 2004, the prefecture had a production capacity of 19,000 tons of fine spherical aluminum powder, 1,500 tons of aluminum silver paste, 4,000 tons of electrolytic aluminum, and 20,000 tons of refractory materials. The output value of aluminum series products was 170 million yuan, accounting for 2% of the prefecture's total industrial output value.
Development and utilization of building materials series products. In 2004, the prefecture had 14 cement production enterprises with a production capacity of 950,000 tons and actual output of 590,000 tons, a capacity utilization rate of 62.1%. They created an industrial output value of 165 million yuan, accounting for 1.9% of the prefecture's total industrial output value.
Development and utilization of ceramic series products. In 2004, the prefecture had 12 ceramic product manufacturing enterprises, producing 20.14 million pieces of daily-use ceramic products, with an output value of 100 million yuan.
Of the 35 mineral resources with proven reserves, 7 have been extensively mined and utilized, including manganese ore, lead-zinc ore, limestone ore, pottery clay ore, pyrite ore, phosphate ore, and coal. Another 28 proven mineral resources remain untapped, offering enormous development potential.
In 2004, the prefecture had 307 enterprises engaged in the development and utilization of mineral resources, providing 32,627 jobs; completing an industrial output value of 4.355 billion yuan, accounting for 52.1% of the prefecture's total industrial output value; completing an industrial added value of 1.363 billion yuan, accounting for 48.3% of the prefecture's industrial added value; completing product sales revenue of 4.382 billion yuan, accounting for 51% of the prefecture's industrial sales revenue; and realizing tax revenue of 287.03 million yuan, accounting for 56% of the prefecture's industrial tax revenue and 30% of the prefecture's total fiscal revenue. There were 118 large-scale industrial enterprises engaged in the development and utilization of mineral resources, providing 27,079 jobs; completing a total industrial output value of 4.16 billion yuan, accounting for 60% of the prefecture's total output value of large-scale industrial enterprises; completing an industrial added value of 1.232 billion yuan, accounting for 65% of the prefecture's large-scale industrial added value; completing product sales revenue of 3.938 billion yuan, accounting for 66% of the prefecture's large-scale industrial sales revenue; and realizing tax revenue of 281.45 million yuan, accounting for 61% of the prefecture's large-scale industrial tax revenue and 29% of the prefecture's total fiscal revenue. The development and utilization of mineral products became a pillar industry of the industrial economy of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture. Especially amid the structural adjustment of the tobacco and liquor industries, the leading role of mining development in industry became particularly prominent. In some counties and cities, mining became the pillar of county-level economic development. In 2004, the added value completed by the mining industry in Huayuan County accounted for 45.17% of the county's GDP, and the tax revenue it provided accounted for 65.66% of the county's total fiscal revenue; the added value completed by the mining industry in Baojing County accounted for 36% of the county's GDP, and the tax revenue it provided accounted for 55% of the county's total fiscal revenue; the added value completed by the mining industry in Luxi County accounted for 90% of the county's total industrial added value, and the tax revenue it provided accounted for 60% of the county's total fiscal revenue.
In the process of developing and utilizing mineral resources, 14 advantageous backbone enterprises with sales revenue exceeding 50 million yuan and tax revenue exceeding 5 million yuan were formed. They are Hunan Dongfang Manganese Industry Group, Hunan Sanli Group, Huayuan Taifeng Company, Huayuan Huiyin Company, Huayuan Manganese-Zinc High-Tech Company, Huayuan Hengmin Chemical Company, Baojing Zinc Industry Development Company, Western Mining Baojing Branch, Luxi Jintian Aluminum Company, Luxi Jinxu Company, Prefecture Debang Chemical Company, Prefecture Qiyi Phosphorus Chemical Company, Jishou Rongjiang Manganese Chemical Company, and Jishou New Century Manganese Company. These enterprises played a role in supporting the prefecture's industrial economy.
The development and utilization of mineral resources in Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture formed six major characteristics: First, manganese and zinc development reached a certain scale, with manganese series products occupying a dominant position in international and domestic markets, and development technology at the domestic advanced level; second, mineral product mining and processing played a leading role in the industrial economy; third, mining development made great contributions to increasing fiscal revenue and employment; fourth, mining development cultivated a group of industrial management talents and technical talents, creating conditions for accelerating industrial development in the future; fifth, new progress was made in technological advancement in mining development, and a number of high-tech products were successively put on the market, enhancing the staying power of mining development; sixth, mining electricity consumption accounted for more than 60% of the prefecture's electricity consumption, and the accelerated development of mining drove the development of related industries such as power and transportation.
While the mineral processing industry of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture developed rapidly, there were still many problems in the development and utilization of mineral resources: first, insufficient investment and an unclear picture of mineral resource reserves; second, lagging resource management and inadequate supervision according to law; third, a low level of resource utilization, which affected sustainable development; fourth, poor infrastructure and an unfavorable external environment; fifth, a low level of management and poor capacity for technological innovation. Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture is making efforts to solve these problems in order to accelerate the development of the mineral processing industry.