City Introduction of Guangdong, China: Zhongshan

Zhongshan

Major Economic Indicators (2007)

Source: Zhongshan Economic and Social Development Report 2007

Introduction

Zhongshan, home city of Sun Yat-sen, is lying in the central and southern part of Guangdong Province. It is situated at the mouth of the Pearl River, bordering Guangzhou and Foshan in the north, Jiangmen in the west, and Zhuhai in the south-east. It faces Shenzhen and Hong Kong across the Pearl River. Zhongshan is 86 km from Guangzhou, 65 km from Macau and 52 nautical miles from Hong Kong.

Zhongshan is within two hours’ drive from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, and Zhuhai Airport. Zhongshan Port, a major port in Guangdong Province, handled 0.9 million TEUs in 2007, ranking ninth in China. The port also operates daily ferries to Hong Kong. Beijing-Zhuhai Highway connects the city with Zhuhai, Beijing, Guangzhou and other cities along the highway.

Lying in the subtropical regions of China, Zhongshan enjoys generally pleasant weather, with mild winters, and hot, wet summers.

Economic Features

In 2007, Guangdong Province was ranked the largest economy in terms of GDP. In the same year, Guangdong's GDP surpassed RMB 3 trillion, nearly one eighth of that of mainland China. In 2007, the GDP of Zhongshan rose 14.7% year-on-year to RMB 121.1 billion, ranking fifth in Guangdong Province. The added value from the industry sector grew 13.5% year-on-year to RMB 73.9 billion, contributing 61% to the city's GDP.

The gross industrial output above designated size in Zhongshan amounted to RMB 323.7 billion, 61.4% of which was attributable to its light industry. Zhongshan has formed electronic information and textiles as its major light industries and electric machinery, chemicals and metal products manufacturing as its major heavy industries. The gross industrial output from the five major industries soared 16% from the previous year to RMB 171.3 billion, comprising 52.9% of that of Zhongshan.

Zhongshan is home to many large private firms, such as Zhongshun Group, Vatti, Seaport Food Group and China Chant. Zhongshun Group, with an annual production capacity of 40,000 tons of paper products, is one of China's leading paper-makers. Vatti, specializing in electrical cooking-appliances, gained sales revenue of RMB 1.3 billion in 2006.

The foreign-trade value in Zhongshan climbed up 6.6% year-on-year to US$24.7 billion in 2007, consisting of US$17.3 billion worth of exports and US$7.4 billion worth of imports. Major exports include mechanical and electronic products, textiles and garments, which added up to US$12.9 billion, accounting for 74.6% of Zhongshan's total export values. Major exports destinations are Hong Kong, the E.U. and the U.S., with the exports value comprising of 71.2% of Zhongshan's total.

Retailing, trade and catering services are the largest contributors to the service sector in Zhongshan. In 2007, the added value from retailing, trade and catering services accumulated to RMB 13.6 billion, making up 30.7% of the total added value from the service sector in Zhongshan.

Zhongshan attracted two-hundred and seventy-one foreign-funded projects in 2007, with contractual foreign investments accumulating to US$1.3 billion. The utilized FDI in Zhongshan exceeded US$789 million, 78.5% of which was invested into the manufacturing industries. Hong Kong, Macau, the U.S., Japan and the British Virgin Islands are the largest foreign investors in Zhongshan. In 2007, the utilized FDI from these countries and regions totaled US$663 million, accounting for 84% of Zhongshan's total utilized FDI.

Cultural Highlights

Zhongshan has a history of over five-thousand years. Zhongshan, formerly known as Xiangshan, was a county in South Song Dynasty. In 1553, it was occupied by the Portuguese troops, after which, Xiangshan claimed the administration of Macau. In 1849, it lost the administration of Macau, and in 1925, Zhongshan received its current name to commemorate Sun Zhongshan (Sun Yat-sen). It is the only city in China to be named after a celebrity.

Tourist Attractions

Highlights of tourist attractions in Zhongshan include Sun Yat-sen Memorial Pavilion, Sunwen Memorial Park, Fufeng Pagoda and the hot springs in Sanxiang Town. Fufeng Pagoda was built up in 1608 and is situated on a hill in Zhongshan Park. Cantonese cuisines are very popular in Zhongshan. The local cuisines that are most recommended include Roast Sucking Pig, Dragon Fighting against the Tiger (Long Hu Dou), Taiye Chicken, Double-skin Milk and Wonton Noodles.