City Introduction of Qinghai, China: Haidong Region

Haidong Region

Major Economic Indicators (2007)

Source: Haidong Region Economic and Social Development Report 2007

Introduction

Haidong Region is located in the eastern part of Qinghai Province, between Xining, the capital of Qinghai Province and Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu Province. It covers an area of 17,010 sq km and has a population of 1.6 million.  

Haidong has a semi-arid, continental climate with plenty of sunshine. The average temperature is 3.2-8.6℃, while the annual precipitation is approximately 319.2-531.9 mm.

Haidong is rich in mineral resources such as oil shale, nickel, phosphorus, gypsum and quartz glass. Reserves of these minerals accounts for almost 100% of the province's total. In addition, the 120 rivers running through Haidong have an annual average runoff totaling 2.3 billion steres.

Haidong has convenient access to transportation. State Highway 109 (Beijing-Lhasa), the Lanzhou-Xining Railway and the Qinghai-Lhasa Railway run through the region. Additionally, Ping'an County, the capital of Haidong Region, is only 7.5 km from Xining Caojiabao Airport, which operates flights to major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu.

Economic Features

Haidong realized GDP of RMB 10.2 billion in 2007, representing a rise of 13.5% year on year. The region's GDP accounted for approximately 13.4% of Qinghai’s total and ranked third after Xinning and Haixi Region in the Province. The agricultural sector generated value-added output of RMB 2.0 billion in 2007, accounting for 19.8% of the region's GDP.

In 2007, value-added output of secondary industry (industry and construction) amounted to RMB 3.8 billion and accounted for 37.6% of the region's total. The value-added industrial output generated by the industrial sector reached RMB 2.7 billion, up 25.5% year on year.  

The industrial technology and facilities of Haidong lag behind those of developed cities. The region currently focuses on building materials, petroleum exploration and development, chemicals, ferroalloy, deep processing aluminum, textiles and agricultural products processing.

The region’s outputs of edible vegetable oil, dairy products, ferroalloy and aluminum reached 20,141 tons, 2,675 tons, 177,000 tons and 80,700 tons, up 65.8%, 103.1%, 54.7% and 133.2% year on year, respectively. The growth rates of these industrial products all exceed 50%.

In 2007, the service sector, the largest contributor to the region's economy, generated value-added output of RMB 4.3 billion, contributing 42.6% to the region's GDP. Transportation, postal services and telecommunications are important contributors to the service sector. As a whole, they realized value-added output of RMB 820 million in 2007, representing a rise of 10.5% compared to the previous year.

Tourism is also important for Haidong’s service sector. In 2007, 2.7 million tourists visited the region, up 55.5% year on year, while tourism income totaled RMB 211 million, representing a rise of 97% over last year.

Cultural Highlights

Haidong is known for its profound history. According to the archaeological record, there were Qiang people living in the region as early as six thousand years ago. During the Han Dynasty (61BC), the region was designated as Jincheng Shine, Anyi County, Poqiang County and Yunwu County.

Local folk art and minority folk crafts and activities such as embroidery, sculpture, folk archery and horse racing make Haidong a unique and attractive multi-cultural region for tourists.

Tourist Attractions

Haidong is located east of Qinghai Lake and is rich in tourism resources. Tourists should visit Qutan Temple and Youning Temple (which are both famous Buddhist holy places), Mengda Natural Reserve, and Beishan Mountain National Forest Park.

Qutan Temple is one of the protected, state-level cultural landmarks.

When it comes to local special snacks of Haidong, roasted lamb, dried-beef and dried-dealfish can be good choices for tourists.