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| Introduction |
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Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is located in the western part of Sichuan Province, on the edge of northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It covers an area of 152,629 sq km and has a population of 1 million.
Ganzi has a complex plateau monsoon climate with significant geographical differences from north to south. The average temperatures of the counties under jurisdiction of Ganzi range from 1.6-15.4°C.
Ganzi is rich in natural resources. Runoff of the local river water totals 64.2 billion steres. Potential hydro-power amounts to approximately 37 million kw. The overall water resources account for 6% of China's total. Mineral resources such as iron manganese ore, copper, lead, lithium, beryllium, platinum and silver, are also abundant.
Transportation in Ganzi is not as convenient as in other areas of Sichuan. State Highway G317 (Chengdu-Naqu of Tibet) and State Highway G318 (Shanghai-Nieermu of Tibet) run through the prefecture.
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| Economic Features |
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Ganzi realized GDP of RMB 10.3 billion in 2009, representing a rise of 9% year on year. The prefecture's GDP accounted for approximately 0.7% of Sichuan’s total and ranked last among 21 prefecture-level cities in the province. The agricultural sector generated value-added output of RMB 2.5 billion in 2009, accounting for 24.7% of the prefecture's GDP.
In 2009, the value-added output of the secondary industry (industry and construction) amounted to RMB 3.5 billion and accounted for 33.9% of the city's total. The value-added industrial output generated by the industrial sector reached RMB 2.2 billion, up 8.3% year on year.
Electricity and minerals are Ganzi’s pillar industries. These two industries realized value-added industrial output of RMB 1.9 billion in total in 2009, accounting for 93.3% of the city's total from enterprises with designated size and above.
There is no listed company located in Ganzi Prefecture. However, the Ganzi-based Sichuan Liwu Copper Co, a company principally engaged in the production and sale of copper concentrate and other non-ferrous metals and related products, currently is planning to launch an IPO in Shanghai or Shenzhen for its non-ferrous metals production line and lead-zinc smelting program.
In 2009, the service sector, the largest contributor to the prefecture's economy, generated value-added output of RMB 4.3 billion, contributing 41.4% of the prefecture's GDP.
The export value of the prefecture amounted to US$12.4 million in 2009, representing a sharp rise of 68.5% year on year. Songrong, which is precious edible fungus, and deep-processing products of wild edible fungus are the major export goods of Ganzi. Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong are the major export destinations of Ganzi.
In 2009, utilized FDI amounted to US$26.8 million. Ferroatlantica, which is a leading Spanish silicon producer, has contracted to invest RMB 6.0 billion to build the largest silicon plant in China. The plant is expected to have production capacity of 5-10 tons of industrial silicon and 1.5 tons of solar grade silicon metal upon completion in 2014.
Tourism is the most important pillar of Ganzi’s service sector. In 2009, 2.7 million tourists visited the city, up 132% year on year. 18,200 were foreign tourists, 13% more than in the previous year. Tourism income totaled RMB 1.9 billion, representing a rise of 129% compared to the previous year. Revenue attributable to foreign tourists was US$5 million, 13.84% more than in the previous year.
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| Cultural Highlights |
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Ganzi is an important transportation hub and trading center between the Tibetan and Han people. Tibetan culture and literature were preserved very well in Ganzi, while Tibetan medicine and pharmaceuticals have also been developing for the longest time in the Ganzi area.
Dege County, under the administration of Ganzi, together with Lhasa of Tibet Autonomous Region and Xiahe of Gansu province, are appraised as three Tibetan cultural centers.
The love song of Kangding and the Epic of King Ling Gesar are the two most famous works of the local Kangba Culture.
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| Tourist Attraction |
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Ganzi is a beautiful and mysterious tourism base in Sichuan. Tourists should visit Gongga Mountain Scenery Area, Paoma Mountain, Mugecuo Scenery Area, Wuxuhai Scenery Area, and Tagong Grassland.
Gongga Mountain, the highest mountain in Sichuan, is covered by snow all year round. It is a beautiful national scenery spot combining glaciers, hot springs, virgin forests, grasslands, lakes and unique Kangba cultural landmarks.
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