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Luzhou is located in the southeast part of Sichuan Province, at the junction of Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou and Chongqing. The city covers an area of 12,243 sq km and has a population of 4.97 million.
Luzhou has a subtropical monsoon climate with plenty of sunshine and rainfall. The average temperature is 17.1-18.5°C, while the average annual precipitation is 748-1,184 mm.
Luzhou is rich in mineral resources. Demonstrated reserves of coal amount to more than 7 billion tons, accounting for 33% of the province's total, while the demonstrated reserves of pyrite and natural gas amount to 3.2 billion tons and 65 billion steres, accounting for one fifth and one twelfth of the country's total, respectively. In addition, Luzhou is also an important production base for grain, traditional herbal material and Chinese liquor.
Transportation in Luzhou mainly relies on highways, waterways and airlines. Four expressways, namely, the Naxi-Guizhou Expressway, the Hejiang-Naxi Expressway, the Luzhou-Chishui Expressway and the Chengdu-Luzhou Expressway currently are under construction. Luzhou Port, the largest river port in Sichuan in terms of throughput capacity, is able to handle thousand-ton ships. A multi-purpose container terminal with handling capacity of 50,000 standard containers and 200,000 tons of heavy cargo has been completed. The Luzhou Airport is the 5th largest airport in terms of cargo throughput in Sichuan Province.It operates flights to major cities such as Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen.
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Luzhou realized GDP of RMB 71.48 billion in 2010, representing a rise of 16.5% year on year. The city's GDP accounted for approximately 5% of Sichuan's total and ranked ninth in the province.
In 2010, value-added output of secondary industry (industry and construction) amounted to RMB 40.37 billion, accounting for 56.5% of the city's total. The value-added industrial output of the industrial sector reached RMB37.7 billion, up 28.9% year on year.
Luzhou's major industries are liquor manufacturing, chemicals, machinery and energy. In 2009, these industries realized value-added industrial output of RMB 27 billion, accounting for 75.9% of the city's total. Liquor manufacturing is the largest contributor. In 2010, it generated RMB 16.26 billion value-added industrial output, accounting for 60% of the four major industries' total.
The Shenzhen-listed company Luzhou Lao Jiao<000568>, a company principally engaged in the production and sale of Luzhou Lao Jiao spirits, generated net profit of RMB 1.7 billion in 2009, up 32.18% from the previous year.
In 2010, the service sector generated value-added output of RMB 20.2 billion, contributing 28.3% of the city's GDP.
The city's total foreign trade amounted to US$133.25 million in 2010 (comprising export value of US$105.76 million and import value of US$27.49 million), representing a decrease of 1.9% year on year. Chemical products are Luzhou's major exports. The export value of chemical products amounted to US$50.87 million, accounting for 38% of the city's total. South Korea, the E.U. and ASEAN member nations are the major trading partners of the city.
In 2010, 48.75 million tourists visited the city, 240% more than in the previous year, while tourism income reached RMB 23.4 billion, representing a rise of 340% year on year. The value-added output of the transportation, storage and postal sectors increased by 6.8% year on year to RMB 3.23 billion, contributing 4.5% to the GDP.
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Luzhou boasts a profound history. As early as Western Han Dynasty, Luzhou was an important transportation hub and military stronghold between Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan Provinces. The name “Luzhou” was gained during the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-589 A.D.). In 1995, approved by the State Council, Luzhou was designated as a National Historical and Cultural City.
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Luzhou is rich in historical and cultural relics. There are approximately 400 places of interest and relic sites including Fubao National Forest Park, Guling Huangjing Virgin Forest, Fangshan Mountain, Yuchanshan Mountain, Fenghuang Lake, Yunfeng Temple, and Chunqiu Temple.
Tourists should taste Luzhou Laojiao, one of four famous liquors from ancient China.
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