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| Introduction |
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Meishan is located in the middle-eastern part of Sichuan Province, to the southwest of Chengdu Plain and in the middle reach of Minjiang River and the lower reach of the Qingyi River. Meishan covers an area of 7,186 sq km and has a population of 3 million.
Meishan has a subtropical humid monsoon climate with plenty of rainfall and four distinct seasons. The average temperature is 16.5°C, while the average annual precipitation exceeds 1050 mm.
Meishan is rich in natural resources. Minerals such as gold, silver, copper, iron, zinc, coal, gypsum, and mirabilite, are abundant. Reserves of mirabilite amount to 65 billion tons, making Meishan the largest production base of mirabilite in China. In addition, Meishan is also known as the town of Chinese bamboo weaving, loquat, navel oranges and high-quality rice.
Transportation in Meishan is very convenient and mainly relies on highways, railways and waterways. The Chengdu-Kunming Railway, the Chengdu-Leshan Expressway, the Chengdu-Ya'an Expressway, State Highway 213 and the Minjiang River run through the city and extend to surrounding cities. Meishan is within one hour’s drive from Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province.
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| Economic Features |
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Meishan realized GDP of RMB 55.2 billion in 2010, representing a rise of 15.6% year on year. The city's GDP accounted for approximately 3.9% of Sichuan and ranked thirteenth in the province.
The agricultural sector generated value-added output of RMB 10.38 billion in 2010, accounting for 18.8% of the city's GDP. Total grain output amounted to 1.7 million tons, contributing approximately 5% to Sichuan Province's total.
In 2010, the value-added output of secondary industry (industry and construction), the largest contributor to the city's economy, amounted to RMB 30.3 billion, accounted for 54.9% of the city's total. The value-added industrial output generated by the industrial enterprises with designated size and above reached RMB 26.8 billion, up 25.8% year on year. Heavy and light industry enterprises generated value-added industrial output of RMB 13.7 billion and RMB 7.46 billion, contributing 30.1% and 25.5% to the total, respectively.
Food processing, chemicals, aluminum, construction materials, food, wooden processing and machinery are the pillar industries of the city. These industries realized value-added industrial output of RMB 17.1 billion, up 30.9% year on year. The value contributed 87.4% to the total that from enterprises with designated size or above.
Currently, Meishan has no listed companies. However, ReneSola Ltd, a leading manufacturer of solar wafers, has contracted to invest RMB 4.5 billion in Meishan. A wholly owned subsidiary, Sichuan Ruineng Silicon Material Co Ltd was established in August 2007 and is mainly engaged in the manufacturing of crystalline silicon material.
In 2010, the service sector generated value-added output of RMB 14.5 billion, contributing 26.3% of the city's GDP.
Tourism is an important pillar of the service sector. In 2010, 9.91 million tourists visited the city, 26.2% more than in the previous year, while tourism income totaled RMB 6.47 billion, representing a rise of 38.2% over the previous year.
The city's total foreign trade amounted to US$100 million in 2010 (comprising export value of US$90 million and import value of US$10 million), down 51.3% year on year. Sodium sulfate, mirabilite and oranges are the major export goods of Meishan. The U.S., Japan, and the E.U. are the city's important traditional trading partners. In 2010, Meishan's utilized FDI reached US$136 million.
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| Cultural Highlights |
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Meishan has been an important political, economic and cultural center in Southwestern China for over one thousand years. It was approved by the State Council to be a prefecture-level city in July 2000.
Meishan is known for its Taoist and Buddhist culture, and holds many festivals such as Dongpo Cultural Festival, Pengzu Longevity God Festival, Qinshen Woven Bamboo Art Festival, Danleng Zurna (folk instrument) Festival.
Su Xun and his sons, Su Shi (Su Dongpo) and Su Zhe, the most famous eminent writers in the Song Dynasty, once lived in Meishan.
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| Tourist Attraction |
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Meishan is rich in historical and cultural landmarks as well as beautiful natural scenery. Tourists should visit Wawu Mountain National Forest Park, Sansu Museum, Pengzu Mountain, the Cliff Tombs of the Han Dynasty, the Town of Bamboo Art, and Dongpo Lake Park.
Meishan is also famous for its traditional snacks, which include Renshou Longtan Fish Feast, Sesame Cake, dried beef, Dongpo Elbows, Dongpo Fish and Tianpi Duck. Woven bamboo crafts and phoenix pottery can be good souvenirs for tourists to take home.
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