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| Introduction |
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Weifang is a prefecture level city in the Shandong Province, located in the central area of Shandong Peninsula. It covers a total area of 15,770 sq km and has a population of 8.95 million. Weifang also has a temperate monsoon climate, with an average annual temperature of 12.3℃ and rainfall of 653 mm.
The city borders Yantai to the northeast, Qingdao to the southeast, Rizhao to the south, and Zibo to the west. The Qingdao-Jinan Railway passes through the city, and three major highways connect Weifang with Zibo, Qingdao and Yantai. Additionally, it is 183 km from Jinan, the provincial capital, and 410 km from Beijing.
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| Economic Features |
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In 2010, GDP of the city grow 13.3% to RMB 309.09 billion. The agricultural, industry and service industry contributed RMB 33.05 billion, RMB 172.03 billion and RMB 104.01 billion, accounting for 10.69%, 55.66% and 33.65% to the city's GDP respectively.
In 2010, Weifang's value-added industrial output reached RMB 195.83 billion, up 15.4% over 2009. Weifang has established chemicals, power machinery, automobiles, textiles and garments, electronics and IT, new materials, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage processing, paper making and packaging as its pillar industries.
By the end of 2009, there were 4,824 manufacturing companies in Weifang, 476 more than 2008. Shandong Haihua Group, Asia Star Chemicals and the listed Chenming Paper are major players in the manufacturing sector of Weifang.
Shandong Haihua is a chemical company listed in 1998. In 2009, the sales revenue and net profit amounted to RMB 5.46 billion and RMB 705 million, down by 36.36% and 440% respectively. The sharp decreases were attributed to lower gross profit margin, which dropped to -5.65% from 21.52% a year earlier.
In 2010, Weifang's foreign trade increased 46.5% to US$11.76 billion, of which export amounted to US$8.7 billion, up 41.4% year on year. Machinery, high-tech products, chemical products, textile and garments, and agricultural products were major export products. In 2010, the city has approved 80 foreign invested projects with the utilized FDI amounted to US$720 million, up 6.4% year on year.
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| Cultural Highlights |
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Weifang established as a county over 2,000 years ago. Historically, it is a town famous for its handicraft industry. During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), it was nicknamed "Suzhou in the Northland" due to its developed textile industry which was comparable to Suzhou, the most renowned city for textiles in ancient China. Numerous historical figures have resided in Weifang. They include Kong Rong during the Three Kingdoms (189-265 AD), Li Qingzhao during the Song Dynasty (960-1127 AD) and Liu Yong during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD).
The city also bears the name "Capital of Kites". Marco Polo, a traveler who visited Weifang in the thirteenth Century, brought a kite back to Europe. In 1984, the first International Kite Festival was held in Weifang and it has served as the festival’s host ever since. It is also home to the International Kite Association.
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| Tourist Attraction |
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Famous scenic spots in Weifang include the Yi Mountain, which has twenty-nine peaks around its highest point, the Old Dragon Lake with numerous springs, and the Yunmen Mountain where many Taoist and Buddhist religious buildings can be found.
The most famous dish inWeifang is "Gangzitou", which is produced using hardened flour blocks. The mutton feast, which consists of dozens of dishes cooked from mutton and the viscera of sheep, is also particularly renowned.
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| Major Development Zones |
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By the end of 2010, Weifang had two state-level development zones.
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Name
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Area (km²)
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Pillar Industries
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GDP in 2010
(RMB billion)
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| Weifang Export Processing Zone |
3.0
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Information technology, bio-pharmaceuticals, precision machinery, deep processing of agricultural products |
N.A.
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| Weifang High-tech Industrial Development Zone |
8.6
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Information technology, bio-pharmaceuticals, machinery |
25
(value-added industrial output) (2008)
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Source: National Development and Reform Commission |
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| Honors |
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National Clean City (2008)
-Ministry of Health
China's financial ecological city (2007))
-China Finance Research Instituten
National Model City for Environmental Protection (2006)
-Ministry of Environmental Protection
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