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| Introduction |
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Located in the southeast of Anhui Province in Central China and the southern bank of lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Wuhu covers an area of 3317 sq km, including 720 sq km urban area.
It has four subordinate districts: Jinghu, Yijiang, Jiujiang and Sanshan. It also contains three counties: Wuhu, Fanchang and Nanling. At the end of 2009, Wuhu had 2.3 million registered residents in total.
The area enjoys a subtropical humid monsoon climate with plenty of sunshine, moderate precipitation and four distinct seasons. There are three highways and five trunk railways through Wuhu. It is about 140 km away from Hefei, the capital of Anhui and just a two hour drive from Nanjing.
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| Economic Features |
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The city is the second largest economy in Anhui province, after Hefei. In 2010, Wuhu's GDP reached RMB 110.86 billion, an increase of 18.2% over the previous year. Its per capita GDP was RMB 48,306, with a year-on-year rise of 19.7%.
Industrial sector is the largest contributor to the city's economic growth. In 2010, value-added industrial output of the city amounted to RMB 64.5 billion, up 25.1% year on year. Heavy industry and light industry amounted to RMB 45.43 billion and RMB 18.69 billion, accounting for 70% and 30% of the industrial sector.
Wuhu's pillar industries include automobiles, auto parts, electronic products and home appliances. The output of automobiles has increased by 45.3% to 508,600 units in 2009.
Chery Auto, one of the largest home grown carmakers in China, is headquartered in the city. In 2009, Chery sold 500,300 units, up 40.5% year on year, ranked 7th among car manufacturers in the country. Chinese automakers. It exported more than 41,000 units of passenger cars, ranked first in China.
Its foreign trade reached US$2.61 billion in 2010, of which export and import amounted to US$1.67 billion and US$941 million, respectively. Export of machinery amounted to US$1.3 billion, accounting for 77.9% of the city's export. The city exported US$587 million to Asian countries and US$355 million to the EU, accounting for 35.2% and 21.2% of the city's total, respectively.
In 2010, 43 foreign-invested enterprises were newly approved in Wuhu. The utilized FDI reached US$720 million, an increase of 21.6% over the previous year. Wuhu Economic & Technological Development Zone has attracted US$339 million of utilized FDI, accounting for 56% of the city's total.
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| Cultural Highlights |
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Wuhu is rich in historical and cultural resources. Historically, Wuhu had great advantages in agriculture, handicraft industries and commerce. From the Southern Song to the Yuan Dynasty, Wuhu developed into a prosperous town. During the Ming Dynasty, Wuhu gradually grew into an important trading port among areas in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It was known for its great handicraft industries like starching and dyeing.
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| Tourist Attraction |
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The most famous 4A level attractions in Wuhu include the Maren Peak Scenery Area, Zheshan Scenery Area and Wang Jiaxiang Memorial Park. Bordering Fanchang, the Maren Peak Scenery Area is the only province-level forest park of Anhui. It is well known for its unusual cliffs and odd stones.
Wuhu’s local special products include Wuhu Preserved Bean-curd, Wuhu Melon Seeds and Wuhu Iron Pictures. Wuhu Iron Pictures recall 300 years of history, as they were first created n the Kangxi years of the Qing Dynasty. They are called “a wonder of China” and are a face of Chinese Arts and Crafts history.
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| Major Development Zones |
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| Wuhu currently has two state-level development zones. The area size and pillar industries of these two zones are presented in the following table: |
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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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| Wuhu Economic & Technological Development Zone |
122.00
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automobiles and auto parts, electronic products, new building materials |
24.7 (2009)
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| Wuhu Export Processing Zone |
2.95
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automobiles and auto parts, electronic products, new building materials |
N.A.
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Source: State Development and Reform Commission
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| Honors |
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Top City for Investment in Central China (2007)
-Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
The Best Business City in China (2006)
-Forbes
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