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Zhuhai |
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According to legends and the antiques unearthed, 4,000-5,000 years ago
up to the Neolithic Age, there had been inhabitants living and
multiplying on the land of Zhuhai. In the year of 757 (the second year
of the reign of Zhide in Tang Dynasty), under the jurisdiction of
Dongguan, Xiangshan Town was established. In 1152 (the 22 nd year of
the reign of Shaoxing in song Dynasty), the four coastal counties:
Nanhai, Panyu, Xinhui and Dongguan were incorporated into Xiangshan
County. Later in 1953, Wanshan Islands, Sanzao Island and Dong'an
Islands of Zhongshan and Bao'an County (present Shenzhen) were put
under the administration of Xiangshan County, changing the name into
Zhuhai simultaneously. In 1979, the name Zhuhai City was instead of
Zhuhai County. In 1980, Zhuhai Special Economic Zone was founded |
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Geography |
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Facing
the South China Sea, Zhuhai is situated west to the Pearl River
estuary of Guangdong Province. In the east, it faces Shenzhen and Hong
Kong across the sea. In the south, it is adjacent to Macao, and its
streets and buildings link up with those in Macao. In the north, it is
140 kilometers from Guangzhou. The total area including land and sea
covers 7,649 square kilometers, while the vast sea occupies 6,000
square kilometers. With hills behind and the sea in front, Zhuhai has
a varied landform, including mountains, plains, lakes and sea. Along
the 731 kilometers coastline, the 146 islands in South China Sea has a
total area of 236.9 square kilometers. Zhuhai is praised the title of
"city of Hundred Islands". |
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Climate |
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Zhuhai
has a subtropical climate with a yearly average temperature of about
22.4℃. In the coldest month of January, the average temperature is
14.6℃, while in the hottest month of July, the average temperature is
24.6℃. In Zhuhai, it is long in summer and short in winter. In some
years, there is even no winter. The climate here is beneficial to
tourists visiting Zhuhai in all the four seasons. |
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Natural Ecological
Environment |
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Like a
bright pearl on the shore of South china Sea, Zhuhai is one of the
four special economic zones earliest open to the outside world and is
the focus of world attention for its new-emerging garden-style city.
In 1991, Zhuhai was awarded "Zhuhai Tourist City" by the National
Tourism Administration and became one of the "40 Top Tourist
Attractions and Wonder lands in China", and was also awarded at the
same time "The Green Garden City of China", "The Model City of
Environmental Protection of China" and "The Model City of
Environmental Sanitation in China". In 1998, Zhuhai was awarded "The
Best Action of International Living Environmental Improvement" by the
United Nations. In January 1999, "The Unique Tourist City" was awarded
to Zhuhai. Located at the estuary of the Pearl River, facing Hong Kong
across the sea and adjacent to Macao, with 146 is lands dotted along
the coastline, Zhuhai is really a "City of Hundred Islands". Zhuhai
has a temperate climate. It is almost spring all the four seasons.
With green mountains, clear water and fresh air, Zhuhai has the
characteristics of a seashore garden-style city but full of modem
flavor. |
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Economy |
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Remarkable achievements have been made during the past twenty years in
the Zhuhai SEZ (Special Economic Zone). At the Third Plenary Session
of the 11th Central Committee, the government worked out the reform
and the open policy which brought forth a developing opportunity with
historic significance for Zhuhai. In August of 1980, the Zhuhai SEZ
was set up, which brought great change to Zhuhai. During the past
twenty years, the Zhuhai SEZ followed Deng Xiaoping's socialism theory
of building China with its own characteristics. Under the wise
leadership of the Central Party Committee, the State Council, the
Guangdong Provincial Party Committee and the Guangdong Government, the
Zhuhai people worked perseveringly and make a pioneering advancement
and concerted efforts. A modem garden-style seaside city and SEZ began
to take its shape. Twenty years is just a flash in the long history.
However, for Zhuhai, it's an earthshaking period when remarkable
achievements were made.
1. With economic construction as center, comprehensive social
developments have been promoted.
2. The national economy has developed rapidly, and the economic power
has been stren gthened greatly.
In 1979, when the city was first set up, the GDP of Zhuhai＜for current
price＞was only 210 million RMB, while in 1998, it was estimated to be
26.5 billion RMB, With an 65 times increase. That means an increase on
average 24.6% a year, in the same period, the primary industry
increase by 5.3 times, on average 9.1% a year; the secondary, 14
times, 29.9% a year; the tertiary, 109 times, 28% a year. The
proportion of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries was
adjusted to 5.1:52.6:42.3 in 1998 from the year 1997's 38.5:30.6:30.9.
The secondary and tertiary industries are playing a more and more
important role in the development of the national economy. The
structure of industries has tended to be more reasonable step by step.
The course of industrialization has made of breakthrough progress. In
1998, GDP per capita reached 23,000 RMB (about 2,778 U.S. dollars)
with a 38 times increase, compared with that of 1979.
The gap between income and expenditure for the general budget of the
local finance was 780 million RMB. 42.7 billion RMB was invested in
capital construction, and 1.8 billion RMB in transformation and
innovation. The new addition of accumulative fixed assets amounted to
33.5 billion RMB.
2. Public undertaking has developed vigorously and people's life has
improved continuously. Since the adoption of the reform and the
opening up policy, Zhuhai has been exercising the policy of
"developing both economy and culture, and developing both vigorously",
carrying out bold reforms and making great investment in science,
technology, education, culture, hygiene and sports. In the past twenty
years, Zhuhai has spent several billions on these undertakings, which
account to 28.8% of the local financial expenditure of the same
period. As a result, the public enterprises have developed vigorously.
Zhuhai has adopted the strategy of "prospering the city by science and
education". In 1992, it became the first in China to set up bonus
funds for science and technology, awarding scientific and
technological personnel and 30 projects, among which 16 won special
prizes. This created quite a stir and produced positive influences.
The crew of science and technology were expanded, and its level
greatly improved.
Zhuhai has carried out 98 "Torch" projects, including 47 national ones
and 51 provincial ones, producing 7 billion yuan RMB gross production
value. It has implemented 44 "Sparkle" projects with a gross
production value of 3.7 billion yuan RMB. High-tech industry has
gradually become the leading industry of local economy. In 1997, the
contribution of science and technology amounts to 42% of the local
economy increase. It has also deepened the education reform, and, as a
result, the education conditions and teaching faculties have been
continually improved, and the quality of education developed. |
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Culture |
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Zhuhai is a glorious model
of the practice of establishing a special zone of economy and it is
now showing her elegant demeanor with her success, which has attracted
attentions from all over the world. The civilization project of Zhuhai
Special Zone of Economy has been winged to fly by the Reform and Open
Policy and the development of socialist market economy. The
composition of art works is active and fruitful. The artists
experienced a lot in the life of common people. Composing many plays
like "the Dyke", "Red Light", "Green Light", "Lin Fang Hot Line",
Guangdong opera like "Lingding Ocean", music play like "the Legend of
the Hero of Si Mao" and many other works are greatly welcomed and
loved by people. And they have attended Shanghai International Art
Festival, the 7th Guangdong Provincial Art show and the Report-back
Performance in Beijing at the invitations. Because of its active and
flourishing development in art composing, the Zhuhai City has been
entitled the Art Composing Base of Guangdong Province by the
provincial government.
In order to satisfy the common people's demand for spiritual art,
Zhuhai has held the Art Festival for 3 times, Sound of Seaside Concert
for 17 times, Children's Artistic Flower Exhibition for 12 times and "Zhuhai
Lantern Show "for 5 times, which are very popular among local people.
The art market grows quickly and actively. According to statistics by
the end of 1998, there are 304 singing-dancing entertainment places,
20 show managing places, 7 professional performance teams, 33 cinemas,
100 musical visual product shops, 23 video renting places, 149 video
showing places, 224 video game shops and 94 exhibition places. The
city has formed a widespread art and entertainment consumption network
system, which has many levels and types of service. The continuous
development and growth of the art market not only supply for the
cultural need of people of different levels, but also produce profit
and tax for the country. This industry has become a sole one in the
third industry of the city. |
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A Survey of Tourist
Industry |
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Facing
Hong Kong across the sea, and adjacent to Macao, Zhuhai is located in
the rich and developed Pearl River Delta. With hills behind and the
sea in front, the charming and colorful scenery makes Zhuhai possible
to develop its tourist industry, which has become the mainstay of
Zhuhai's national economy. By the end of 1998, Zhuhai had set up
more than 320 hotels and restaurants with the capacity of receiving
9,000,000 tourists per year. Among them, there are 22 star-rated
hotels and 16 designated tourist restaurants. There are more than a
dozen conference centers and exhibition halls equipped with modem
facilities in Zhuhai. Various kinds of international conferences and
commodities fairs are held all year round. There are 34 travel
agencies including 13 international travel agencies and more than 20
large scenic spots in Zhuhai. Besides, Zhuhai has 13 designated shops,
13 designated restaurants for tourists. The total capital for tourist
industry is over one hundred million yuan. Staff engaged in tourism is
25,000, which is 8.8% of the staff employed in the whole city.
In 1998, 7,139,200 people came to visit Zhuhai, among them, 1,361,400
from abroad. The total in come of tourist industry reaches 60,44
million yuan. Foreign exchange revenue is 3.32 million U.S. dollars.
The picturesque scenic spots and tourist items are attractive, rich
and varied.
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Large
historic cultural scenery such as the New Yuanming Palace, the Four
Famous Buddhist Mountains Scenic Area, Zhenzhu (Pearl) Playground,
Jinzhoucheng City, Zhuhai Fishing Girl, Zhuxian Cave, Golden Beach,
Baitenghu Lake, Scenery of Waters and Rivers, the Sightseeing Cable
Way and Sliding Way in Shijingshan Mountain will certainly leave happy
memories in your mind. The Aquarium and the Ocean Park are under
construction.
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The
International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition held every two years
attracts dozens of thousands of tourists from home and abroad. Nearly
one million audiences, 480 enterprises from 25 countries and regions
came to the 2nd International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition held
in 1988.
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The
International Car Race held once a year in Zhuhai is also applauded by
broad car race fans.
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The
Zhuhai Film Festival held every two years has become a magnificent
meet of the Chinese films in the world. The convenient dimensional
communication network shortens the distance between Zhuhai and other
domestic cities.
Zhuhai
Airport, with advanced world level, has opened 30 flights to more than
30 domestic cities. The project of the gigantic bridge over the sea
Lingdingyang has been approved by the State. Guangzhou to Zhuhai
railway is under construction. Two twenty-thousand-ton wharves of
Zhuhai Port have been put into operation. Telecommunications and its
services have caught up with the international world. Telephones and
public telecommunication facilities are popular in Zhuhai. It is very
convenient to communicate with external world. Zhuhai, with the rapid
development in tourist industry, is well known both at home and
abroad. |
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City Flower and City Tree |
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 The
city flower of Zhuhai is LeduJuan (Le Azalea), a kind of bushes
planted on roads, green grounds mountains and in parks, guesthouses
and gardens. It is easy to cultivate and can be cut in various shapes.
Its colorful flowers are in full blossom all the year round,
symbolizing the prosperous development of Zhuhai. Well planted in
Zhuhai, the city tree-Chinese Red-buds is a kind of evergreen arbor
with red flowers and oval leaves. Its splendid and beautiful flowers
blossom from November to February next year. The Chinese Red-buds,
planted along roads, in gardens, are the favorites of Zhuhai people. |
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City Symbol |
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 In
the Xianlu Bay, there is a huge sculpture named "Zhuhai fishing Girl"
towering aloft on a giant jade-like rock among the blue and white
waves. Made of 70 pieces of granite, the sculpture, a masterpiece of
the famous sculptor Pan He, is 8.7 meters in height and 10 tons in
weight. Now it is the symbol of Zhuhai. |
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Tourist Logo |
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 Built
along the seashore, the Qinglv (lovers) Road is the tourist logo of
Zhuhai. With green grass and beautiful flowers on both sides, Qinglv
Road, regarded as a tourist logo like a flying colorful ribbon, has
become charming and picturesque scenery in Xiangzhou, Zhuhai. The
South Qinglv Road, starting from gongbei Customs and ending at Jiuzhou
Port, was built in 1997. as sunset, standing on Qinglv Road and gazing
at the sea in distance, you will feel relaxed and happy. If you look
far into the distance to the end of the road, Gongbei is adjacent to
Macao. You will see the brilliant and splendid Macao with high
buildings and large mansions, especially the wo gigantic bridges, like
rainbows spanning the sea, look the most magnificent |
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 Information
provided by China National
Tourism Administration. |
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