Speech by the Chairman of the Autonomous Region
Located in the east part of China’s North West Ningxia is the place linking with the West Regions and the desert in the north and holding gatherings for all kinds of nationality people started from the ancient time. The Yellow River that provides convenient irrigation for Ningxia has abundant resources and enjoys a renowned reputation of “a place beyond the Great Wall with lush crisscross elds as similar as what can be seen in southern China”. The Region’s 66400 km2 land area assembles typical and charming features of grand dessert Yellow River civilization Ixia Culture and Hue living style. Ever since the opening up to the outside and especially the adoption of National West Development Programs Ningxia sticks to scientific development view in guiding economic and social direction as a whole taking new attitude and opening mind to go all out in promoting new-typed industrialization agricultural industrialization opening up domestically and to the outside world urbanization fast growth of foreign trade gradual expansion of foreign economic and technical cooperation rapid development of economic and social affairs. At the present time Yinchuan the capital city of Ningxia has become one of the cities in the north west of China suitable for people to live and work due to its reined environment and multi-purpose functions.
New century will bring Ningxia with new commercial opportunities. Friends from home and overseas are warmly welcome to make investment to achieve common goals by joint efforts and to enjoy the future prosperity.
Chairman of People’s Government of Ningxia Hue Autonomous Regional Quiche
I. Survey
i. Geographical Location
Ningxia Hue Autonomous Region is called as “Ming” for short. It is located in the upper reaches of the Yellow River in northwest China and lies between north latitude 35°14′-39°23′ and east longitude 104°17′-107°39′. It is bordered by Shaanxi Province to the east Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to the north and the west and Gansu Province to the south. Since the ancient times it has been an area where different nationalities came and went frequently an area linking the middle China reaching to the foreign countries bordering on the western China and linking the northern deserts. Ningxia is one of the smallest provinces in China with the total area of 66400 sq. km. Its profile of territory is long in the south and the north with the distance of about 456 km and short in the east and the west with the span of only about 250 km. In Ningxia there are 5 cities at municipality level such as Yinchuan Shizuishan Wuzhong Guyuan and Zhongwei and 8 districts governed by the cities and 14 counties 2 cities at county level and 1 developing zone for migrants at county level. Yinchuan is the capital of Ningxia.
ii. Climate Features
Ningxia lies in the inland of China with dry and half dry climate. As it is located at the west fringe of seasonal windy zone of China it is influenced by southeastern seasonal wind in summer but the duration is short and rainfall is little. July is the hottest month there with the average temperature at 24℃. In winter it is much influenced by northwestern seasonal wind and the duration is long with big gap between the temperature during daytime and nighttime. In January it undergoes the coldest period with the average temperature at -9℃. The region’s yearly rainfall is between 150 mm and 600 mm. In its southern Liupan Mountainous areas it is shady humid and rainy with low temperature and short frostless period. In the north as sunshine is enough and evaporation is strong the gap between the temperature is big during daytime and nighttime. Ningxia can enjoy 3000 hours of sunshine one year and its frostless period can reach some 150 days. Therefore it is one of the most abundant areas of China to get sunshine and sun radiation. Ningxia’s seasonal difference is obvious. In spring it becomes warm fast. In autumn it becomes cool early. During May and September its weather is pleasant and comfortable everywhere with picturesque scenery providing tourists with a golden season.
iii. Population and Nationalities
By the end of 2005 the total population of Ningxia had reached to 5.97 million among whom 2.17 million had been in towns and cities and 3.8 million in the countryside which respectively had taken up 36.4 and 63.6 of the whole population of Ningxia. There are 35 minorities in Ningxia such as the Hui the Maan the Dongxiang and etc of whom the Hui’s population is some 2.1 million taking up more than 1/3 of Ningxia’s population and 1/5 of China’s Hui minority population. Therefore Ningxia is the biggest inhabited region of Chinese Hui minorities. Ningxia’s Hui minorities mainly live in Guyuan City and Wuzhong City of Ningxia.
iv. Infrastructures and Com-medication
Highways
The density of highways in Ningxia is high in West China which has three vertical and six horizontal road nets covering the whole region. National highways No.25 Dandong-Lasa and No.35 Qingdao-Yinchuan are expressways. The western trunk from Yinchuan to Wuhan is to open in the year 2008. Within one hour vehicles in all counties and cities of Ningxia can drive onto expressways all townships have had pitched roads and all administrative villages can reach to highways. And now the expressways are 670 km long. Meanwhile the total length of highways has been up to 13000 km.
Railways
There are Bao-Lan and Zhong-Bao railways linking the north to the south and the west to the east. Passenger trains go to the cities like Beijing Shanghai Chongqing Xi’an Lanzhou Xining Zhengzhou Nanjing etc. There are various freight transports. Export goods can be directly shipped on the ports of Tianjin Lian Yungang Qin Huangdao. Export goods can also be transported through Huorgos Port over Eurasia Bridge. The artery railway from Taiyuan to Zhongwei Yinchuan has been under construction. When the construction work is completed three railway arteries across the east and the west the north and the south will appear which will make passenger and freight transportation more convenient.
Airport
Yinchuan Hedong Airport is located in Linhe Township Lingwu City governed by Yinchuan 19 km away from the district of Yinchuan. So far more than 20 airlines have been opened through all the big-and-medium-sized cities in China. In 2005 cargos of 6.5187 million tons were transported by air.
Finance and Insurance
At the end of 2005 the balance of different deposits at the financial entities of Ningxia including Chinese and foreign moneys amounted for RMB 99.374 billion Yuan. The region’s balance of different items of loan including Chinese and foreign moneys reached to RMB 84.181 billion Yuan. The income in cash of the financial entities was RMB 264.102 billion Yuan and the payment in cash was RMB 266.576 billion Yuan. After balancing the amount between the income and the payment the net launch in cash was RMB 2.474 billion Yuan. The insurance industry was developed stably with the gradual rising of optional items of insurance and stable increase of income from insurance. The charged premium in 2005 was up to RMB 1.574 billion Yuan of which property insurance was RMB 458 million Yuan life insurance was RMB 835 million Yuan insurance for health RMB 224 million Yuan and accident hurt insurance RMB 57 million Yuan.
Telecommunication
Nowadays Ningxia has established the communication network by optical transmission together with digital and satellite transmissions. The electronic information net has covered each county and city of Ningxia. In 2005 the local users with telephone sets reached to 1.3889 million households. Newly increased amount of exchanging machines at the local telecommunication departments was 77400 sets reaching to 1.2339 million sets. The popularized rate of telephone sets was up to 54.44 per hundred person. The mobile phone users in Ningxia were 1.8108 million households. The popularized rate of mobile phones reached to 30.81 sets /per hundred person. The customers with internet were 591000 households. The total business value of telecommunication in 2005 was up to RMB 4.86 billion Yuan.
v. Foreign Relation
Friendly cities provinces or states
In 2005 Ningxia set up friendly relationship with 10 counties at provincial level provinces or states of 9 foreign countries. Through personnel’s mutual visits negotiation on economy and trade exchange of talented peoples professional training and other kinds of activities the understanding and friendship among the peoples between Ningxia and the friendly cities were deepened which advanced the exchange in economic cooperation and trading between them and promoted the communication and cooperation in culture education science and technology and other fields.
Exhibitions and Fairs Related to Foreign Countries Ningxia Investment and Trade Fair, held in August, every year with some 2,000businessmen from home and abroad to attend.
China (Ningxia) International Cashmere Trade Expo, held in every two years with some 1,000 Chinese and foreign businessmen to attend.
West China (Ningxia) Special Agricultural Exhibition and Cooperation Fair, held in September every year with some1,500 Chinese and foreign businessmen to attend.
vi. Survey of Education at High Class and Science and Technology
Educations at High Class
In Ningxia, there are 13 common schools at high class. They are Ningxia University, Ningxia Medical College, Ningxia Science and Technology College, Ningxia Normal College and etc. In 2005,the entities which could offer graduated courses enrolled 662 students on MD, with 1,443 students on MD at school, 182students finished their MD courses and graduated. The student enrolment of the schools at high class reached to 14,775with the total students at such schools to be 48,650 and 8,817 students who graduated from above schools. There were44 professional and technical schools at secondary class, which had the enrolment of 29,033 students, with 63,261 students at school, and 14,312 students graduated from such schools.
Science and Technology In 2005, two engineering and technical centers at the national level were set up insignia. Also there were 8 other center sat the autonomous region’s level, 3 key laboratories set up by Ningxia and the nation’s ministries, 4 key laboratories t h e a u t o n o m o u s r e g I o no’s l e v e l , 5technical center for enterprises at testate level, and 20 technical centers for enterprises at the region’s level. In 2005, Ningxia government appraised 136 items as scientific and technical results. 516applications for patent were dealt with,214 cases of patent were approved. The technical market became more active with233 technical contracts signed, reaching tithe total value of RMB 140 million Yuan.
vii. Tourism
The unique tourism resource of Ningxia is created by its unique geographical location and long history of development, which includes landscape in desert, the Yellow River civilization, the West Xia Dynasty culture, the Hui’s customs and styles in minority hometown and the scenery like what can be seen in South China. The Sand Lake and the Shootout are all the national scenic spots at Class 4A, which are “the golden treasured sites” for ecological tourism. The tourism zone at the Liupan Mountains is magnificent, where there are many scenic spots. Yinchuan City is a “China’s excellent tourism city”, a good place for urban tourism, commercial tourism, conference or convention and exhibition tourism, and relaxation tourism.
The Shuidonggou Relics Site is a proof of the prehistoric civilization of China. The West Xia Mausoleums are grand at scale, wizardly and special in architecture, well-known as“Orient Pyramid” In addition, in Ningxia, there is the Helan Mountains Carved Rock Pictures called as“ the arts corridor showing off nomadic minorities”, an only spot where the Great Wall and the Yellow River cross, the ancient ruins of the Great Wall of Qin, Han, Sui and Ming Dynasties, which have long been called as“ the Great Wall Museum”. In the tourism resource of folkway and local customs, Ningxia enjoys strong and typical Hui’s characteristics. Its mosques are unique in architecture, the local Hui’s snack food is delicious, their folk songs and dances are beautiful and charming, attracting more and more domestic and overseas tourists.
Characteristic Merchandise
Chinese Wolfberry
The red wolfberry fruit is a precious Chinese medicinal herb, whose root, leaf; flower and stem are all good to human health. Ningxia is the most ideal place to produce red wolfberry inching and the best place planting wolfberry in Ningxia is Zhongning County, whose wolfberry is big and rich in flesh, witless seeds but high and multiple sugars and nutrition, and it wins high reputation from travelers of domestic and overseas.
Ningxia also develops a serious wolfberry related products such as wolfberry candy, wolfberry tea, wolfberry wine, which are enjoying great popularity among consumers.
Licorice Root
Licorice root can apply to many diseases in traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine. It can not only moderate the effects of other medicines, but also supply energy and release inflammation. It was a tribute to the royal court in ancient China and is called“King of medicine”.
Ningxia has produced licorice cream and widely applied it to various in ends including medical, industry and food.
Helan Stone
Helan stone is founding Helan Mountains. It has if ne texture and exquisite appearance, which is hard but easy to carve. It has two natural colors of deep purple and bean green. Some of the stones have the natural pictures of jade ribbon, cloud layers, eyebrow, and stone eye. The finished Helan inkstone is water resistance and can preserve the ink very well. Helan inkstone is usually used to carve vivid pictures, therefore getting the title of“one of China’s three famous ink stones” along with the other two from Guangdong Province and Anhui Province.
Tanyang Lamb Skin
The domestic sheep in Ningxia is a fine breeding nationwide.
The hair is light and tender, with snow-white color and jade like sheen. It usually has nine curves, thus getting the name of“ nine curve fur”.
Special Foods With a long history of food culture, Ningxia is famous for various snacks with local color and Muslim flavor. Among them, the representatives are listed as follows:
Sauté lamb with chili sauce, Steamed lamb, Lamb eaten with hands, Fried mutton rib, Sliced lamb boiled in the hot pot, Lamb neck with special flavor, Lamb chop sue, Big fish head of Sand Lake, Sandi (Deep-fried dough twists), Tea covered with lid.
Related Articles:
Doing Business in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China: II. Economy
Doing Business in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China: III. Investment
Doing Business in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China: IV. Development Zone
