By staff reporters YU JIE & WANG NAN

PetroChina Changqing Petrochemicals.

XIANYANG City, covering an area of 10,000 square kilometers, and with a population of 4.8 million, is just 25 kilometers from Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province. Known as No.1 Capital of ancient China, Xianyang is the site of nine Han Dynasty and nine Tang Dynasty emperors' tombs.

Xianyang is famous for having been capital of the Qin and capital environs of 12 other dynasties, including the Han and the Tang. This city is both ancient and modern. An important city in the Central Plains area through to Northwest China, Xianyang is considered bridgehead of the Western Development drive.

Famous Mausoleum Museum

Xianyang, one of capital cities of ancient China, is the first stop along the Old Silk Road. In 221 B.C. it became capital of the Qin Dynasty, and later, 12 other dynasties made this city their capital environs. The tombs of 27 emperors and 250 officials and nobles, stretching for more than 50 kilometers, were built here.

Downtown Xianyang

On entering Xianyang, its glorious history is immediately apparent. The famous six steeds of the Zhaoling Mausoleum, the Han tomb terracotta warriors and horses, the Qianling Mausoleum, the combined tomb of Empress Wu Zetian and Emperor Li Zhi, along with the Maoling, Yangling and Zhaoling mausoleums, are all located in Xianyang. According to statistics, Xianyang has more than 800 ancient tombs, including 18 Han and Tang dynasty imperial mausoleums. On the Divine Path leading to the Qianling Mausoleum are 61 stone statues of foreign envoys, as well as lion sculptures in classic Western style. The Qianling Mausoleum is magnificent, the stele in front of Wu Zetian's tomb inscribed with such minority scripts as the Nuzhen and Qidan. Lady Yang's tomb was formerly a mound of earth believed to be beneficial to women's complexions. Having been ruined by the visitors that persisted in taking its earth away, the tomb was later covered with bricks. The 20-meter-high Amitabha Buddha in the Dafo Temple in Xianyang is known as the "No. 1 Buddha of Shaanxi." It is considered the best preserved of China's grotto Buddha sculptures.

On Emperor Qinshihuang's unifying the country, China underwent great development. During the 1,000 or so years of the Qin, Han and Tang dynasties, it was among the advanced countries of the world, and Xi'an and Xianyang were the political, economic and cultural centers of the era.

The people of Xianyang have throughout history paid great attention to greening. On setting up the capital in Xianyang, Duke Xiao of the State of Qin built gardens based on natural scenery. Xianyang people are justly proud of their historic legacy, and the city's tourism industry, famous for its heritage, keep-fit, ecological and folklore tours, continues to profit from it. Visiting the Great Wall and seeing the terracotta warriors is now a must for overseas tourists. Among available tour programs are trips to the Five Gods, to the terrace on which Houji Taught Farming, to see Qin and Han songs and dances, and to folk theatrical performances. A number of special-interest tour programs, such as the Maoling Han culture tour, Zhaoling Tang culture tour, and Shimenshan Forest Park tour, are currently being developed. Tourists to Xianyang sample with relish local snacks such as Baiji cake, and buns served in mutton soup.

An Important Industrial City

Zhang Liyong (left, seated), mayor of Xianyang, and Sun Qingyun (right, seated), mayor of Xi'an, signing an economic integration agreement.

After decades of construction, Xianyang has developed an industrial system encompassing electronics, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, energy and chemicals.

Xianyang is the largest electronics industrial base in Northwest China, a well-known textiles industrial base, and a famous production base for medical and health products. Xianyang is also the only national commodity grain production base in Northwest China, and a large national production base for excellent apples. Xianyang's local advantages are reflected not only in its hardware -- its environment and communications facilities -- but also in its software -- its highly qualified citizens.

Modern businesspeople regard a favorable humanitarian environment as an important aspect of business operations, and Xianyang's unique tourism resources have attracted a large number of famous enterprises, such as Top Software, Shanghai Guangming Dairy Products, Henan Goldstar Beer, Zhangyu Wine, and Qinghua Science and Technology.

Xianyang has a solid industrial foundation. In 2002, the production line for lithium batteries, used in telecommunications, at the Xianyang Pianzhuan VOLTIX Energy Source Co., Ltd., commenced. This is the first lithium battery production plant in Northwest China, and in one year it has produced 8 million lithium batteries.

Powerful, light, durable and pollution-free lithium batteries are in great demand worldwide. With the approach of the 2008 Olympic Games, China has made electric-powered automobiles one of the ten key items of Plan 863, which provides a still broader scope for development of lithium batteries.

Xianyang is fertile ground for entrepreneurial development, and the Western Development Drive provides countless business opportunities. The PetroChina Changqing Petrochemical Branch Company is outstanding within the country's petrochemical industry. Its pioneering reforms set an example nationwide.

Zhang Xiwen, chairman of directors of Changqing Petrochemicals and winner of the National May-First Labor Medal, is skilled in implementing reforms. He led the management of his enterprise in dismantling intangible "walls" that hindered communications, eliminating redundant positions, and streamlining the operational system. Since these reforms work efficiency has greatly improved. In an analytical report released in 2001 by the US Solomon Company on the competitive power of 16 Chinese petrochemical enterprises, Changqing Petrochemicals ranked first or second in terms of unit output value, gross profit, and net profit. In 2002 the company fulfilled all its targets, displaying great market vitality.

Xianyang is surging ahead in investment and development. As the largest electronic industrial base in Northwest China, it is at the forefront of big and medium-sized cities in western China as regards economic strength. Its electronic enterprises make up 65 percent of Shaanxi Province's total, greatly boosting Shaanxi's industry overall.

China is a major color kinescope producer whose output makes up one third of the world's total, and whose domestic market makes up one fifth of the world market. On average, one out of every four of the TV sets in Chinese households has a kinescope manufactured by the Caihong (Rainbow) Group. Caihong products are also exported to more than 20 countries and regions.

It was on April 29, 1979 that construction of the Xianyang Caihong Color Kinescope Factory started. Two years later, China's first color kinescope was produced in Xianyang. In order to meet market demand, less than four years later Caihong made its first batch of 47-cm color kinescopes, forming an annual production capacity of 160,000 kinescopes, the largest of its kind in the country.

Caihong's advantages lie in its enterprise culture, at whose core is the policy of taking human resources and client's needs as essential. Caihong satisfies its clients' every need, doing its utmost to improve product quality and lower cost. Caihong has, under this guideline, taken the extraordinary line of reforming a state-owned enterprise.

Caihong is now a super-large enterprise, designated one of the 180 key enterprises under the central authorities. Its total assets amount to 8.8 billion yuan, and its overall economic strength ranks at the forefront of China's top 100 electronic information enterprises.

Caihong's quality comes from accumulation. It has invested huge sums in technical upgrading, resulting in great improvements to product quality. Since 1993, the Caihong Group has been aiming for the international market. In 2000, it exported 2.7 million kinescopes. It has greatly sharpened its competitive edge in the international market, and its overseas clients have increased from 11 to more than 20.

Municipal leaders inspect the first lithium battery production line in Northwest China. First left is Yang Xuankun, general manager of Xianyang VOLTIX.

In the 20 years since its establishment, Caihong's production capacity has increased tenfold. To meet the needs of the 2008 Olympic Games, Caihong has decided to invest 800 million yuan in the construction of a super-large screen production line. Caihong has become China's largest production base for color kinescope, and its production scale ranks sixth in the world.

"Four-Wheel Drive"

According to Song Hongwu, secretary of the Xianyang CPC municipal committee, the four-wheel drive strategy is the breakthrough that will build Xianyang into an economic powerhouse. Its fundamental aim is to attract outside investment, thus giving impetus to these four wheels. Xianyang's aim is to "link east and west, utilize forces from all directions, and four-wheel drive towards building a powerhouse."

Xianyang is an important communications hub, with well-developed air, railway and highway networks. The Lianyungang-Lanzhou Railway runs east to west, and highways radiate in all directions. The modern Xianyang International Airport handles 3 million passengers annually, and fruits grown by Xianyang farmers can now be air-freighted to coastal city markets.

In order to realize a digital Xianyang, the municipal government has set itself the target of computerizing the management of 85 percent of its large and medium-sized enterprises within three or five years, and making more than 60 percent of its enterprises accessible on the Internet.

By taking advantage of its unique tourism resources, and solid industrial and agricultural foundation, Xianyang has taken the road of Northwest China characteristic economic development. It has won a series of titles, such as "National Grade-A Open City," "National Historical and Cultural Famous City," and "Excellent Tourist City." Outside investors appreciate the city's favorable humanitarian environment, and still more its comprehensive indices.

China's entry into the WTO and its implementation of the Western Development strategy have provided new opportunities for Xianyang. A scientific-technological Xianyang, digital Xianyang and humanitarian Xianyang is now emerging on the Loess Plateau..