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Huayang Power Plant in Houshi District.
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Zhangzhou Harbor.
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A workshop operated by Tsann Kuen Co.
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Zhangzhou in China’s southeastern Fujian Province has till
now been known for its daffodils, but it is getting ready for
a more profitable form of fame. Its almost completed port industrial
zone at Xiamen Bay is expected to become one of the busiest in
China. Just 12 years ago the area was scrub-covered wasteland,
but now it boasts 240 companies from home and abroad, Xiamen University’s
new campus, a golf course and star-rated hotels.
“Our goal is to build Zhangzhou into a strong city with
a healthy environment, and elevate its status and influence on
the western side of the Taiwan Straits,” says Zhangzhou’s
party secretary Liu Keqing. Zhangzhou, with a population of 4.7
million, has long lagged behind other cities in East China’s
booming coastal areas, but it has been catching up quickly in
recent years. It has started to exploit its tremendous natural
and geographical resources.
Modernized Agriculture
Zhangzhou is blessed with a mild climate and fertile soils. As
an old saying goes, “Flowers in Zhangzhou blossom all year
round, and trees bear fruit in all four seasons. Even a pole will
grow into a tree when planted in Zhangzhou’s soil.”
It is one of China’s key floriculture bases and Fujian’s
largest high-yield quality strain green food base. It is a state-level
Exemplary Zone for Export-oriented Agriculture and a Cross-Strait
Agricultural Cooperation Experimental Zone. Many Taiwan farmers
have established businesses in Zhangzhou. And in a recent evaluation
of agricultural development, Zhangzhou scored above the national
average in 12 of the 13 indices.
Zhangzhou boasts more than 500 enterprises and organizations
that are engaged in the processing and trade of agricultural products,
including aquatic products, flowers and tea. These organizations
help advance agricultural industrialization, boost exports and
increase local incomes. Zhangzhou has perfected its quality control
procedures, and it supervises every step of the production process
to guarantee only excellent-quality products go to market. Its
locally produced products therefore sell well in foreign markets,
and its oranges, waxberries and litchis are shipped around the
world.
Its proximity to Taiwan has proved a blessing for the city’s
efforts to modernize its agricultural industry. It has borrowed
capital, crop strains, technology, equipment and personnel from
the island so as to improve the quality and competitiveness of
its produce. According to Mayor He Jinlong, Zhangzhou and Taiwan
have similar natural conditions and agricultural structures. He
says, “It has been shown that mutual cooperation in building
an agricultural base improves our performance in both domestic
and overseas markets.” To date, 118 locally produced products
in 11 different categories have been approved to wear the “green
food” tag. Exports too are surging – in 2005 alone Zhangzhou
exported US $479 million worth of food products, a 22.39 percent
increase over the previous year.
A Port City with Booming Industry
In 2002, Zhangzhou started to implement its strategy to “invigorate
the city by building up port and industrial business. It enjoys
great land and energy resources, including hydroelectric power
that is harnessed from the Jiulong River and thermal power generated
by Huayang, the country’s largest thermo-power plant with
an installed capacity of 3.6 million kW.
Two national highways and three expressways run across Zhangzhou.
What’s more, work is ongoing to complete the Zhangzhou sections
of the Xiamen-Shenzhen Railway and the Longyan-Xiamen Railway
and the Xiamen-Zhangzhou Bridge. In addition to these infrastructure
advantages, low land, energy and labor costs in the city are also
appealing to investors. There are currently 110-odd enterprises
in Zhangzhou with investment topping US $10 million, including
the Taiwan-funded Tsann Kuen Group (manufacturing) and Wanlida
(high-tech).
Zhangzhou has now forged four pillar industries, namely food,
machinery, materials and energy. Its three key industries are
electronics, pharmaceuticals and furniture. Meanwhile, it is making
rapid progress in the automobile and petrochemical sectors. Naturally,
ports are pivotal to the economy of a coastal city, and Zhangzhou
has 680 kilometers of coastline and a 120-berth harbor. The Zhangzhou
harbors never silt up, are well sheltered from the wind, and have
extensive lands behind them. The scheduled Houshi Port District
in the eastern part of the city will include a deep-water harbor
and 40 square kilometers of land, while the Gulei Port has 130
square kilometers of flat land.
Investment is starting to surge into Zhangzhou. Last year alone,
it signed investment deals worth US $697 million, and actually
received US $310 million, up 23.7 and 23.9 percent respectively
over the previous year. These funds have turned the city into
a massive construction site. The Huisman-Itrec Iron and Steel
Project, with an investment of US $20 million from the Netherlands,
has just broken ground. Two 100,000-ton docks will go into operation
this September and seven more docks with a total investment of
RMB 600 million will be completed in seven years. The city also
plans to channel another RMB 15 billion into harbor construction
over the next six years. The number of docks is increasing at
a stunning speed – a new one appears every 21 months.
From Regional to Global Market
Zhangzhou is located between the Pearl River Delta and the Xiamen
Special Economic Zone. It lies a mere 70 nautical miles from Taiwan.
Some of Taiwan Island’s most famous party leaders have their
roots in Zhangzhou, including Lian Zhan, Liu Xiulian, Jiang Bingkun
and You Xikun. Earlier this year, Lian and Jiang visited Zhangzhou
to worship their ancestors, making big news on both sides of the
Taiwan Straits. Mayor He Jinlong says, “These days, the trend
is that developed regions transfer some industries to less developed
regions, and the improved Cross-Strait relations have made this
easier between Taiwan and Zhangzhou. We will ardently participate
in regional work division and collaboration, and build ourselves
into a base of economic and trade cooperation across the Straits,
a manufacturing base and a supplier of high-quality food.”
Economic ties between Zhangzhou and Taiwan have been promoted
through the Zhangzhou-Taiwan Economic and Trade Conference, the
China (Xiamen) Investment and Trade Fair and the Cross-Straits
(Zhangzhou) Flower Expo. Many of Taiwan’s top 100 companies,
such as Taiwan Plastics Group, Ton Yi Industrial Corp., Taisun
Group and Tenfu Group, have set up factories in Zhangzhou, and
there are 811 Taiwan-funded agricultural projects in the city.
“When we plan Zhangzhou’s growth, we must view it from
the prospect of the whole region, and, moreover, we should target
the global market,” mayor He proclaims.
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Zhangzhou
Port.
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The
thousand-year-old Sanping Temple.
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Zhangzhou
Flower Expo.
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High Quality, High Speed and High Efficiency
In 2002 Taiwan white goods producer Tsaan Kuen expressed its
intention to boost its investment in the mainland. In March that
year, company president Wu Tsaan Kuen came to visit his ancestral
home in Zhangpu County. When the then Zhangzhou mayor heard of
his arrival, he decided to track him down. The mayor rushed to
Wu’s hotel, only to find that he had set off for a machine
plant. By the time the mayor reached the plant, Wu had already
left for Zhangpu. The mayor then hurried to the road for Zhangpu,
where he waited almost three hours in the sweltering heat for
Wu’s return. The mayor eventually met Mr. Wu, and impressed
him with a sincere welcome.
Once the investment agreement was reached, the city took just
248 days to construct a modern factory with 28 workshops and 180
assembly lines. The factory reported an output value of more than
RMB 4 billion in its first year of operation, and has since grown
at an amazing rate. Wu Tsaan Kuen credited this to the outstanding
teamwork of local government: “I have been investing in the
mainland for 16 years, and have investment projects around the
world. But I have never seen such efficiency before. Without the
hard working local officials, the group could not have set up
its booming branch so quickly.”
Mayor He’s response to the commendation was logical enough.
He said, “We started later than neighboring cities, so we
have to work harder and faster to make up for lost time.”
The city puts similar efforts into each and every project in its
territory. Says He, “We are hospitable and supportive to
investors, and we help them to make more money.” And Zhangzhou
ranked third in a poll by Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’
Association (TEEMA) rating investment environments of mainland
cities.
When he took his post, the city’s party secretary Liu Keqing
demanded that his staff guide and supervise locally based enterprises
to eliminate problems before they occur. “In this way, investors
can fully concentrate on their business and its expansion,”
explained Mr. Liu.
Splendid History, Culture and Landscape
The city is drenched in historical and cultural heritage. In
its old quarter the streets are bestrewn with porched buildings
and stone archways, and each tells an ancient story. In the nearby
Hua’an County is the Eryi Compound, one of China’s ancient
residential gems. A wealthy local merchant named Jiang Renxiong
built the earthen amphitheatric residence in 1740. His descendants
still live there. It was given the name Eryi (meaning “good
for both”) because it is situated beside pleasant mountains
and rivers, it has great sights both inside and outside, and it
makes a cozy home for the entire family clan as well as each household.
The compound has a complete sewage system and ingenious defense
posts, demonstrating the wit and skills of its architect. Meanwhile,
the square Hegui Compound in Nanjing County is the highest mud
castle in China, and the cluster of amphitheatric mud compounds
in Tianluokeng Village resembles plum blossoms in the lush green
mountains when viewed from above. Zhangzhou has asked UNESCO to
consider these ancient mud buildings for world heritage site status.
In Zhangpu County is China’s best-preserved example of a
royal family mansion – the Zhao’s castle. The descendants
of the Song Dynasty built it during the Ming Dynasty. Hidden as
it is behind a chain of steep mountains, it remained unknown to
the outside world until the 1980s. In 2002, the Zhangzhou Expressway
was built through the mountains, allowing thousands of tourists
access to this ancient castle. Though it is 2,000 years old, and
somewhat dilapidated, it is still permeated with a palpable air
of nobility. Then there is the thousand-year-old Xianzitan cliff
carving in Huaan County, and the Sanping Temple in Pinghe County.
The latter is the most-visited religious sanctum in Fujian Province
– it receives thousands of pilgrims each year.
The Zhangzhou Volcano Geological Park is the site of a rare submarine
volcano. At the estuary of the Zhangjiang River in Yunxiao County
is a state-level reserve of sharpleaf mangrove forest wetland.
The groves are partially submerged during the flood season. Hailed
as the Hawaii of the Orient, the Dongshan Island is a famous summer
resort. Visitors will realize it is worthy of the title the moment
they set foot on its silver soft beach, with the ageless emerald
ocean in front of them. While the ocean remains unchanging, Zhangzhou
City certainly doesn’t.
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