As one of the key cities in China’s central plains with an area of 4,996 square kilometers and a population of 4.92million, Xuchang currently has jurisdiction over 6 counties and 3 functional districts, including one Urban and Rural Integration Demonstration district, one National Economic and Technological Development District, and one modern service industry cluster district in Eastern Xuchang City. Xuchang has been honored as “National Civilized City”, “National Clean City”, and “Excellent Tourism City in China”, “National Garden City”, “National Forest City”, “National Greenery Model City” and “National Water Saving City”. According to the evaluation report released by Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in the year 2015, the comprehensive economic competitiveness of Xuchang ranked the third in Henan province, the 70th among the 294 cities in China. Xuchang is a vigorous city in the following six aspects.

The first, Xuchang is a cultural city with a long history. In history, the city was named “Xudi” in the Period of Remote Antiquity, “Xu Kingdom” in the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046 B.C.----771B.C.), “Xu County” in the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.----207 B.C.); At present, it is known as “ Five Capitals and Four Hometowns”. First, it is known as the “Capital of Wei” and “Hometown of the Culture of the Three Kingdoms”. Caocao, a great hero and statesman during the period of Three Kingdoms (220 A.D. ----280 A.D.), achieved great success and became the leader of Wei (one of the three kingdoms) during his 25 years life in Xuchang. Second, it is “Capital of Flowers”. Centered on Yanling county, the planting area of flowers and trees amounts to 15,000 acres, which is the largest planting and trading center of flowers and trees in China. With the earned fame of “East or west, Yanling’s wintersweet is best”, the city is also known as “Hometown of Chinese Wintersweet”. Third, it is “Capital of Jun Porcelain”. Yuzhou under its jurisdiction is the birthplace of the Jun Porcelain, which ranks among the five most famous porcelains in China, thus earning it a fame of “Hometown of Jun Porcelain Culture”. Fourth, it is “Capital of Tobacco” and “Hometown of China’s Tobacco Culture”. As one of the key planting areas of tobaccos in China with the most complete industrial chain to produce tobaccos, it is called “the kingdom of tobaccos” by Chairman Mao the great founder of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Last but not least, it is “Capital of Chinese Medicine Herbs”. Yuzhou under its jurisdiction is one of the four biggest trading centers of Chinese medicine herbs in the country. Sun Simiao, the great therapist and pharmacist in the Tang Dynasty (618 A.D.----690 A.D.), worked for a long time in Yuzhou, earning the place the fame of “a doctor who has no acquaintance of Sun Simiao the master doctor is not a good doctor, herbal medicines that are not traded from Yuzhou are not good herbal medicines. ”

The second, Xuchang enjoys easy access to various transportation facilities. It is about 80 kilometers away from Zhengzhou the capital city of Henan province, and about 50 kilometers away from Zhengzhou Xingzheng International Airport, neighboring Zhengzhou International Airport Economic Pilot Area. There are 7 express ways running through Xuchang and the area under its jurisdiction. With Beijing Shenzhen High-Speed Rail running from south to north through the city and Zhengzhou Wanzhou High-speed Rail and Zhengzhou Hefei High-speed Rail under construction, Xuchang will have 3 High-speed Rail and 5 High-speed rail stations, achieving the goal of linking up all the counties under its jurisdiction by high-speed rail. Xuchang is also a logistics center of the second grade in the country, making it one of the most convenient logistics areas in China. Integrating express ways, high-speed rails and international airport, Xuchang has forged a fast and convenient transportation network, bringing its logistics, cold chain logistics in particular, to the leading rank in the country.

The third, Xuchang boasts an ecologically-friendly environment. It is designated as a Demonstration Area of National Ecological Civilization, with established urban green areas now accounting for 34.35 percent of the total urban area and the rate of green coverage amounting to 40.25 percent. The per-capita public green area averages 11.27 square meters. Its digital urban management won “The National Model Prize for Model Living Environment”. An interconnected river and lake network about 82 kilometers has been established in the center of the city, bringing beautiful water ecological landscapes of “running rivers, blue lakes, clean water, green banks” to its habitants. With improved water quality and water ecology, the “Hydraulic Scenic Area of Xuchang the Ancient Capital of Wei” was granted a national hydraulic scenic area.

The fourth, industry in Xuchang is of its own characters. The competitiveness of industry of Xuchang ranks the third in Henan Province, with companies of comparatively large scale amounting to 1600. The Profits of these companies have ranked the second in the province for years. At present, an industrial chain including green power equipment, industrial robots, new energy vehicles, bio medicine, automobile and spare parts, elevators, food and cold chain, super hard materials and products, recycled metals and products, hair products and new information technology“10+1” is gradually taking shape. With nationally renowned companies such as Xuji Group Corporation, Senyuan Group, Huanghe Industrial group, Zongpin Food Industry, Henan Rebecca Hair Products INC., Xuchang Yuandong Drive Shaft Co., Ltd., XJ Schindler, Xuchang has become China’s major power equipment production base, Asia’s largest man-made diamond production base, the world’s largest hair products production base, China’s major auto parts production base, the largest elevator production base in Central and Western China, and the largest renewable resource recycling base in the north of the Yangtze River’s.

The fifth, economic growth presents dynamic development. Xuchang is a city with highly developed private economy of which the added value accounts for more than 75% of economic output. Among the 37,000 private companies, four of them with the main business income exceeding 10 billion yuan and each has entered China’s “Top 500 Private Enterprises”, accounting for one third of the total number of that in Henan Province. Business startups and innovations by the general public are flourishing, with the growth of the number of the provincial engineering technology research centers ranking first and the total amount of new patent applications and granting ranking 3rd in Henan Province. The contribution of scientific and technological progress toward economic growth has reached 58%. So, during his inspection to Xuchang last September, Prime Minister Li Keqiang praised Xuchang by saying that “Business startups and innovations by the general public are in full flourish”.

The sixth, it shows a strong momentum of opening-up. Xuchang has established economic and trade cooperation with over 160 countries and regions. Up till now, the import of some strategic investors such as State Grid Corporation of China and Ping An Insurance Company as well as the establishment of a strong cooperative relationship with some international companies, such as Microsoft, Siemens, General Motors, etc. has been done. Two State-leveled export bases have been established, namely, Foreign Trade Transformation and Upgrading Demonstration Base and National Science and Technology Commercial Innovation Base. In addition, the operation of Xuchang Entry-exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau and Xuchang Customs represent the preliminary establishment of the Customs Clearance.