Decoding Chenzhou City’s Rapid Improvement Part II

Supported with the transportation construction, urban and rural areas were improved greatly, which helped to upgrade mountainous areas of south Hunan province to be livable and investment attraction place.

Chenyong Avenue which was invested with 2.1billion yuan was opened to public on December 25, 2013. 6 lanes in two directions, asphalt pavement, 3 greening belts, 2 non-motor lanes, and other high standards of inter-city highways made the guests pay high compliment on it.

It was like flying on the road when you drove on these wide roads and the greening belts, workshops and other beautiful sceneries dropped into eyes on the trip.

“That is ‘take-off runway’for Chenzhou city’s take-off” introduced by Qu Hai- Deputy Secretary of Chenzhou Municipal Party Committee and Mayor of Chenzhou City. Along with the operation of Chenyong Avenue, the “great cross”transportation network for Chenzigui-Chenyongyi was basically formed. Expressway, high speed train, provincial and national road and inter-city highway were formed the framework of Chenzhou city’s rapid transportation network, which indicated that Chenzhou city stepped into the rapid transportation era.

Actually, Chenzhou city was forced to accelerate the transportation construction.

Chenzhou city was with unique location advantages. But five years ago, because of its poor transportation condition, Chenzhou was without advantages on location.

According to a report released by Chenzhou Government, there were just 797kms mileages of second and above level highways, ranking the 7th place of Hunan province and being just 60% of Shaoguan city- its neighbor city in Guangdong province.

The stories about“investigating Chenzhou city, but settling down in Ganzhou city” were often happened in earlier days.

Ma Shiheng- Director of HK Trade Development Council investigated Chenzhou city in the end of 2007 to check the details of settlement of HK Industrial Park. But it took over 8 hours for the 300kms trip when they traveled in Chenzhou city.

Such inconvenient transportation condition made the HK investors feel worried about its further development, so they turned to Ganzhou city, Jiangxi province afterward and finally decided to settle its 50square kilometers HK Industrial Park in Ganzhou city.

“No highway, no investment.”

Chenzhou government was aware of this situation and decided to carry out 3-year transportation construction battle. Over 50billion yuan was invested by Chenzhou city from 2009 to 2012 on the transportation infrastructure. Afterward, a 3-year transportation construction project with 50 billion yuan investment was kept to be handled out in Chenzhou city. Till now, the expressway mileage of Chenzhou city was 700kms, 49 Hunan provincial and national highways were improved greatly and all the rural highways were finished.

“Such scale was equal to the total amount of 10years in earlier stage”said proudly by Zhou Fanping- Director of Chenzhou Transportation Bureau. Zhou also told the reporters, expressways, provincial and national highways and rural roads were available in Chenzhou city which helped to form the circulation transportation pattern inside and outside Chenzhou city and helped to form the one-hour and half-hour economic circles of Chenzhou city.

Thanks to the improvement of transportation, the advantages of Chenzhou city’s location was enlarged and well noted by the investors. Chenzhou city’s open economy was improved greatly and its resource advantages were transformed to economic advantages.

Some big projects were settled down along the traffic lines. When reporters drove along Chenzhou Avenue and Chengyong Avenue, some modern enterprises were established on the road sides. Some poor counties and towns attracted with big enterprises as well. Baishidu town of Yizhang county where was with the biggest explored fluorite mine of Asia attracted the Hongyuan Chemical which was holding by central enterprise. Once finished, its annual sales volume can hit 1billion yuan with 300million yuan profit and tax payments.

Assisted with the convenient transportation, some counties tried great efforts to promote its special industries. Rucheng Reshui town is with unique high temperature hot springs. “Since Xiarong expressway and Xiangshen expressway were opened to public, Rucheng hot spring economy was kept improved rapidly” said Tang Aihua- Secretary of Reshui Town’s Party Committee. 0.2million visitors were received by Reshui town in 2012 and over one million visitors would be there in 2013.

Thanks to the great improvement of transportation, Chenzhou city’s dream of new urbanization gradually became true.

“It is impossible to build great city for Chenzhou city’s new urbanization. It would follow the way to improve the smaller ones with the guidance of bigger ones. It is a coordinate development way which would forge the regional small and medium-sized town cluster and help to reach the urbanization locally.” Xiang Lili figured out a clear blueprint of Chenzhou city’ new urbanization and presented to the reporters: it would improve a batch of demonstration towns and build the new rural with the main body of great cross town clusters (Suxian district, Beihu district, Zixing city, Guiyang county, Yizhang county and Yongxing county), the core of Chenzhou central urban areas (Suxian district and Beihu district) and the support of county downtowns.

The great cross town clusters were the core increasing poles for Chenzhou city’s new urbanization. According to the plan, Chenzhou central urban area would be expanded with 100square kilometers and one million population in 2015, and 300 square kilometers and 3 million population in 2030.

“Now, it just takes half an hour to drive from Chenzhou central urban area to Zixing city and Guiyang county. Though no big rivers available in Chenzhou urban area, due to the convenient transportation condition, Zixing city’s Dongjiang lake and Guiyang county’s Chongling river are just as parts of Chenzhou urban area. The residents live near the central urban areas were capable to find the jobs and settle down there.”

It was not just a poetry description. When reporters visited Heping village of Suxian district, Sanhe village of Beihu district, and Baokou village of Yongxing county, they found their infrastructure condition was no difference from the urban area. Beautiful decoration, flowers and trees were granted the villages with more beautiful garden views. Many urban residents wanted to live there instead.

The rapid development of Xiaobu village of Beihu district was also benefited from the convenient transportation. This 500 years old ancient village became an ecological new city with the functions of commerce, housing, tourism, and agriculture.

It was introduced by Wu Guang- President Assistant of Xiaobu Investment Development Group that there was no good condition road available in Xiaobu village before Yunan Jinye Ecology Construction Group placing investment there. But years later, Xiaorong expressway, Hengwu expressway and Chenzhou Avenue were opened to public. The upgrading project for the provincial road near Xiaobu village was placed to operation as well. Xiaobu village’s transportation condition became much more convenient than before. Unexpectedly that Chenzhou airport was planned to be built in the north of Xiaobu village. It was not surprised that Xiaobu village to be improved so fast in recent years.

Thanks to the improvement of transportation condition, the mass were benefited with equal basic public service. Rural roads, public bus, solar powered street lamps, and etc. were facilitated to the rural areas, which greatly improve people’s living condition.