CHANGZHI, China, Nov. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Changzhi, the home of many Chinese ancient legends, is creating a new legend of industry today. An original report by City Channel of CRI Online follows:
Sitting in southeastern Shanxi province, the city is where, according to folklore, the Chinese nation's ancestor Shen Nong tasted all herbs and taught local people to farm, and thus started a great civilization.
During the Second World War, Changzhi was the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army, who fought against the Japanese aggression.
Rich natural resources, convenient transportation, excellent ecological conditions and policies have made the Changzhi an ideal investment destination with a resources-based economy model. Its traditional key industries include coal, coke, electricity and metallurgy.
But emerging industries, such as LED, solar battery, new materials and deep processing of oil, are attracting increased attention from the local government.
The LED industry, in particular, is believed to be a new engine to boost the city's economy with the nation's only one full LED industrial chain established there.
The city's mayor Zhang Bao said the coal industry "has once contributed much to Changzhi, but over-dependence on the industry led to difficulties," so they "made a strategic choice to seek some new sources of development". The LED industry is one of the solutions.
With two years' effort, the city has built a large-scale LED industry cluster. It will become the world's first LED industry park with an integrated industrial chain.
The government also plans to build the world's largest production base of sapphire and high-end lighting facilities.
