Healthcare industry takes off in serene Beidaihe district

Zhang Rui did not expect to spend about 20 days of his summer holiday in Beidaihe New District in Qinhuangdao, northern Hebei province.

"The chirping cicadas, the aroma of flowers, green trees, beach and sea - it has everything I want," he said.

Zhang said he initially saw the place as just one stop on a longer trip, until he found himself reluctant to leave.

Located to the west of Qinhuangdao, the district is near the Bohai Sea and Feicui Island, which features a seaside scenery with sand dunes. But, about 35 percent of the district is covered with forests.

Feng Zhiyong, deputy mayor of Qinhuangdao, said its unique climate offers cool air in summer and warmth in winter.

"You can see the sea, lakes, springs, mountains, wetlands and woods in just one hour's ride," he said. "The content of negative oxygen ion in the air is 10 to 20 times higher than ordinary cities, which is healthy."

Beidaihe New District has been included in the country's first batch of healthcare tourism demonstration centers. It has many sanatoriums that are open to domestic and international guests year-round.

A 55.4-square-kilometer international healthcare hub is taking shape in the district, focusing on the sectors of health management, healthcare services, biopharmaceuticals, medical device research and production, elderly care, sports and fitness, and health insurance.

Beidaihe is set to attract medical institutes from Beijing and become an international tourist destination featuring healthcare services, as well as an eco-friendly resort in North China, according to an industrial development plan released by the provincial government.

The district's goal is to develop an advanced and modernized international healthcare industrial chain, with the sector projected to generate 20 billion yuan ($3 billion) in annual industrial output value in 2020.

By then, the district's innovative growth is expected to provide an exemplary model, as a leader of the country's healthcare industry.