Zhaoyuan

Zhaoyuan, a county-level city in Yantai, Shandong province, has 10 towns, 724 villages and a provincial economic development zone, with an area of 1,433 square kilometers and a population of 580,000.

It is the country’s top production area for gold, with its gold output occupying one-seventh of the country’s total. It is also a major apple production area and home to Longkou bean vermicelli. Its annual vermicelli output tops 250,000 tons, taking up 85 percent of the country’s total.

In addition, Zhaoyuan has focused on developing the industries of gold, wheels, auto parts, electronic materials, machinery and food processing. It is also rich in tourism resources that feature hot springs, mountains and seas.

In 2010, its total output value amounted to 45.3 billion yuan ($7.38 billion) and generated fiscal revenue of 2.26 billion yuan, an increase of 15.2 percent and 25.3 percent, respectively.