It boasts excellent living and business environment. It features pleasant climate and beautiful living surrounding. A variety of living facilities are well equipped, such as facilities of education, health care, sports, community service, etc. It is committed to building an innovation-oriented city and currently has 15 above provincial-level technology centers, including two state-level centers, as well as 5 post-doctoral scientific research station.

It has set up a high-tech industrial parks and innovation service center (incubator). There are 10 provincial-level economic development zones and industrial parks which vigorously develop export-oriented economy and enjoy the national preferential policies. Liaocheng spares no effort to provide the most preferential policies for foreign investors. The municipal government has founded administrative services halls to provide investors with focused, limited examination and approval service. It owns foreign-related institutions like customs, commodity inspection, bonded warehouses, etc. where import and export goods can be directly declared and inspected.

Canal Square

In 2008, the city had 120 billion yuan of GDP, up by 13% over the previous year; the total financial revenue reached 11.99 billion yuan, up by 19.9%, including the local revenue of 4.89 billion yuan, up by 15.4%; the total investment in fixed assets was 52 billion, increasing by 25.5%; the total retail sales of consumer goods reached 39.3 billion yuan, increasing by 22%; the per-capita disposable income of urban residents totaled 14,385 yuan, rising by 16% and the per-capita net income of rural residents 5041 yuan, up by 12%; the actually utilized foreign capital totaled 120 million dollars, up by 20%; the total value of import and export reached 3 billion dollars, an increase of 74%, among which exports of 1.5 billion dollars, up by 50%. The growth rate of various indicators all led other cities of Shangdong province.

China Canal Museum

By Wang Qian (Shandong Bureau)