Rising govt revenues make social initiatives possibleBy Xu Xiaoxuxiao@chinadaily.存倉com.cnRelying on the wealth accumulated during six decades of economic growth, authorities in the Siming district are now focused on improving public living standards.The district was established in 1950 in Xiamen, Fujian province. It is now the economic, political and cultural center of the renowned coastal city.The district government said “fortune” and “happiness” are the key words for today’s Siming.The local officials pointed out that increasing government revenues are an important indicator of public fortune and a major financial resource that the government uses to improve the local quality of life and for other social undertakings.In 2012, the district reported government revenue of 13.3 billion yuan, an increase of 20.3 percent year-on-year, signaling record growth in the past five years.In the first half of 2013, government revenue approached 9.1 billion yuan, the largest of all the cities in Fujian.The officials said the fortune comes from the city’s abundant business opportunities brought by its born geographic advantages as a close neighbor of Taiwan, as well as its preferential policy environment as a part of a city that is listed as one of the four special economic zones in China and a pilot in cross-Straits business cooperation.Tourist attractionsThe unique natural environment there also makes the district appealing to both residents and tourists.Embraced by mountains and sea, Siming district has a pleasant climate.There are several renowned tourist resorts along the 10-kilometer beaches. Fifteen of Xiamen’s top 20 resorts are located in Siming.The most attractive among all the resorts is the 1.77-square-kilometer Gulangyu Island, which is about 500 meters away from the city proper across the Lujiang River.Featuring blue sea, green trees and colonial-style houses, the serene island is also known as “the garden on the sea”.According to the district government, Siming’s tourism revenue reached 39.2 billion yuan in 2012, accounting for 70 percent of Xiamen’s total.In recent years, the government has highlighted the service industry and several emerging industries.It has a booming high-end consumer goods market, making it a trend leader in Xiamen as well as Fujian province.The Paragon Center is Fujian’s first and largest high-end shopping mall, gathering some 80 globally renowned brands, including such luxury names as Gucci, Burberry and Montblanc.Another luxury shopping mall called China City has a 200-meter-long corridor for showcasing renowned watches. Here consumers can find luxury watch brands, including Piaget, Jaeger-Le Coultre, Omega, and IWC.China City also has the first Ferrari and Maserati showrooms in Fujian province.In addition to these luxury shopping malls, high-end hospitality business is another propeller of Siming’s development.In Siming, there are 48 star-rated hotels, accounting for 61 percent of Xiamen’s total.Many hotels combine first-rate facilities with Siming’s regional characteristics.For instance, the Hotel Nikko Xiamen gives guests a sea view through French windows in the rooms.The district is also on its way toward becoming a luxury yachting hub of Xiamen, with the Shangshan International Yacht Club now under construction. Local government officials said “the club is expected to introduce a new lifestyle to local people” when becoming operational.Pivotal roleSiming district is playing a pivotal role in Xiamen’s initiative to build a cross-Straits financial hub.According to the district government, in the first half of 2013, the district’s financial and insurance enterprises generated revenue totaling more than 6.6 billion yuan, an increase of 9.3 percent year-on-year.Government officials said these companies have offered strong financial support for local growth and cross-Straits business cooperation.Another driver of growth is Siming’s advantages in terms of high-quality human resources. The district is home to seve迷你倉al renowned higher learning and research institutes, including the prestigious Xiamen University.The district government has also implemented a talent plan, with a 100-million-yuan fund to support talent development.The district also regularly hosts academic activities, inviting famous experts and scholars to give lectures to local researchers and students.Amid rapid economic and social transformation, the local government wants to make sure that all the residents, especially those lower-income families, can enjoy a better life.One of the efforts is the “warm-heart supermarket”, an invention by the district in May 2004. In these supermarkets, donated goods are displayed on shelves and needy people can choose what they want for free.The goal of the supermarket is to let people get help while keeping their dignity, government officials said.So far, 1,200 families have received continuous help from the service.Now the “warm-heart” initiative has evolved into a public welfare brand, including 11 supermarkets, 26 online schools, six classrooms, 12 canteens and 40 community funds under the same name.Investment projectsThe Siming district is bringing a number of investment projects to the 17th China International Fair for Investment and Trade, which opens today in Xiamen, to seek potential partners from China and abroad.The following are the major projects:Developments relating to the cross-Straits financial hub． Haixi Jingu Plaza: an office building complex with total floor space of 400,000 square meters.． Kaiyuan Industrial Park: a development with total floor space of 1.53 million square meters.． Tefang International Center: a commercial and cultural facility with 387,000 square meters of floor space.． Xiamen Financial Center: a 49-story, 212-square-meter building.． Zhonghang Zijin Plaza: a five-star hotel and other commercial facilities.Guanyinshan area． Guanyinshan Plaza: a hotel and an office building and other facilities.Sports and culture． People’s Stadium: a sports center combining cultural and commercial facilities.． Longshan Creativity Park: the largest creativity park in Fujian.． Xiamen Industrial Design Center: a facility combining design, R&D, technology transfer, information consultation and other functions.． Straits Fashion & Art Center: a facility for fashion design and performance.． Siming Architecture Design and R&D Center: office building for architecture design and research firms.． Hongwen Fashion Industry Park: a facility combining fashion design, exhibition and experience.High-tech development． Siming Photo-Electronic Building: an R&D service center for photo-electronic enterprises in the Xiamen Science Park.． Xiamen University Science Park: the only university science park in Fujian.． Cross-Straits e-commerce park: office buildings for e-commerce businesses.highlightUnique HistorySiming, which means “missing the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)”, was given its name by renowned general Zheng Chenggong.After the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) force defeated the Ming in the north, Zheng still led an army in Fujian province to defend the struggling Ming.He named the place where his army was stationed as the Siming prefecture in 1650.Zheng led a navy force from Xiamen to Taiwan to fight against the Dutch invaders in 1661. After several decisive victories, the Dutch were forced to leave Taiwan, and the island became Zheng’s last stronghold against the Qing, which had already seized most of the Chinese mainland.Zheng was a diehard loyalist to the Ming Dynasty, which made it impossible for him to return to the mainland. Unable to return to his homeland because of the continued strife, he died in 1662 in Taiwan.In the early years of the Republic of China period (1912-1949), Siming county was established with an area covering today’s Xiamen city and Kinmen county of Taiwan.In 1950, the Siming district was founded at the central part of Xiamen.A huge Zheng Chenggong statue has been erected on the Gulangyu Island to commemorate this national hero.自存倉
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