Shanghai Daily News

Xuancheng officials were encouraged by the reception they received last week when the second Xuancheng City Agriculture and Tourism Fair was held at Shanghai Agricultural Exhibition Hall.

Huge crowds descended on the Changning District fair that was set up to promote agricultural products and tourism in the Anhui Province city. The three-day fair featured an agriculture promotion meeting, an investment project signing ceremony and a tourism promotion meeting.

Experts, both local and from Anhui, in the field of agriculture and tourism, together with some agricultural products buyers, were invited to attend the fair. More than 260 agricultural items from 99 enterprises were exhibited. In addition, five distinct tourism destinations were promoted.

Located in Anhui Province's southeast, Xuancheng is a city bordering the Yangtze River to the north, the Yellow Mountains in the south, the Jiuhua Mountains in the west and Su-Zhe-Hu (Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai) in the east.

Xuancheng, which oversees Xuanzhou District, Ningguo City and Langxi, Guangde, Jingxian, Jixi and Jingde counties, covers an area of 12,300 square kilometers and has a population of 2.75 million.

Jingxian County was recognized by the National Bureau for Quality Supervision as the originator of Xuan paper. Jixi County was also honored by an United Nations institute as an "international green food demonstration area."

Xu Aiping, director of the Xuancheng People's Government's press office, said industry, efficient agriculture and tourism was the new strategy of the area's development.

"The recent economic boom, coupled with upgraded tourist facilities and a well-preserved environment, has made the area a favorite tourist destinations for visitors both domestic and foreign."

With forest blanketing almost 60 percent of its area, Xuancheng boasts fine teas such as Jingtingluxue and Tingxilanxiang. Other specialties such as walnuts, chestnuts, dates, papaya, bamboo and ramie (a flax-like fiber) also contributed to the city's economy.

"Currently, a total of 174 companies in the agricultural industry each had annual sales of more than 5 million yuan (US$625,000)," Xu said. "Among them, two are state level and 36 are provincial level. In addition, 61 processing enterprises have had annual sales revenue of more than 50 million yuan."

Besides its natural wealth, Xuancheng boasts six nationally-protected cultural heritage sites, including Jingting Mountain, the Ancestral Temple of the Hu Family and more than 100 spots under provincial-level protection.

Xuancheng is sticking to its formulated policy of "getting integrated with the Zhejiang-Jiangsu-Shanghai economic belt, promoting industry, attracting investments and encouraging private economy" so as to secure a position in the nation's "Central-West development campaign" on its way to a better-off all-round society.

Supported by the Agriculture Commission of the municipal government of Shanghai and Anhui Province, it was the second fair that the government of Xuancheng City had sponsored to promote its agricultural and tourist products locally.

At the opening ceremony where Anhui Province natives gave performances to promote its strong Hui ethnic culture, Xu said he hoped that such a fair would be successful to bring Xuancheng's agricultural products and culture to its sister cities.