The city of Guigang, also known as the "Lotus City," is concentrating its efforts on constructing a major shipping hub along the Xijiang River basin, leading to the swift development of its core industrial sectors.
A press conference was held on June 18th, marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the prefecture-level Guigang City. The event, part of a series outlining plans for the 15th Five-Year Plan period, highlighted the city's historic socio-economic achievements over the past three decades. City leaders Lin Haibo and Li Jintao were in attendance.
Lin Haibo, the city's Party Secretary and Mayor, stated that since its official establishment on June 22, 1996, Guigang has embarked on a new chapter. For thirty years, the city has adhered to a port-driven development strategy, focusing on building the Xijiang River basin shipping hub. Port cargo throughput has surged dramatically, from 3.08 million tons in 1996 to exceeding 100 million tons in 2020. The once agriculture-dependent region has transformed into a vibrant "Lotus City" along the golden Xijiang waterway, characterized by thriving industries, efficient logistics, and improved living standards for its residents.
The city has prioritized people-centered new urbanization, continuously optimizing its urban spatial layout and improving urban-rural infrastructure. The built-up urban area has expanded significantly, with the central city area now covering 105.19 square kilometers. The urbanization rate has jumped from 13.9% to 53.9%, substantially increasing the city's capacity. Rural revitalization has been steadily advanced, with the successful task of lifting 403,400 people out of poverty and removing 360 villages from the poverty list completed across the region, accelerating integrated urban-rural development.
Over the past thirty years, Guigang has consistently prioritized people's livelihoods. Cumulative expenditure on public welfare has surpassed 270 billion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of 10.1%. The per capita disposable income of urban and rural residents has increased by 8.4 times and 10.8 times, respectively, and the urban-rural income gap has continued to narrow.
"We must continue to benefit the people and improve the ecology," Lin Haibo said. "We will focus on addressing the pressing concerns of the public, strengthen inclusive, fundamental, and essential social welfare systems, adhere to ecological priority, conservation, and green, low-carbon development, and coordinate efforts to reduce carbon emissions, cut pollution, expand green spaces, and promote growth, aiming to build a beautiful Guigang with blue skies, green land, and clear water."
Li Jintao noted that from 1996 to 2025, the city's annual tourist arrivals grew by an average of 12.1%, and total tourism revenue increased by an average of 18.1% annually, earning Guigang recognition as a national pilot city for cultural and tourism consumption. Moving forward, the city will continue to develop and utilize its core resources—often summarized as "three mountains, one gorge, and one culture"—improve infrastructure, enrich cultural and tourism offerings, and enhance service quality. The goal is to build an ecological tourism destination that connects with the Greater Bay Area and radiates influence to ASEAN, thereby promoting high-quality development in the cultural and tourism industry.
Lin Haibo emphasized that Guigang must persistently focus on industry and strengthen empowerment to bolster its capacity for high-quality development. Building on its industrial foundation, the city will adhere to a direction of intelligent, green, and integrated development, strengthen the application of artificial intelligence across all sectors, optimize the primary industry, strengthen the secondary industry, and expand the tertiary industry.
The city will vigorously develop its maritime economy, concentrate on strengthening six pillar industrial clusters—including modern chemicals, modern papermaking, and timber and home furnishings—and grow five distinctive industries such as new energy electric vehicles. It will also cultivate emerging and future industries to build a "6+5+N" industrial system, striving to establish itself as China's southern hub for fertilizers, paper, and timber.
At thirty years old, Guigang stands at a youthful and energetic point. As it embarks on the new starting point of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the city remains committed to pragmatism and innovation as its core principles, letting achievements speak for themselves and allowing the people to be the judges. It aims to fully integrate into and serve the broader development strategies of the nation and the autonomous region.
Simultaneously, the city will seize the historic opportunity presented by the completion and opening of the Pinglu Canal, enhance the empowerment of "AI+" across all industries, vigorously develop the maritime economy, accelerate industrial transformation and upgrading, and coordinate the advancement of public welfare projects, ensuring that the fruits of development benefit more people.
Comments