Highlights

China Daily | Updated: 2016-04-08 08:07

According to historical Chinese text, Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan province, is a place "in the middle of heaven and Earth".

The earliest culture of Zhengzhou, considered the cradle of Chinese civilization, is the Peiligang culture, which dates back more than 8,000 years ago. It is one of China's eight ancient capitals, a renowned cultural city and tourist destination.

It has also been listed as a national pilot in hygiene, gardening and technology.

It has been a member of the League of Historical Cities since 2004 and is home to two UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites.

The city covers an area of 7446.2 square kilometers and has a population of 9.4 million. Centering around Zhengzhou, the Central Plains Economic Zone covers nearly 300,000 square kilometers across five provinces and 180 million residents.

Last year, the city achieved GDP of 731.5 billion yuan ($113.2 billion), increasing 10.1 percent from 2014. The industrial added value increased 10.2 percent to reach 331.2 billion yuan, the fourth-highest growth figure among 35 large and midsized cities nationwide.

The annual average dispensable income of urban residents grew 8.7 percent to reach 31,000 yuan, while the number for suburban residents was 17,000 yuan, up 8.9 percent.

Zhengzhou is a national hub of railways, highways, air traffic routes, electric power and telecommunications. Its Xinzheng International Airport houses 185 airlines that cover nearly every major economy in the world.

Zhengzhou is also one of China's first pilot cities for cross-border e-commerce.

An important base for advanced manufacturing and services in western and Central China, the city boasts a modern industrial system supported by a variety of sectors, including electronic information, auto and equipment manufacturing, modern trade and logistics, tourism and creative industries.

Thanks to the Central Plains Economic Zone and the Zhengzhou Airport Economic Zone strategies, the city government is making efforts to build an international transportation hub to boost logistics and manufacturing.

China Daily