In addition, Yantai is famous for apples in North China and is internationally renowned for its local specialties. Many products of Yantai have been labeled as National Geographical Indication Protection Products, such as Yantai apple, Yantai big cherry, Longkou bean vermicelli, Yantai sea cucumber and Yantai abalone. Moreover, some products have registered trademark of testified National Geographical Indication, containing Yantai apple, Laiyang pear, Yantai big cherry, Laizhou portunid, Haiyang white cucumber.

Yantai is rich in underground resources, more than 40 kinds of which have been proved reservoirs, with gold tops the first in reservoir and production national-wide. Along its coastal shelf, there are plenty of petroleum and gas, belongs to “Enrichment Oil Area”. The unique climatic and environmental conditions make Yantai a famous production area for fruit, seafood and grape wine as well as a scenic summer resort, thus is famed as the best area for human habitation.

Yantai is one of the first fourteen open coastal cities in China. Thirty years of reform and opening-up have witnessed the great effort of people in Yantai paid in the building of beautiful, prosperous and harmonious city. With traditional advantage in industries like car making, computer, wine and gold, more emerging industries like nuclear power, shipping, chemical engineering, metallurgy and bio-pharmaceuticals have thrived.

In recent years, Yantai has been honored as “The Most Charming Chinese City”, “National Civilized City ”, “Top Ten Chinese Cities of Best Quality of Life”, “Top Ten Chinese Cities of Innovative Environment”, “Gold Metal Chinese City of Investing Environment”, “The Most Charming Chinese City of Financial Ecology”. Yantai has also won “Chang’an Cup” for its overall control of social public security, “The National Prize for Residential Environment” and “World Habitat Awards”.

In 2008, Yantai’s GDP totaled 343.42 billion yuan, up by 13.6 percent over the previous year and 40.2 times as that of 1978. The double-digit growth has kept for twelve years.

Local financial revenue reached 16.62 billion yuan, increased by 18% and completed 195.38 billion yuan of investment in fixed assets, increased by 24.1%. Capita disposable income of urban residents reached 19,350 yuan, capita net income per head of farmers 7,935 yuan, with an increase of 15.4% and 13.7% respectively. The city’s above-scale industry added value of 200.57 billion yuan, increased by 17.5%. High-tech industrial output value reached 314.65 billion yuan, increased by 36.9%. Throughput of port cargo reached 147 million tons, of which container reached 1.53 million TEUs (twentyfoot equivalent unit), increased by 11.8% and 22.5%. The tourism industry achieved total revenue 22.85 billion yuan, and received 23.81 million tourists from home and abroad. The city’s total foreign trade completed $35.03 billion, including export amount $20.65 billion, increased by 46.3% and 46.5%. The export growth ranks first among the 14 coastal open cities. “Going out” strategy speeded up the pace and the foreign investment amount had reached to $80 million, increased by 200%.

By Shen Hong (Shandong Bureau)