China Daily Global Edition (USA)
A city shaped by many sides
With its location at the traffic hub of the Xiamen North Railway Station, Jimei sits as a bridgehead for neighboring cities like Xiamen, Zhangzhou and Quanzhou.
Jimei’s constantly improving infrastructure, education, culture and healthcare facilities make it an ever more livable and investment-friendly city that is drawing growing international attention. Jimei is also known for its ecological friendliness and serves as Xiamen’s water supply base.
It is the upstream from Xinglin Bay, the banks of which boast a 26-km green belt.
An education station
In early 20th century, patriotic overseas Chinese leader Tan Kah-kee invested a huge sum to turn Jimei into a university town with a complete education system that includes kindergartens, primary and middle schools, polytechnic colleges and universities.
The old structures have become must-see tourist destinations in the university town, which has grown into a modern education magnet that hosts at least 14 research bodies and institutions of higher learning.
Since 2006, local authorities have stepped up investment in education to the tune of 2.8 billion yuan ($441 million).
The balanced and sustainable development of the education sector contributes to Jimei’s appeal as a livable city.
Industrially advanced
Jimei has been a magnet for investment over the past 20 years. Its pillar industries include auto manufacturing, engineering, machinery, IT and textiles.
The 36-billion yuan Xiamen Software Park III in Jimei’s new city area has attracted 208 industrial firms. It is expected to generate 12 billion yuan during the 12th Five-year Plan. Jimei is expected to play an important role in the Minnan (southeast Fujian) Delta’s economic development. It is expected that Jimei will enjoy a balanced economic development mode by 2015, with its industrial and service sectors rapidly advancing.
Jimei is also a pilot area for Xiamen’s efforts to build low-carbon sub-cities.
“Jimei shows positive changes with each passing day,” Fujian Party chief Sun Chunlan said during a recent inspection tour of Jimei.
Jimei has received a total investment of 13.3 billion yuan to enhance its core competitiveness in recent years.
Guankou town in Jimei’s new city area has been put on the State’s first list of green, lowcarbon pilot townships. The town has 117 ongoing industrial and service projects, with a total investment of 22 billion yuan.
Local authorities have been working on the Oasis Project to improve livelihoods. The social welfare project includes more than 70 items in 12 categories and covers residents from all social strata.
Jimei has lured more than 200,000 migrant workers as it expands its industrial sectors. Most are based in the Jimei Taiwan Investment Park and Xinglin Taiwan Investment Park. The migrant workers are quickly integrating into local society, thanks to a nondifferentiating social welfare policy.
Tourism hot spot
Jimei has long been known as a tourist destination. It boasts the Tan Kah-kee Memorial Park, a 4A tourism area; the Garden Exposition Park; and the world’s largest water park, which is located at Xinglin Bay and has 600 hectares of water.
It has two popular sightseeing routes — namely, an 18-km coastal scenic belt and a 92-sq-km mountainous scenic area.
Still, Jimei has great potential to advance its appeal as a travel destination.
In the coming years, it will develop more shopping malls, high-end hotels, seaside sports resorts and theme parks. It will also host annual cross-Straits dragon boat races, the China Car Rally and the China Amateur Basketball Open.
Jimei is expected to become a hot spot for global travelers with its sightseeing, leisure, shopping, amusement and sports.