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Jimei district now driving growth [China Daily: Hong Kong Edition]
[September 07, 2014]

Jimei district now driving growth [China Daily: Hong Kong Edition]


(China Daily: Hong Kong Edition Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Jimei district of the coastal city Xiamen is well known for its long tradition in education.

Located in the city's center, well suited as an important gateway, Jimei now has its sights set firmly on a new development phase - further sharpening its cultural and educational edge.

A new area surrounding famed Jimei Study Village and a "new city" inside the district are taking shape through efforts from the local government.

Jimei Study Village Jimei Study Village was founded in 1913 by renowned overseas Chinese businessman and philanthropist Tan Kah Kee, or Chen Jiageng. It is considered a milestone in China's education history.

The village offers comprehensive learning from kindergarten to primary, middle and high school, and then on to university. The former residence of Chen and a memorial park for him inside the city have become popular tourism spots.

Bathed in an atmosphere of education for more than 100 years, the village has attracted a range of top institutions and continues to offer high-quality instruction.

A new education area surrounding the village has 14 institutions of higher learning or scientific research including the Institute of Urban Environment at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jimei University, the Xiamen campus of Huaqiao University and Xiamen University of Technology.



Since 2006, the local government has invested more than 3 billion yuan ($489 million) in sustaining the development of education.

The district's natural environment also adds to the appeal. Xinglin Bay in Jimei is dubbed the city's West Lake, while Yuanbo Park with the bay as its background features a range of water scenes.


The local government has stepped up efforts in environment protection to create a place that is alluring for living, traveling and also study.

'New city' After some 20 years of development as a State-level investment destination for entrepreneurs from Taiwan, Jimei's infrastructure and business environment are already well developed.

It also has industrial clusters for automobiles, heavy machinery and electronic information, as well as textiles and apparel.

The local government started to develop the modern service industry in 2008 and it aims to have manufacturing and service as its two driving industries.

In 2009, authorities in Xiamen formulated a strategy to unify development on and outside the island. As a result, urbanization has been on the fast track in Jimei.

The district also appeals to residents with an increasing number of cultural facilities - art galleries, public libraries, bookstores, a science museum and performance venues like theaters.

It has become the home to the city's booming tourism, cultural and creative industries.

As a major part of modern services, information technology is also flourishing in Jimei.

Large IT-related facilities now under construction in Jimei include China Mobile's cellphone animation center, China Telecom's cross-Straits communications hub and China Cyberport's Haixi operation center.

Construction on the third phase of Xiamen Software Park is now the most important IT project in the district, according to the local government.

With a goal of developing the "silicon valley of Xiamen", the district government plans to invest 36 billion yuan in building an industrial park that can accommodate some 200,000 employees.

Six buildings in the third phase software park are in use with 15 enterprises now in operation, bringing the total number of registered enterprises in the entire software park to 309.

According to the local government, major projects worth more than 100 billion yuan have been sealed and the total investment in fixed assets has reached 60.9 billion yuan.

Transport hub Four major railways run across Jimei with their hub at Xiamen North Railway Station, also located in Jimei.

As well, the district has an advanced highway network and two subway lines under construction that when complete will cover the most of Jimei.

The "city" area in the district is planned to expand to some 100 sq km by 2020, accommodating 1 million people, according to the local government.

[email protected] (China Daily 09/08/2014 page16) (c) 2014 China Daily Information Company. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).

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