A pilot area for targeted poverty alleviation
In November 2013, President Xi Jinping first put forward the concept of targeted poverty alleviation during his visit to Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in Hunan Province. Over the past nine years, the prefecture has planned the overall situation of economic and social development focused on poverty alleviation. By fighting hard and decisively against poverty, the prefecture has secured a complete victory in the battle against poverty, which is unprecedented. One city and seven counties in the prefecture have shaken off poverty, with 1,100 impoverished villages and 656,000 poor people having been lifted out of poverty. Shibadong Village in the prefecture has explored a good model of targeted poverty alleviation that can be replicated and promoted, setting the "Xiangxi example" in the practice of targeted poverty alleviation.
Green ecological development
With its forest coverage rate at over 70 percent, the prefecture is a national key ecological function area, national forest city and important ecological barrier for the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and has become one of the greenest areas and a model city for green development in China. It has built the largest selenium-enriched kiwifruit base in the world, and the largest ponkan and lily base in China. It is famous for its production of golden tea and its national base of high-quality tobacco leaves. Its green, ecological and organic selenium-enriched agricultural products enjoy fame at home and abroad. As the prefecture boasts the highest quality air and water in Hunan Province, it is the first choice for the development of the green food, tourism and health care industries.
Abundant culture and tourism resources
Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture boasts 1,517 historical and cultural sites, 172 traditional villages, 28 national intangible cultural heritage protection lists and 321 national eco-cultural tourism brands, including one world cultural world cultural heritage site, one world geopark, one historical and cultural city, and four historical and cultural towns. Fenghuang Ancient Town, Laosicheng Tusi Site and Liye Ancient Town enjoy a good reputation at home and abroad. As a model for the integrated development of culture and tourism in China, the prefecture is one of the top 10 tourist spots in China with a high growth in tourism. The Mysterious Xiangxi, a brand under the Splendid Xiaoxiang campaign, has been shortlisted as one of the world’s top 10 tourist destinations together with Hunan.
Characteristic industrial growth
Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture has formed a new industrial system dominated by characteristic modern agriculture and eco-cultural tourism, supported by modern manufacturing and labor-intensive processing, and led by electronic information and new materials. Featured products include golden tea, quality liquor, new materials, and cultural and creative products. The prefecture has built two national modern agricultural industrial parks and nine provincial-level industrial parks.
Openness and innovation
Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture has built a three-dimensional comprehensive transportation network system, and its Zhangjiajie-Jishou-Huaihua High-speed Railway and Xiangxi Biancheng Airport are to be opened to traffic in 2022. The prefecture is the only one among the 30 ethnic autonomous prefectures in China that has both a world cultural heritage site and a world geopark, and the only national industrial transfer demonstration area. It is also a national forest city, one of the seven national cultural and ecological preservation areas, one of the 10 demonstration cities and prefectures for traditional village contiguous protection and utilization, and a demonstration prefecture of national unity and progress. The growth rate of funds from other provinces and cities in China and the rate of project implementation rank among the top in Hunan Province. It has played a leading role in undertaking industrial transfers and has become an innovation and entrepreneurship site in the Wuling Mountain area.