Pingyao reviews development in 2021

Pingyao county, administered by Jinzhong in North China's Shanxi province, saw significant improvements in socioeconomic development in 2021, according to the recently released local government work report.

Economic growth 

Pingyao generated 13.22 billion yuan ($2.10 billion) in gross domestic product, a year-on-year increase of 8.6 percent and ranking third in Jinzhong in terms of growth. 

Fixed asset investment reached 5.33 billion yuan, up 9.4 percent year-on-year. 

The added value of industrial enterprises above designated size – those with annual revenues of 20 million yuan or more – grew 13.7 percent to 2.99 billion yuan. And total retail sales of social consumer goods surged 17 percent to 7.38 billion yuan.

Industrial development

Agricultural quality increased remarkably. Pingyao developed 20 square kilometers of high-standard farmland and over 16 sq km of organic dry land farming, treated over 13 sq km of degraded cultivated land, and renovated more than 3 sq km of orchards. The total output of grain, fruits and vegetables was stable at 200,000 metric tons. The county implemented 14 livestock and poultry breeding and intensive processing projects, and the sales revenue of local leading agricultural enterprises reached 7 billion yuan. 

Industrial transformation also made progress in Pingyao. The county implemented 24 industrial projects with an investment of 2.5 billion yuan, reduced taxes by 420 million yuan for local enterprises, saw 20 new enterprises above designated size, and developed two top national and provincial manufacturers and six provincial enterprise tech centers. 

The culture and tourism sectors in Pingyao gradually recovered from the COVID-19 epidemic. The county completed repairs on seven cultural relic sites under national protection and three sites under county protection, and announced 27 county-level intangible cultural heritage projects. It received 1.66 million tourists throughout last year, and its ticket revenue reached 43.76 million yuan. 

Urban, rural aesthetic improvement 

Pingyao invested 3.5 billion yuan in 13 key city administration projects and rebuilding 25 county and township roads with a length of 64 km, finished infrastructure upgrading and reconstruction in the northeast area, and started upgrading and reconstruction in the northwest and the southeast areas of the Ancient City of Pingyao. It also carried out a lighting project in the ancient city.

The county completed greening along entrances to highways, built Yongding Park, added 141,000 square meters of additional green area, and invested 340 million yuan in the management of the Pingyao section of the Fenhe River.

An investment of 59 million yuan was put into the development of six demonstration villages and 85 million yuan was invested in 27 rural revitalization projects, benefiting more than 10,000 people in 62 villages.

In addition, the county invested 30 million yuan to improve the urban and rural environment.

Ecological treatment

The comprehensive air quality index was no longer last among counties in the province, and the air quality improvement rate ranked 13th in the province. The water quality of the five surface water sections under assessment all reached class V standards.

The county afforested 8 sq km of land, costing 5.8 million yuan.

People's living standards

Pingyao's financial expenditures on people's living standards in 2021 amounted to 2.45 billion yuan, accounting for 86 percent of its total budget expenditure.

The county built and reconstructed two primary and middle schools, carried out 18 projects to improve school conditions, and employed 463 teachers.

It trained 12,000 people in vocational skills and helped 6,372 people find employment in urban areas. The per capita disposable income of urban and rural residents reached 36,209 yuan and 15,593 yuan, respectively, up 6.8 percent and 8 percent.

The supplementary old-age insurance system for urban and rural residents was also implemented, with 264,700 people receiving insurance. 

Subsistence allowances, assistance and support funds for extremely poor people, temporary relief subsidies, subsidies for senior residents facing difficulties, subsidies for the disabled senior residents in difficulties, and housing rent subsidies for people in need, totaling 107 million yuan, were distributed. Five township nursing homes were upgraded and renovated.

The county repaired and constructed 3,699 rural houses, 26 water-damaged roads, and 30 village drinking water facilities quickly after the flood in October. 

In addition, it administered 809,000 shots of COVID-19 vaccines to local residents.