Pingyao county enters new growth phase

Hierand Biotech Co, based in Pingyao county, leads the county's biological industry. [Photo/Shanxi Daily]

Pingyao county – administered by the prefecture-level city of Jinzhong in North China's Shanxi province – is currently on the move, after it took effective measures to transform its traditional industries and expand emerging sectors during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20). 

As a result, the structure of the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors of the economy were optimized – with agriculture and industry speeding up development, while culture and tourism are rising rapidly. 

The total annual grain output of Pingyao county has stabilized at around 200,000 metric tons and the total agricultural output value has grown steadily for five consecutive years. 

Furthermore, the planting, breeding and processing industry supply chains have been furthered extended. Shanxi Pingyao Beef Group, Long Hai Industrial Co and Shanxi Jinrun Meat Food Co from Pingyao county have developed into the leading three State-level agricultural enterprises in Jinzhong city. 

Meanwhile, the upgrade of traditional industries such as coal, coke, rubber and foundries has continued to advance. A number of emerging industries such as intelligent robots and biomedicines have also been developing rapidly.

Currently, there are 72 industrial enterprises above a designated size – those with annual business revenue over 20 million yuan ($3.09 million) – in the county. 

Tourists visit the Ancient City of Pingyao in the county during the May Day holiday. [Photo/Shanxi Daily]

The integration of cultural and tourism has also been furthered. Cultural preservation projects have been carried out at 26 sites and 506 historical buildings have been included on the provincial protection list. 

Branded cultural events, such as the Pingyao International Photography Festival and the Pingyao International Film Festival, have reputedly greatly raised the county's profile and attracted crowds of visitors to the Ancient City of Pingyao. 

Moreover, Pingyao has been selected as one of top 100 counties in the country with a strong tourism sector and as a demonstration zone for cultural and tourism integration in Shanxi.