Coordinated Urban and Rural Development in Yiling

By+XU+YING

YILING， the largest district in Yichang City， Hubei Province， is noted for its non-metallic mines， tea planting， citrus fruit cultivation， and folk art.

In recent years， Yilings focus has been on urban-rural integration.

Human Development

The strategies of Yiling District include inheriting traditional culture and ensuring sustained development. Yiling adheres to the principle of taking industry as the leading factor， and encourages local farmers to plant citrus plants and tea. Yiling intends to develop， through two leading local brands – Daohuaxiang and Xiaoshi – processed agricultural products， and eventually build a national modern agricultural demonstration area.

In line with the “one project， two districts， and six parks” industrial layout， Yiling aims to promote urban-rural integration， attract public attention and encourage local residents， most of whom are farmers， to establish businesses and so expand job opportunities. Yilings advantageous location – along the Yangtze Rriver and close to big cities – will en- able the district to speed up its business circulation and develop its urban-rural economy. Through innovation， the district aims to inspire in its residents the motivation to build a better Yiling.

Rural-Urban Integration

Yiling District is planning a project encompassing three aspects of urban-rural development. Firstly， the district has created several famous brands in foodstuffs， machine-building， electronics， chemicals， pharmaceuticals， packaging and textiles. Daohuaxiang， Xiaoshi Guangongfang， Qingyang and Jinxiangpinxue are the five most popular brands.

Second， in the agricultural field， encouraging farmers to plant citrus trees and fine tea is one of the strategies for building a better Yiling.

Third， the district has upgraded Yixing Avenue and Pinghu Avenue to develop the district and close the gap between urban and rural areas. Road construction around Yiling connects several key towns in Yiling District. Among them， Guanzhuang， a key village in Yiling， is going all out to become the “No. 1 ecological village” in Yichangs suburbs.

Yiling is a beautiful district with rural scenery and a rich culture. Through these development programs， Yiling residents hope to improve their living environment and the districts farmers to increase their yields. The development programs imply that an even better Yiling is not just a dream.endprint