8 zhanjiangspecial MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2014 CHINA DAILY

Huguangyan National Geopark’s lake was once a volcano caldera. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY ’s allure as holiday hotspot In search Historic architecture, beaches, of foreign tropical islands and warm welcome expertise By WANG SHANSHAN HOW TO GO in Zhanjiang, By WANG SHANSHAN [email protected] By air: Zhanjiang has an airport in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province with direct fl ights to and from [email protected] Zhanjiang, the coastal city in the Hong Kong and Beijing as well as southwest of Guangdong, is on track other cities in China. Foreign engineers, urban plan- to become the “Miami of the Orient”, By road: A fi ve-hour drive from ners, teachers and agro-scientists according to a top city o cial. , the provincial are on the top of the recruitment capital. The city boasts a dozen beaches list in Zhanjiang, said Mayor Wang including one that stretches for 28 Zhongbing, who will lead a delega- kilometers. which emerges from the water when tion to meet businesses and insti- “We want foreign tourists to come the tide ebbs. tutions in Germany in late June. for holidays and enjoy the nature and Boats run from the city to five “Zhanjiang is undergoing the tranquility of our historical city,” islands around Zhanjiang Bay, which rapid industrialization and there said Mayor Wang Zhongbing. makes island hopping a popular is a serious lack of skilled and Direct ( ights link the city to Hong choice for visitors. experienced professionals,” said Kong and Beijing and it is about a 0 e longest beach in China, which Wang. , ve-hour drive from Guangzhou, the is 28 km, is on Donghai, which is “Foreign talent, including those capital of Guangdong province. the largest of the , ve islands. Indo- who have retired, will , nd their Businesses interested in the city are Paci, c humpbacked dolphins can be skills and experience greatly need- encouraged to contact Zhanjiang’s seen playing in the sea near one of the ed in Zhanjiang,” he said. bureau of foreign trade and economic island’s villages. “We appreciate that they are cooperation, Wang said. Nansan Island, the second largest The dragon dance, also called the “human dragon”, is a popular cultural tradition from Zhanjiang. devoted to their professions and 0 ere were several attractions in of the , ve, boasts a white sandy beach, they have much experience — Zhanjiang and it was common to see while Nanping Island is uninhabited drive from the provincial capital. Chinese architectural styles. The city’s surrounding even life-long for some — and people jogging and families walking and has a seven-km-long beach. The name, also spelled These include a Catholic church Peninsula also oF ers sites of interest. advanced skills.” their dogs along the seaside in the Of the remaining two islands, one Kwangchowan, was adopted when a built in 1902, which is still used for Villages on the peninsula have more Engineers are wanted for several evenings. is covered in forests, while the other 518-sq-km area of land and some of religious services, the administrative than 10,000 ancient stone sculptures giant projects in addition to the In the downtown area there are is China’s largest volcanic island. its surrounding sea was leased by the office complex of Kwangchowan’s of dogs, which are traditionally wor- traditional marine and electronic two beaches where people relax and Visitors can stroll along Nanzhou Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) to France former French rulers, which was shipped in the area. Some of the sculp- appliance industries. swim. Island’s beach and see volcanic rocks in 1899. completed in 1903, and the build- tures can be traced back to the Spring A 50 billion yuan ($8 billion) Xuwen, a county in Zhanjiang that have been molded into interest- Kwangchowan was occupied by ing of the former Bank of Indochina, and Autumn Period (770-476 BC). iron and steel facility under con- at the southern tip of the Chinese ing shapes by waves. 0 e island is also the Japanese during World War II completed in 1926. A highlight of Zhanjiang is the struction in Zhanjiang by Baosteel, mainland, is home to China’s largest home to one of the world’s two crystal (1937-45) and returned to China 0 e city government has conserva- Huguangyan Geopark, the world’s the country’s largest steel produc- area and variety of coral reefs on the mirror lighthouses, which was built when the war ended in 1945. It was tion orders on the historical build- largest Maar volcanic lake, which was er, is expected to be completed in continental shelf. by the French in 1899. renamed Zhanjiang in the same year. ings. The Kwangchowan adminis- formed 140,000 to 160,000 years ago. Sept 2015. 0 e coral reef reserve covers about Part of Zhanjiang was known as Downtown Zhanjiang is dotted trative office complex is a cultural “Come to Zhanjiang, and you will 15,000 hectares and boasts 82 variet- , which is literally with colonial-age buildings and those remain on the provincial-level list for be able to explore the history of Chi- ies. Visitors can see the vast expanse translated as the Bay of Guangzhou, which were built in the 1920s and protection and is used as a venue for na, the world and the nature,” said of colorful coral in the shallows, although the city is about , ve hours 1940s and combine Western and regular art exhibitions. mayor Wang.

Foreign talent, including those who have retired, Ecological focus for Haidong New ‘will ‘fi nd their skills and experience greatly needed in Zhanjiang.” By WANG SHANSHAN A river will run across the new Ecological cities demand sophis- who come and live here heartily feel in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province district and 11 major roads, includ- ticated transport networks and that it is good for life,” said Wang. WANG ZHONGBING [email protected] ing a 26-km-long avenue, are being public transportation is being Cui Qing, head of Potou district, MAYOR built. A total of 21 projects, worth developed as a priority in the new where Haidong will be located, said: Building an ecological park and 21.3 billion yuan ($3.4 billion), have district, he said. “Our administration is devoted to protecting wetlands and mangrove started, most of which are infra- “In ecologically successful cities, building a solid foundation. When Another massive project, the forests will be top priorities when structure based. public transportation takes up as there is good infrastructure and petrochemical joint venture a new urban area, called Haidong “Public service facilities are our much as 60 percent of the total trans- great environment, high-quality between Sinopec and Kuwait New District, is built in Zhanjiang, top priority. A school, a hospital, a portation volume,” said the mayor. businesses will naturally arrive.” Petroleum Corp, will be opera- on China’s southern coast. public service center and a sports As well as the on-land network The new district has welcomed tional by 2016. An ethylene facility Wang Zhongbing, mayor of the center are under construction,” said plans for an underground system businesses in e-commerce, electron- — a part of the joint venture — will Guangdong city, said: “What we Wang. are underway. ic appliances, IT, creativity, mod- follow in 2017. want is a place that can be beauti- The sports center consists of 0 e government said it is explor- ern services, tourism and emerging Zhanjiang is also expanding its ful in the following centuries, so four shell-shaped white buildings, ing opportunities to cooperate with industries such as marine biomedi- deepwater harbor, one of the most ecology is the , rst thing to be con- including a main stadium, a swim- Wang Zhongbing, mayor of foreign companies and institutions cine and new materials. important along China’s southern sidered.” ming and diving center, a soccer Zhanjiang on the treatment of garbage and “We also welcome a packaged coast. Urban planners are needed Haidong is expected to be a new , eld and a stadium with basketball sewage. industry cluster. For example, if a because the city is expanding and growth engine for Guangdong, the and tennis courts. Portland of the United States has riv- The government is building an large company, like an automaker, many infrastructure projects are province that boosted China’s rapid Wang stressed the importance of ers crisscrossing it. We are borrowing underground system to transport wants to make a major investment, under way. development since reforms and urban planning in the construction advanced experience in the building water, electricity, gas, sewage and the government can map out a cer- “We are having more and opening-up policies started in 1978. of the new district. He said his gov- of Haidong and will have a Sino-US communication facilities. tain area for the company, and the more high buildings but we want The new district has a planned ernment borrowed experience from ecological exemplary zone,” he said. 0 e authority hopes this method company can have its own blue- to stress the characteristics of a area of 228 sq km, including 180 sq ecologically successful cities in the “0 e government of such a beau- will be more convenient and will print,” said Cui. southern Chinese city,” said the km of land and 48 sq km of sea. It world for the project. tiful place as Zhanjiang can make avoid ruining the sea view. “Our bottom line is that the mayor. will boast a 120-km coast including “0 ere are many ecological com- great achievements in the building “An ecological city can never be businesses are all environmentally 0 e many colleges, schools and a long, sandy beach. munities on our earth. For example, of an ecological city,” he said. self-claimed. It has to be that people friendly,” she said. vocational schools are seeking teachers from abroad. 0 e number and size of educational institutions rank second only to the provincial capital Guangzhou. As there is more investment in sub-tropical and tropical agricul- ture, the city is looking for agro- scientists. 0 e city has large planta- tions of sugar cane, pineapple and other crops in its suburbs and on nearby islands. “Foreigners will find their life pleasant and their work fruitful in Zhanjiang Bay Bridge is among the longest cable-stayed bridges in the world. Zhanjiang,” said Wang.