20 Zhanjiang special March 28-29, 2015 CHINA DAILY A renowned coastal city in China, Zhanjiang o7 ers a good environment and favorable policies for marine industries. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Port expansion underway Coastal development to turn Zhanjiang into international shipping hub, Li Wenfang reports. fter Zhanjiang port hit the 200 million Ships set ton throughput 20.77 Amark last year, the million tons sail from city government embarked on a plan to expand the main of imported iron was dealt upgraded port port and develop ports in sur- with by Zhangjiang port last rounding counties to form year a chain and better use the The newly upgraded Hai’an port extensive coastline. The government set a goal in Xuwen county, Zhanjiang, was The main port, which to handle 300 million tons of opened after a container vessel set serves the East, Central cargo at all the port areas by sail to Hong Kong and Macao on and western parts of China, 2017 and turn the city into a Jan 28. became the fi rst in Beibu Bay coastal trading center of bulk A loading area at the port rim and the third in Guang- goods and international ship- became a port of entry in 1981 dong province to reach the ping and logistics center in and an experimental port for petty 200 million ton milestone South and Southwest China. trade with Vietnam in 1995. It was and ranked it 13th in the Zhanjiang port dealt with consolidated as Hai’an working area country, according to the city 20.77 million tons of imported of Zhanjiang port in 2010. government. iron ore worth $2.23 billion Xuwen holds a strategic position Zhanjiang’s coastline last year, up more than 14 per as a gateway to the Association stretches 1,243 km. If the 143 cent year-on-year. of Southeast Asian Nations. nearby islands are taken into For the development of the It accommodates imports of account, the coastline totals main port, work will press commodities such as coal ore and 2,040 km. ahead for construction of dried cassava from ASEAN and Zhanjiang port serves port areas in Xiashan, Bao- waste plastics from Hong Kong. major ocean-going ships in man and Donghai Island as Canned pineapple, frozen aquatic Southwest and South China well as the expansion of the products, alcohol, timber and and o- ers one of the shortest shipping channel from the vegetables are exported to Hong routes between the Chinese current 300,000-ton level to Kong, Macao, Europe and the United mainland and Southeast Asia, a 400,000-ton level. Zhanjiang port o7 ers one of the shortest routes between the Chinese mainland and Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe and Oceania. States through the port. Africa, Europe and Oceania. The port received 95 The rapid development of export- The port area is concentrat- 300,000-ton vessels last year, oriented industries and port-side ed in Zhanjiang Bay, which a 20 percent annual increase. to build a bulk goods trading Wushi port in Leizhou, Longtousha port lies in the and other investments to be manufacturing are the result of has left the lengthy coastline Berths capable of handling center. Longtousha port in Lian- startup zone of the economic introduced. the improved port and customs along the Leizhou Peninsula 300,000-ton vessels are Zhanjiang Port Group Co, jiang, Caotan port in Suixi cooperative area between In building the ports, services. The new port occupies underdeveloped. expected to increase to six or a major operator at the port, and Wuyang port in Wuch- Guangdong and neigh- Zhanjiang government has 1,400-meters of coastline and covers The plan for the port seven by 2020, from the cur- plans to open new container uan. boring Guangxi Zhuang attached importance to the an 800,000-square-meter area includes 164-km of coastline rent three. shipping lines to Southeast Nanshan port made its autonomous region, which development of side indus- and is equipped with terminals for with 12 port areas that extend E- orts will also been made Asia this year, following the name as a starting point of is intended to facilitate eco- tries and industrial parks, hazardous goods, roll-on/roll-o7 102.7-km outside the bay. In to further open-up the port, to launch of a container line to the ancient Maritime Silk nomic integration. which it said would boost the ships, bulk goods and container the bay 28-km of coastline increase the sources of cargo, Singapore last year. Road. The provincial govern- The government will lead economy in the counties. vessels. has already been developed to upgrade modern port logis- For areas outside the bay, ment designated Wushi as the work in developing these CHINA DAILY but only 1 km outside the bay tics, to multiply international work will be sped up to build a place for petty trade with ports, with Zhanjiang Port Contact the writer at liwen- has been used. container shipping lines and Nanshan port in Xuwen, Taiwan residents in 2013. Group Co as a main party [email protected] Xuwen named as longevity town By ZHANG YUCHEN in Xilian township, Xuwen County, Chen Jinchao, director of the [email protected] has 11 of the 2,100 villagers who are Longevity Institute in Bama Yao older than 100 years. Its oldest resi- autonomous county, said long life is Xuwen, a Cantonese county in dent, Chen Lipo, was 121 when she only 15 percent genetic and 85 per- Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, was died in 2006. cent environmental impact. Liang named a “Chinese town of longevity” Xuwen is known as China’s larg- Quancai, the director of Xuwen in February as the percentage of its est pineapple and o- -season banana county, said the natural way of liv- residents aged 100 or older is five base, and is in the narrow tropical ing is among the secrets of its resi- times the central government’s stan- zone of mainland China, where dents’ longevity. dard for the honor. the sunshine hours are the longest. The local government gives each With a population of 730,000, Experts said the secrets to long life in centenarian 600 yuan ($97) per including 112 residents who have cel- the villages included some of the best month as a pension. The latest cen- ebrated their 100th birthday, Xuwen air quality in the country, fresh spring sus said the life expectancy of the became the 20th such town in the water and nurturing red soil and residents in the county is about country. The standard states that a beautiful scenery that contributes to 77.75, nearly one year longer than the location with more than three cente- the peaceful minds of the villagers. national average. narians per 100,000 residents can be Villagers in the county have been Xuwen is one of the less developed considered a place of extraordinary farmers and fi shermen their whole areas in the province, although it has longevity. lives. Four thousand square kilome- well-protected coral in the sea and The Journal of Natural Medicine, ters of sea area borders the small 200 kinds of seafood. Liang said rec- a Japanese international health county, and older people consider ognition as a longevity county would journal, once recognized six loca- fresh seafood from the area the best be a start for Xuwen to embark on lei- tions around the world as longevity nutrition for life, said Wang Bing- sure and green tourism development. towns, three of which are in China. zhong, the mayor of Zhanjiang city. Zhang Yifeng, who specializes in Xuwen county in Zhanjiang embarks on leisure and green tourism development. They are Rugao, in Jiangsu province; All the centenarians live with tourism planning for the Institute Bama Yao autonomous county, in the their families following a tradition of Geographic Sciences and Natu- Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region; of two thousand years where four or ral Resources Research, at the China gevity locations, tourists and people of the county’s centenarians declined. Zhao, who led the recognition pro- and Hotan County, in the Xinjiang fi ve generations live together under Academy of Sciences, suggested the wanting to live long lives flooded Zhao Baochang, the deputy direc- cess for Bama longevity county, said Uyghur autonomous region. the same roof. Due to the agreeable county could make good use of the into the small county. Media reports tor of Gerontological Society of Chi- Xuwen should stay on its path of In one village of Xuwen, being 80 weather — close to 24 C throughout longevity town brand. When Bama said the residents of the county got na, said the success of Xuwen being protecting the environment as well or 90 years old is not a phenomenon. the year — many even wear slippers Yao autonomous county was recog- wealthy quickly and subsequently named a longevity county is due to as maintaining its low carbon devel- Jintu Village, or Golden Earth Village, while working in the fi elds in winter. nized as one of three famous lon- their diets changed. Soon the number its good environmental protection. opment..