Overview

Known as where used to be the mysterious Ancient Dian Kingdom, Yuxi is the hometown of Nie’er the composer of the Chinese National Anthem and the center of tobacco planting & cigarette making industry. Besides, it is endowed with the world famous paleontological fossils of the Chengjiang Fauna and the beautiful tourist resort of the Fuxian Lake. Situated in central Yunnan and only 85 kilometers away from Kunming the capital of the province, Yuxi is an important axis leading to the ASEAN countries. With an area of 15,300 square kilometers and a population of 2.276 million, Yuxi municipality composes of one district and eight counties, rich in both natural and human resources, especially water. Hence the name Yuxi which means streams like sparkling pearls and jewels.

Yuxi enjoys a mild climate good for high-level agriculture and high-quality tobacco. The already known 40 kinds of mineral resources have been estimated to possess a potential economic value of more than RMB 400 billion, among which steel, copper, phosphorus and nickel are estimated to have an economic value of RMB 165 billion. The reserve of steel, copper, nickel and cobalt has been proven to be the first in Yunnan Province. The nickel mine is the second biggest in the whole country. Phosphorus reserve ranks third in Yunnan Province.

Since the reform and opening up to the outside world, Yuxi has become a vigorous city of strong and steady development supported by a series of pillar industries, especially the Hongta Group, the largest cigarette maker in Asia. According to the statistics of 2008, the current value of GDP reached RMB 59.61 billion, and the local fiscal revenue added up to RMB 5.56 billion (the total local revenue reaching RMB 23.64 billion). The per capita urban bank deposit reached RMB 14155. The annual average per capita rural net income reached RMB 4761. It is regarded as one of the leading cities in western China as its comprehensive power is concerned. It is also one of the best cities for investment in southwest China for its excellent infrastructure.

Yuxi will insist on the basic strategy of “ecology for the city image, tobacco for its prosperity, industry for its strength, and agriculture for its stability” to promote harmonious and sustainable economic and social development, focusing on the full development of tobacco, mining, metallurgy, tourism and county-specific economy.

Yuxi is situated in the center of Yunnan Province, only 98 km from Kunming. The county covers an area of 15,OOO sq.km. Ethnic minority groups includes the Yi, Hani, Dai, Hui, Mongolian, Bai, Miao and Lahu people. Yuxi City is well known for the Yuxi tobacco factory, the base of Asia's first and the world's fifth cigarette industry-"Yuxi Cigarette Plant of Yunnan Hongta Group", which produces the both homely and worldly famous brand-Hongtashan.

Yuxi city has rich natural resources and a long history rich in civilization. The coverage of forest accounts for one third of the city's area. Here lies the natural greenhouse, which is abundant with tropical fruit and early winter vegetables.

Yuxi is also the hometown of Nie Er, a musician who composed the National Anthem.

History: Yuxi was once the core area of Yunnan Province during the Previous Qin Dynasty (period before 221BC). In the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-24AD), it became a county of Yizhou Shire. The following dynasties witnessed the continuous separations and unifications of the area. It was not until 1997 that Yuxi became a prefecture-level city of the Republic of China.