Xinyu City

Xinyu City, the hometown of Fu Baoshi, a great contemporary master of Chinese painting, is a developing industrial city. Located in west centre of Jiangxi Province, it was approved by the State Council as a city directly under the provincial government. Under Xinyu are one county and one district, covering a total area of 3,164 square likometers, with a population of nearly one million, of which 200,000 are urban dwellers.

Xinyu is known as the Steel City of Jiangxi. Jiangxi Xinyu Steel and Iron General Plant, located in the city proper, is a famous metallurgical enterprise in China and the largest ferromanganese production base, producing more than half the country's ferromanganese. Ninety-five percent of China's steel wire used for musical instruments and 75 percent of steel tape on the Chinese market are produced by this plant. Xinhua Metal Products Co., Ltd., under this plant and Hongkong Weihua Mining Co., Ltd, jointly introduced china's first advanced equipment manufacturing prestressed concrete strand, becoming China's production base for twisted steel wire.

Xinyu City has industrialized rapidly, one of the fastest among China's medium-sized and small cities, with top economic results. The city's industralization started less than 30 years ago, but its industrial output value makes up more than 80 percent of the city's gross industrial and agricultural output value. It has a complete industrial system, including metallurgical, electrical, macine-building, chemical, building-material, light, textile, and foodstuff industries. Many products have attained advanced levels and are exported abroad, such a cotton yarns, extra-wide sheets, paints, storage-battery forklifts and electric escalators.

Xinyu, located in the center of an iron and coal belt, has rich mineral resources. The main metal deposits are iron, lead, zinc, copper, molybdnum, gold, silver and manganese; its more than ten non-metal deposits include coal, serpentine, oliven pyroxene, cement pyroxenite, porcelain clay and diopside.

Xinyu has many scenic spots and histroical sites. In the downtown area is Baoshi Park, named after Fu Baoshi, the great master of Chines Painting. The park has a wonderful layout and is quiet and elegant, full of national features, fully reflecting Fu Baoshi's artistic concepts. The elegantly shaped Kuixing Pavilion, built 700 years ago, is located to the south of the city. Southwest of the city proper is Jiangkou Scenic Area, with lakes, hills, forests and streams. Its water surface covers an area of 49 squiare kilometers, with 97 islets scattered in the lakes. In the center of the scenic area a three-kilometer valley is known as the Lesser Three Gorges.