Hechi's industrial sector has grown tremendously after 70 years of development since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

By the end of 2018, there were 2,732 industrial enterprises in Hechi, 41 times that of 1952, and the total industrial added value was 2,259 times that of 1952, with an average annual growth rate of 12.4 percent.

The proportion of the industrial sector in Hechi's GDP increased from 14.1 percent in 1952 to 22.9 percent in 2018, which has become an important factor to promote the sustainable development of the city's economy.

Over 70 years, the city has developed six key industries spanning non-ferrous metals, food processing, electricity, cocoons and silk, liquor and beverages, as well as building materials.

In 2018, the city's hydroelectricity output was 27.18 billion kilowatt-hours, 48 times of that in 1978, with an average annual growth rate of 10.2 percent.

Cement production reached 7.28 million metric tons in 2018, 40.3 times of that in 1978, with an average annual growth rate of 9.7 percent. The output of 10 non-ferrous metals totaled 506,200 tons in 2018, 187 times of that in 1978, with an average annual growth rate of 20.4 percent.

The output value of Hechi's six key industries in 2018 accounted for 87.7 percent of the city's total industrial output value.

In addition, Hechi's industrial ownership structure has also been optimized over the years. The city's industrial output value in 1978 was completely generated by State-owned and collective enterprises, accounting for 86.6 percent and 13.4 percent of the total respectively.

In 2018, the non-public sector made up more than 60 percent of the city's total industrial output value, as well as contributed 90.8 percent to the growth of Hechi's industrial output.

Hechi started its construction of industrial parks in 2003, and currently possesses 11 industrial parks or clusters. The planned area for industrial parks in the city totals 160.37 square kilometers, and the development area is 53.21 sq km, with over 300 enterprises settled in them.

In 2018, the output value of industrial parks in Hechi accounted for 68.1 percent of the city's total above designated size.

An aerial view of Jinchengjiang district in Hechi, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. [Photo by Gao Dongfeng/gxnews.com.cn]