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Weidong district, located in the eastern part of urban Pingdingshan, is a zone of transition from the mountainous areas to the plains in central Henan. It is high in the north and low in the south. The northern part of the district is amountainous area, comprising Luofu Mountain, Pingding Mountain and Jiaozan Mountain. The southern part contains Zhanhe River. The district has an area of 126.5 square kilometers, including an urban area that is 30.52 square kilometers in size. It has a population of 295,000 people who come from 23 ethnic groups such as Han, Hui, Man and Mongolian.
The district has rich resources. The mineral resources are mainly industrial coal, in a zone about 800 meters thick. Pure coal is 30 meters thick. It also has mineral water, clays for bricks, building stones and coal bed gas.
The district has a long history. It is the site of Puchengdian, an ancient town dating back to the Neolithic Age 4,000 years ago. The district is also home to the place the Zhuge ruins and Zhuge Temple of Marquis, where the legendary figure trimmed its lamp to read and strolled about. The arch over Zhang Gateway and dwellings of Ming and Qing dynasties are also in the district.
Then Luohe-Baofeng Railway runs through the district to connect the Beijing-Guangzhou and Jiaozuo-Zhicheng railwayw. It has the largest freight yard forwarding railway station in the country. Pingdingshan East Station is located in the eastern part of the district. Xuchang-Nanyang Expressway has been completed. No.311 National Road traverses the district from north to south.
The district boasts a prosperous economy. The district is an emerging industrial quarter based on the energy industry. It is home to a large group of state-owned enterprises such as the No 1 Mine, No 8 Mine, No 10 Mine and No 12 Mine of Pingmei Group. The district is also home to the Tianzhuang Coal Dressing Plant of Pingmei Group, China Shenma (Group) Co Ltd, Henan Tianhong Coking (Group) C. Ltd and Pingdingshan Hongxiang Thermal Power Co Ltd. The Mingyuan Industrial Park is nearing completion, and the Guangxia Science and Technology Industrial Zone is under construction.
It has built up a large number of specialized markets such as Pingdingshan Trade Square, Pingdingshan Flower World, and Pingdingshan Building Materials World. It is working to develop itself into a first-class logistics base in southwestern Henan.
Jinniushan Scenic Pomegranate Orchard has been named a national demonstration zone for eco-agriculture tourism. It has built up pollution-free bases for fruits, including pomegranates and apricots, and vegetables. In 2005, the district had 1.31 billion yuan in gross outpus, 140 million yuan in local financial revenues, 1.47 billion yuan in retail sales of social consumer goods. Farmers on average earned 3,800 yuan per year.
In 2003, the district was evaluated as a national demonstration zone for community development. In 2005, it was awarded a national demonstration zone for community health services. It has been appraised as an advanced unit in family planning for 14 consecutive years in Henan province. In 2005, it was rated as an advanced district in Henan province for family planning service.
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