The Culture Plaza of Maoming [Photo provided to guangdong.chinadaily.com.cn/maoming]

Produce

Maoming has been focusing on forestry and agriculture, especially rice planting, since ancient times. Its annual grain planting area is 252,800 hectares, and its annual grain output is 1.48 million tons. The main economic crops are fruits, vegetables, and south China medicinal plants. The litchi and longan of Gaozhou, Dianbai, Huazhou, Xinyi, and Maonan, the bananas of Gaozhou, Huazhou and Xinyi, Dianbai peanuts, Shuidong mustard, Xinyi Sanhua plums, and Huazhou pummelo peel are well-known at home and abroad. Dianbai, Bohe, Shuidong, and Dongshan are famous for fishing, with an annual catch of 100,000 to 150,000 tons. Dianbai in particular is famous for aquaculture.

Land resources

The total area under Maoming’s jurisdiction is 1.42 million hectares. The area of agricultural land is 981,900 hectares, of which 221,700 hectares are arable land, 214,800 hectares are garden land, 475,300 hectares are forest land, and 64,700 hectares are agricultural land for other purposes. The land area for construction is 126,800 hectares.

Water resources

The major rivers in Maoming include the Jianjiang River, the Meihuajiang River and the Xiaodong River, all of which belong to the Jianjiang River system. The average annual rainfall is 20.3 billion cubic meters, the rainfall depth is 1,791 mm, the volume of runoff is 11 billion cubic meters, and the average runoff depth is 973 mm.

Vegetation and biological resources

The vegetation of Maoming has obvious subtropical and tropical characteristics. There are more than 120 families and more than 1,400 species of higher plants. The main arbor species are fir, pine, Rhodoleia, and moso bamboo. More than 1500 insect species and 371 wild vertebrate species have been recorded.

Mineral resources

Maoming is rich in mineral resources.

The advantageous minerals are oil shale produced in Yangjiao, Jintang and Dishan, kaolin produced in Maonan district, Dianbai district and Gaozhou, titanium produced in Xinhua and Luzeng, Pingding town and Huazhou, and tin produced in Qianpai town, Xinyi. The tin reserves rank first in the country.

The reserves of oil shale and lignite found in Maogang district are among the best in the province.

There are five gold mines, mainly located in Xinyi, Gaozhou and Dianbai.

The jade mine in Xinyi is the sole source of southern jade.

The non-metallic minerals in Maoming are mainly kaolin used for paper coating, limestone used for cement, marble, facing granite, standard quartz sand, and granite and sand for building. The above advantageous mineral resources are very abundant.

Tourism resources

Maoming is an excellent tourist city in China.

First, Maoming has abundant seashore resources. Located on the coast of the South China Sea, Maoming has a coastline of more than 180 kilometers, reaching the international A level.    

Second, Maoming has extensive ecotourism resources. Located to the south of the Tropic of Cancer, Maoming has a tropical and subtropical monsoon climate. It has abundant heat, abundant light and rainfall, a hot rainy season, and seasons like spring. There are many mountains and hills in the north-central area, which are suitable for tree growth and fruit planting.

Third, Maoming has a great many hot spring tourism resources. Located on the South China fault zone, it is home to high-quality hot springs such as Xijiang Hot Spring, New Age Hot Spring, Reshui Hot Spring, and Shange Hot Spring.

Fourth, Maoming has historical tourism resources. As early as the late Neolithic period (4500 years ago), indigenous peoples were settling down in Maoming.

Its famous scenic spots include Madam Xian Temple, Guanshan Temple, Baoguang Pagoda and Changpo Old City of Gaozhou, the Zhenlong Ancient Academies of Xinyi, the Confucian Temple of Huazhou, the Bell and Drum Tower of Dianbai, the Hometown of Madam Xian, and the Maonan Dinosaur Egg Fossil Site.

Fifth, Maoming is also favored with cultural tourism resources. Many celebrities have come from Maoming, such as Lingnan Taoist pioneer Pan Maoming, the "Lingnan Goddess" Madam Xian, the Tang Dynasty's senior official Gao Lishi, and Lingnan's famous talent Chen Jian.

In addition, Maoming has other distinctive resources such as handiwork in jade carvings and the bamboo handicrafts of Xinyi, the pummelo peel carvings of Huazhou, the ox horn carvings and Afzelia carvings of Gaozhou and the shell carvings of Dianbai, and local specialties such as Dianbai agarwood, Xinyi hawthorn, Huazhou Daqiao cucumber and pummelo peel, as well as Gaozhou litchi and longan.