Weifang, a city of kites

Urban area of Weifang. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Located on the southern coast of Laizhou Bay in the Bohai Sea, Weifang is an important coastal city in Shandong province. The city administers four districts, six county-level cities, and two counties. It hosts several key development zones, including Weifang Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone, Binhai Economic and Technological Development Zone, Weifang Free Trade Zone, and Weifang Xiashan Ecological & Economic Development Zone.

Weifang covers a land area of 16,000 square kilometers, with a coastline of 158 kilometers and a sea area of 1,289 sq km. The city has a permanent population of 9.37 million. It is known as the Global Kite Capital, as well as an International Power City and an International City of Peace.

Weifang is the main birthplace of Dongyi culture, an important birthplace of Qi culture, and has been highly influenced by Confucian culture. Notable figures from Weifang include Wang Jinmei, a representative at the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China; Zang Kejia, a modern poetry master; and Mo Yan, the first Chinese Nobel Laureate in Literature. The ancient musical tradition of the Zhucheng School of Guqin and the Gaomi paper-cutting art have been included in UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Yangjiabu New Year woodblock print is one of China's three major New Year woodblock prints. Additionally, over 200 traditional crafts, such as clay sculptures, nut carvings and rosewood inlays, are still actively practiced.

A container terminal in Weifang. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Weifang was one of the starting points of the ancient Maritime Silk Road and one of the first port cities in modern China to open to the outside world. It is a national comprehensive transportation hub, intersected by nine highways and five high-speed railways. Weifang Port is a first-class national open port, and Weifang Airport offers flights to 13 cities.

Weifang boasts 94 A-level tourist attractions, including two 5A-level and 22 4A-level attractions. It is home to the world's largest dinosaur fossils; Yishan Mountain, the first of China's five sacred mountains; Baizhangya Waterfall, the first waterfall north of the Yangtze River; Huanghuaxi, the most secluded valley in Shandong; and other geological wonders such as the Shanwang fossil site and ancient volcanic craters.

The tradition of kite flying dates to ancient times in Weifang, and the city has hosted the International Kite Festival since 1984, making it one of the oldest international festivals in China following the country's reform and opening-up.

Kites of different shapes in Weifang. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

In 2023, Weifang's GDP reached 760.6 billion yuan ($106.83 billion), an increase of 5.1 percent. The general public budget revenue was 60.83 billion yuan. This year, the city's main economic indicators have generally exceeded early expectations, outperforming the same period last year and surpassing annual targets as well as the provincial average.

In the first quarter, the GDP was about 171.42 billion yuan, an increase of 6.4 percent. The general public budget revenue was 16.65 billion yuan, an increase of 4.6 percent. The total import and export volume reached 85.51 billion yuan, the industrial added value of enterprises above the designated size increased by 9.8 percent, and the total retail sales of consumer goods grew by 8.9 percent.