The picturesque scenery of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region. [Photo provided to seeningxia.com]
Nestled among the majestic Helan Mountains, the grand Liupan Mountains and the winding Yellow River, Ningxia Hui autonomous region is a place where natural beauty and rich culture converge. It boasts beautiful and fertile plains, creating a landscape of abundant harvests and fragrant fruits.
An Ecologically Beautiful and Livable Region
The entire Ningxia region belongs to the Yellow River basin, featuring a comprehensive ecosystem of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts. This unique ecological tapestry makes it a microcosm of China's natural beauty. The region enjoys a pleasant climate, with an average annual temperature of 8 C, and its "blue skies and clear waters" are reputable nationwide. Ningxia is also known for its open and inclusive society, where various ethnic groups live in harmony, making it a national model for ethnic unity and progress.
A Hub of Distinctive Industries
Capitalizing on the comparative advantages of its strategic location, unique climate, abundant resources, and distinctive industries, Ningxia is advancing towards becoming a modern industrial base, focusing on developing the "Six New, Six Special, Six Superior" industries. The "Six New" industries — new materials, clean energy, equipment manufacturing, digital information, modern chemicals, and textiles — offer immense potential. The "Six Special" industries, including wine, Chinese wolfberry, dairy, beef cattle, Tan sheep, and cool-season vegetables, boast significant advantages. The "Six Superior" industries — cultural tourism, modern logistics, modern finance, health and eldercare, e-commerce, and conventions and exhibitions — are rapidly emerging.
In 2024, Ningxia's added value of the primary industry grew by 6.2 percent, ranking fourth nationwide; the added value of the secondary industry increased by 7 percent, ranking fifth; industrial added value above designated size rose by 9.6 percent, ranking third; and fixed asset investment grew by 7.9 percent, ranking third in the country.
Continuous Progress in Technological Innovation
Over the past three years, research and development expenditure across society in Ningxia has grown by an average of 12.8 percent annually, with enterprise R&D spending accounting for over 80 percent of the total, both figures surpassing national averages. The number of national high-tech enterprises, technology-based SMEs, and specialized "little giant" enterprises has increased by 82 percent. Ningxia has mastered key technologies such as high-performance niobium-tungsten anti-oxidation coatings and salt-tolerant spring wheat breeding, and developed several pioneering products, including the largest intelligent raise boring machine and large-scale wind power bearing heat treatment equipment. The world's fastest high-speed trains now use Ningxia-made connection sleepers, and Long March rockets are powered by Ningxia-made coal-to-liquids, making technological innovation a powerful engine for high-quality development in the region.
Solid Advancement in Rural Vitalization on All Fronts
By the end of 2024, high-standard farmland reached 11 million mu (733,333 hectares), with total grain production hitting 3.85 billion kilograms, achieving growth in planting area, total output, and yield per hectare. "Ningxia Rice" and "Ningxia Wheat" both won "double firsts" at national expos organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. A total of 11 national industrial clusters and modern agricultural industrial parks, and 19 strong agricultural towns have been established in the region. The paired-up cooperation between Fujian and Ningxia keeps deepening. Twelve Fujian-Ningxia industrial parks have received 154 new enterprises, and the Fujian-Ningxia e-commerce workshops were recognized as a global best practice in poverty reduction.