Maoming

Maoming 茂名市
Prefecture-level city
Nickname(s): 南方油城 (Oil City of the South)
Location of Maoming City jurisdiction in Guangdong
Maoming Location in China
Coordinates:
Country	People's Republic of China
Province	Guangdong
Municipal seat	Maonan District
Government
• CPC Committee Secretary	Liang Yimin (梁毅民)
• Mayor	Li Hongjun (李红军)
Area
• Prefecture-level city	11,424.8 km2 (4,411.1 sq mi)
• Urban	2,714 km2 (1,048 sq mi)
• Metro	487 km2 (188 sq mi)
Elevation	29 m (95 ft)
Population (2010 census)
• Prefecture-level city	5,817,494
• Density	510/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
• Urban	2,436,312
• Urban density	900/km2 (2,300/sq mi)
• Metro	828,821
• Metro density	1,700/km2 (4,400/sq mi)
• Major Nationalities	Han
Time zone	China Standard (UTC+8)
Postal code	525000 (Urban center) 525100-525400 (Other areas)
Area code(s)	668
GDP (2012)	¥ 195.118 billion in total; ¥ 33,537 per capita
License Plate Prefix	粤K
County-level divisions	6
Township-level divisions	unknown
Coastline	220 km
Website	maoming.gov.cn

Maoming
"Maoming", as written in Chinese calligraphy
Chinese	茂名
Cantonese Jyutping	Mau6 ming4
Cantonese Yale	Mauhmìhng
Hanyu Pinyin	Màomíng
Postal	Mowming
Literal meaning	Named after Pan Maoming
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Màomíng Yue: Cantonese Jyutping Mau6 ming4 Yale Romanization Mauhmìhng

Maoming (Chinese: 茂名), also known as Mowming is located in southwestern Guangdong province, China. Facing the South China Sea to the city's south, Maoming city neighbors Zhanjiang in the west and is 362 kilometers (225 mi) from Guangzhou and 121 kilometers (75 mi) from Zhanjiang. The Maoming Port is a Grade I port that handled 16.8 million tons of cargo in 2007. Refined oil and aquatic products are the major export products from the city. Major export destinations include Hong Kong, Macao and ASEAN member nations.

As of the 2010 census, Maoming had a population of 5,817,494 inhabitants, 2,436,312 of whom live in the most developed area, which includes 2 urban districts (Maonan and Dianbai) even though its built-up (or metro) area is limited to Maonan District with 820,821 inhabitants. The city's birth rate is 11.04‰, and its GDP (2012) was RMB 195.118 billion (US$31.81billion), up by 10.6% over the previous year. According to government sources, Maoming's GDP ranked 7th among Guangdong's 21 cities, and ranked 79th of China's 656 cities in 2012.

Etymology

The city is named after Jin Dynasty Taoist scholar and doctor Pan Maoming (290–371), born in Gaozhou. The local area was renamed by imperial decree in honour of Pan in 598 A.D. during the Sui Dynasty.

History

The area around Maoming was first mentioned in recorded history about 4,500 years ago. During the Xia Dynasty (2100-1600BC) and the Shang Dynasty (1600-1100BC), the Baiyue tribes inhabited this region. During the Qin Dynasty (221-206BC), the region was divided into Nanhai Shire, Xiang Shire, and Guilin Shire. It was named "Maoming" during the Sui Dynasty (AD581-618). By the time of the Tang Dynasty (AD618-907), the Baiyue Tribes had merged with their neighbors, the Yao people and the Zhuang people. In 1959 Maoming became a city-level administrative region.

A large number of minority groups, including the Yao people, the Zhuang people, and the Miao people, are still living in Maoming, and the city enjoys diverse cultural activities and folk arts. The people of Maoming speak the Gaoyang dialect of Yue Chinese and Mandarin.

In 2014, the city was the site of popular protests against p-Xylene, a chemical based on benzene that was produced as a result of local industry. In 2014, the former Communist Party Secretary of Maoming, Zhou Zhenhong, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for corruption. Another former party chief, Liang Yimin, was also investigated and removed from office in 2014. Another former party chief, Luo Yinguo, was also sentenced to prison for corruption. Since the 18th Party Congress and the ascension of Xi Jinping, Maoming has been one of the "hardest hit" areas of the anti-corruption campaign. It was seen as a city where buying and selling official positions was rampant. In 2014, central inspection authorities found that some 159 local officials had taken various forms of bribes.

Administration

The prefecture-level city of Maoming administers 5 county-level divisions, including 2 districts and 3 county-level cities.

Map						Name	Simplified Chinese	Hanyu Pinyin	Population (2010 census)	Area (km2)	Density (/km2)
Maonan Dianbai Huazhou (city) Xinyi (city) Gaozhou (city)						Maonan District	茂南区	Màonán Qū	820,934	507	1,619.2
						Dianbai District	电白区	Diànbái Qū	1,615,505	2,227	725.4
						Huazhou	化州市	Huàzhōu Shì	1,178,873	2,354	500.8
						Xinyi	信宜市	Xìnyí Shì	913,717	3,081	296.6
						Gaozhou	高州市	Gāozhōu Shì	1,288,724	3,276	393.4

• Defunct Maogang District

Geography

Situated in the southwestern coastal area of Guangdong, Maoming has under its jurisdiction Maonan District, Maogang District, Dianbai County. The city administers the smaller cities of Xinyi, Gaozhou, and Huazhou at the county level.

Maoming's coastline is 220 kilometers long. The "First Shoal of China" resort is 25 kilometers (16 mi) from downtown Maoming.

Economy

Maoming was called one of "the top 100 developed cities in China" and the "National Garden City". Maoming is one of the largest petrochemical production areas in South China, and one of the largest fruit production areas. Other major industries include tilapia culture and processing, winter-planted vegetable production, and other energy, material, and heavy-chemical industrial production.

Major Economic indicators (2012)

GDP: RMB 195.118 billion (US$31.81 million), 10.6% up

GDP Composition:

• Primary Industry (Agriculture) 19.1%
• Secondary Industry (Industry & Construction) 37.2%
• Tertiary Industry(Service) 43,7%

GDP Per Capita: RMB 33,537(US$5467.93), 8.9% up

Unemployment Rate: 2.5%

Fixed Asset Investment: RMB 18.01 billion (US$2,64 billion), 23.5% up

Utilized FDI: US$31 million, 44.2% down

Total Import & Export: US$673 million, 9.1% down

Export: US$532 million, 7.4% up

Import: US$141 million, 42.5% down

Sales of Consumer Goods: RMB 60.1 billion (US$8.8 billion), 20.3% up

Environmental issues

In March 2014, local people staged a protest over the production of paraxylene, a chemical used to make fabrics and plastic bottles at a plant run by the local government and state-owned Sinopec, China's biggest refiner.

Transport

Highway

Maoming can be reached by the Maozhan Expressway, which is linked to the Kaiyang Expressway and Fokai Expressway, which leads to the provincial capital, Guangzhou. Guangzhou is a 5 - 6 hour commute from Maoming.

Railway

Maoming is served by the Guangzhou-Maoming Railway, which runs east to the provincial capital, the Hechun-Maoming Railway, which runs west to the Litang-Zhanjiang Railway, and the Luoyang–Zhanjiang Railway, which runs north through eastern Guangxi and central Hunan to China's Central Plain.

Tourist attractions

Maoming is home to the No. 1 Shoal of China Vacation Area (中国第一滩), Chicken Island (Guangdong) (放鸡岛) and Tianmashan (天马山) Eco-tourist Area, the Temple of Madam Xian (冼太庙 ; Xiǎn Tài Miào) in Gaozhou, and the Genzi Litchi Cultural Tourist Area.

The No.1 Shoal of China Vacation Area is 25 kilometers (16 mi) from the downtown Maoming, in the Maogang District. With miles of fine beach outside the shelter belt, tourists can enjoy parachute gliding and sailboarding. It is also a national training center for beach volleyball, and often hosts national and international competitions.

Chicken Island is the largest island in Maoming, covering an area of 1.9 km². This tourist resort is a diving center, boasting clear and pristine sea water. It is known for its coral reefs and recreational scuba diving. Skin diving, deep diving, and explorational diving are available as well.

The Temple of Madam Xian was constructed in 1535 in memory of Madam Xian, who was the female leader of the Baiyue Tribe. The temple is rich in cultural and historical objects, such as ancient statues, sculptures, and stone inscriptions.

Maoming is a famous litchi production area. The Genzi Litchi Cultural Tourist Area is situated in Genzi, a small town in Maoming.

Maoming's most popular local specialty foods include Huazhou Baiqie Chicken (白切鸡), Gaozhou Salted Chicken (盐焗鸡 yánjú jī), Fenpi (粉皮), Genzi Beef Rice Noodles and Xinyi Huaixiang Chicken.

Downtown Maoming is a comfortable walking city, great for just wandering into shops. A downtown park comes alive at night as couples and families stroll.

Maoming is accessible from Guangzhou (approximately four hours by train or a first class bus). Two train stations serve Maoming, one downtown that provides the connection to Guangzhou and points to the north, and one a few minutes south of town that connects to the south and west.

External links

• Government website of Maoming (Chinese) (English)
• Bureau of Statistics of Maoming
• China Knowledge