Xiaolan Town

:"For the U.S. official whose Chinese name is Zhao Xiaolan, see Elaine Chao".

Xiaolan Town ( _zh. 小欖鎮; Pinyin: Xǐaolǎn Zhèn) is a Chinese city situated at the northwest periphery of the city of Zhongshan. The population of Xiaolan Town is of an estimation of 150,000 permanent residents and 100,000 temporary residents. The total area of the town is 71km². Xiaolan Town is successful in establishing a well-balanced environment on both industrial development and tourism.

Photo gallery

Economics

Primary industries

Agriculture is the main type of primary industry found in Xiaolan Town. The bloom and specified horticulture of Chrysanthemum makes the town a famous name “the City of chrysnathemum”. A grand fair on the blossom of the chrysnathemum was held on November 23,2003 and over 40,000 pots of chrysnathemum in different species were exhitbited. The grand fair was held in every 60 years as a local tradition.

Manufacturing industries

Xiaolan Town is dubbed “Lock City of the South” as well as “Electronic Acoustic Industrial Base” in China. The two industries are the pillar industries of Xiaolan.

Xiaolan controls 23% of the national market share. Indeed, there are production lines of such famous brands as Vantage gas stoves, Guli locks and St. Allen nail clippers in Xiaolan. Surprisingly, over 30% of manufacturing enterprises in Xiaolan are engaged in locks and hardware production. Such production accounted for nearly 50% of the total industrial outputs of Xiaolan and employed more than 30,000 people in 2002. The success of Xiaolan in this sector brought it an unprecedented honour of being certified as the critical hardware industrial base by China National Hardware Association in 2002.

In the meanwhile, a dynamic growth in the sector of electronic acoustics, which takes place in recent years, has also made Xiaolan the first “Electronic Acoustics Industrial Base”in China. During two-years time from 2000, over a hundres enterprises have started their business in this town. Both local and foreign enterprises which is specialized in production of domestic stereo, DVDs, laser heads, high-tech digital audio equipment, loudspeakers, circuit boards and aluminium panels are clustering in this small town. Production bases of such foreign brands as ADS and Boston are operating in Xiaolan while Philips, Toshiba, JBL, Onkyo and Jamo also run their OEM production there. In 2002, the industrial outputs of this sector reached RMB 4.6 billion, taking up nearly one-third of the total industrial outputs in the town. Xiaolan is ambitious to expand its sales revenue to RMB 30 billion and the foreign exchange to US$ 1 billion by 2010.

In order to upgrade their products and production techniques, both sectors are restlessly engaged in R&D. For example, a technology development centre specialized the production of locks and hardware was set up in February 2003. The post-doctoral work stations and partnerships with universities also contribute to technological upgrades of Xiaolan's hardware industry. On the other hand, an enterprise-based technology development centre with investment from a US-based acoustics stereo enterprise, AVlight was also established in Xiaolan Industrial Zone in 2002, aiming to upgrade the technology in the electronic acoustics industry of the town. To expand its sales of hardware products and electronic acoustic appliance at home and abroad, Xiaolan also needs to put greater efforts in product promotion and marketing with possible participation of Hong Kong companies.

Culture

The residents in Xiaolan Town are being cultivated with the horticulture of chrysanthemum. Their lifestyle is characterised by a high participation with chrysanthemum. For example they provide banquets on the theme of chrysanthemum. They appreciate the noble character and integrity of chrysanthemum, which is reflected in their poems and drawings.

The residents are enthusiastic about sports. The Xiaolan Integrated Sports Centre was established in 1994. Some national and international ping-pong tournaments were held since then.