Qingyuan, a city in northern Guangdong province, saw its gross domestic product exceed 200 billion yuan during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), as announced at a press conference on Qingyuan's achievements during this period, showcasing the city's progress from 2021 to 2025.
Within Guangdong, one of China's largest provincial economies, this scale places Qingyuan among the important emerging economic forces outside the core Pearl River Delta, highlighting its growing significance and development momentum.
This economic leap is fundamentally supported by the systematic construction of a modern industrial framework. Qingyuan has been developing a modern industrial system, actively cultivating new strategic sectors for future growth.
Concurrently, the city has successfully established five distinctive agricultural industries, each valued at over ten billion yuan, including the renowned Qingyuan chicken, xiniu moso bamboo shoots, and Yingde black tea, which have become pillars of rural revitalization.
Integral to this transformation has been Qingyuan's accelerated integration with the GBA, primarily through its connection to Guangzhou.
Although not part of the Pearl River Delta core, Qingyuan’s major advantage lies in its proximity to Guangzhou and its accelerating integration with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
The most tangible symbol of this connection is the Guangzhou-Qingyuan intercity railway, a project that has made Qingyuan the only city outside the GBA's core to be linked by such rapid transit. It reduces travel time to as little as 30 minutes, solidifying its integration into the GBA's economic network.
This infrastructure has shortened travel times, effectively transforming Qingyuan into an accessible extension of the major metropolitan cluster and facilitating a steady flow of resources and opportunities.
The city has also been implementing integrated reforms in land use and household registration to encourage the orderly flow of resources and population. These localized trials are being studied as a potential model for similar regions across China seeking balanced development.
Looking forward, city representatives expressed confidence that the solid foundations laid during the 14th Five-Year Plan period—spanning modern industry, regional connectivity, and balanced urban-rural growth—will continue to drive Qingyuan's sustainable convergence with the high-quality development of the GBA in the coming years.
Reporter | Guo Chuhua
Photo | Guo Chuhua
Editor | Hu Nan, James Campion, Shen He
