Kaiyang county shines in western China

A bird's-eye view of Kaiyang county in Guiyang, Guizhou. [Photo/Guiyang news network]

For the past five years, Kaiyang county in Guiyang has ranked among China's top 100 counties in tourism strength, reflecting its steady economic growth and thriving industries.

Since the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), the county has focused on developing into an advanced manufacturing hub led by the phosphate chemical industry and a selenium-based wellness and tourism destination.

During this period, Kaiyang's GDP is projected to grow from 24 billion yuan ($3.36 billion) to 36.8 billion yuan, averaging 8.2 percent annual growth, while county-level tax revenue is expected to rise from 500 million yuan to 1.3 billion yuan.

A number of strong enterprises have established operations in the county, gradually forming an industrial cluster.

A rural landscape in Kaiyang county. [Photo/Guiyang news network]

Agriculture and rural industries also flourished, with a total output of 8.11 billion yuan in 2024. Rural residents' per capita disposable income rose to 24,500 yuan. In addition, Kaiyang has developed 831 selenium-based products across 18 categories, with regional brand enterprises generating 1.05 billion yuan in output.

Tourism revenue exceeded 10 billion yuan annually and visitor numbers surpassed 9 million, securing Kaiyang's place on the national "Top 100 County Tourism Strength" list for the fifth year in a row. Over the same period, 38,700 new urban jobs were created, and urban residents' per capita disposable income reached 52,200 yuan, averaging 5.75 percent growth per year.