Ningde (; Foochow Romanized: Nìng-dáik), also known as Mindong (; Foochow Romanized: Mìng-dĕ̤ng; lit. East of Fujian), is a prefecture-level city located along the northeastern coast of Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Fuzhou to the south, Wenzhou (Zhejiang) to the north, and Nanping to the west. Ningde is listed No.2 in China Integrated City Index 2016's environmental ranking, a study conducted by the National Development and Reform Commission.
The prefecture-level Ningde City administers 1 district, 2 cities, 6 counties, as well as 124 towns, townships and subdistricts. Listed below are the district, cities and counties, first four of which are coastal whereas the rest locate in mountainous areas.
Situated roughly north of the Tropic of Cancer, the prefecture of Ningde spans in land area. Like the rest of the province, Ningde sits in a mountainous region but it also enjoys almost of coastline facing the East China Sea.
Economy
Agriculture
The warm and moist climate and fertile land in the prefecture of Ningde provide it with favorable conditions for agriculture. The largest agricultural exports from Ningde include mushroom and tea. The area also produces large quantities of various fruits, such as shaddocks, Chinese chestnuts, plums, honey peaches, lychees and longans.
Tea cultivation has long been an important industry of Ningde. By 1999 statistics, the total area of tea plantations in Ningde had reached and the output of green tea took up 10.5 percent of that of the entire country. More than 1.2 million jobs were created directly and indirectly in different stages of the tea industry. Famous brands include the Tianshan Silver-Needle Tea, Baihao Silver-Needle Tea, Fenghuangshe, Lianyue Flower Tea and Xianyan Snow Peak.
The mountainous landscape and advantageous climate conditions are also beneficial to the development of forestry. Up to 1999, , or 65.2 percent of the entire prefecture, are forested. Out of this area, bamboo groves occupy , producing an annual output of six million bamboo products. In Fu'an alone, the green bamboo base has extended to and its output of green bamboo shoots takes up more than 60 percent of the entire provincial output.
Aquaculture
The prefecture of Ningde is blessed with vast area of shallow sea, which is suitable for aquaculture. In 2000, aquatic products take up 41.3 percent of the total output value of agriculture from Ningde, with an exporting value of US$82,170,000 and an annual net income exceeding RMB 3,500 for local fishermen. Major products include yellow croakers, oysters, razor clams, prawns and freshwater eels.
Local government is attempting to use aquaculture as a springboard to eliminate poverty and improve the local economy. Up to 2000, aquaculture had created 370,000 jobs directly and indirectly; a total of RMB 4.5 billion had been invested, drawing an annual output value of RMB 2 billion.
Industry
Ningde is the producer of many nonmetallic mineral resources, such as granite, diorite and basalt. The confirmed volume of granite reserves extends to 1,140 million cubic meters, while estimated amount of deposits undiscovered stands at several thousand million cubic meters. The mining area for basalt in Bailin, Fuding, known as Fuding Black, covers with a total deposit of up to 50 million cubic meters.
Ningde's rich hydropower resources give it a headstart in metallurgical industries. Products such as magnesium, zirconium oxide, aluminum, high-purity silicon carbide, and a series of other silicon products from plants in the prefecture enjoy high reputation and are exempted from examination when exported to Japan. Advances in metallurgical technology also aids the shipbuilding industry, a traditional trade in Ningde. In recent years, local shipyards have been capable of constructing 10,000-ton steamships.
Ningde owns electricity industry providing energy supply for the need of local as well as for other metropolitan areas such as Fuzhou and Wenzhou. China Datang Corporation runs 2520 MW fired power plant in Fu'an City. The first nuclear power plant Ningde Nuclear Power Plant start to operate from 2008. CFR-600 is under construction in Xiapu county.
Battery industry is another fast growing sector in Ningde region. CATL (寧德時代), the world's biggest lithium-ion batteries manufacturer has its headquarter and product line combining with upper stream product lines located in Jiaocheng district of Ningde.