Lanzhou New Area () is a state-level new area (special economic and political administration zone) established in 2012 and is under the direct control of the municipal government of Lanzhou, Gansu province. It is located in the valley around Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport, 30 kilometres from the old city of Lanzhou. It is the first state-level new development area in northwestern China, and the fifth state-level new area in the country.
Background
The establishment of Lanzhou New Area (LNA) is the culmination of multiple strategies both from Chinese Central Government and Gansu Provincial Government. Since China launched its Western Development initiative in 2000, several 'Western' Provinces, such as Shanxi, Guangxi, etc. have seen a flurry of investments during the last decade due to the favorable policies those provinces received from China's Central Government. With huge amount of capital investment issued from State's Financial Department, those provinces developed rapidly with a progressive GDP growth rate, a gradually mature industry structure and an efficient communication system. Though the provinces mentioned above developed quickly, none of those fast developing provinces are actually located in the geographical West of China, although the Chinese Central Government classified them into the 12 Western provinces.
Lanzhou is intended to achieve the ideal of 'common wealth' as outlined by the Communist Party of China through the rapid development of Western provinces. The geographical location of Lanzhou New Area holds significant advantages to its future economic growth. Lanzhou, 30 kilometres south from the New Area, is the biggest city among two megacities (Ürümqi and Xi'an) in this vast region, and is relatively close to two other capital cities, (Xining of Qinghai Province and Yinchuan of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region). These three capital cities are close enough to form a regional economic conglomeration, and Lanzhou New Area is envisioned as the center of this amalgamation. The development of LNA will boost the development of its adjacent areas.
Lanzhou's main urban area is constrained in size by its geographical topography, since it is a typical valley sandwiched by mountains, with the Yellow River crossing by. The topography of Lanzhou hampers this city to become a continuous megacity like Beijing or Xi’an. The General Office of the State Council issued the Several Advice about Supporting the Development of Economy and Society of Gansu Province in May 2010, especially stating that Lanzhou has to be the impetus of the development of Gansu Province, and even the whole northwestern region. Not long after, on August 3, 2010, the Lanzhou Municipal Government, by the 7th Session of the 11th convention of Lanzhou Municipal Council, announced the strategy of building a new city in Qinwangchuan plain, which now called Lanzhou New Area. Later, the Gansu Provincial Government issued the Consulting Advice about Promoting Constructions in Lanzhou New Area in order to support the development of LNA.
Lanzhou and Gansu province are part of China's strategic platform for opening up to the West, to improve manufacturing industry and economy in the western regions. Within western China, Lanzhou's role as a center of development should be strengthened by Lanzhou New Area.
History and geography
Lanzhou New Area is located in the Qinwangchuan plain, the largest plateau basin near Lanzhou, measuring roughly 40 km from north to south and 16 km from east to west. The area of the plain is and it is elevated between 1800 and 2300 meters. The plain was formed 70 million years ago with the formation of the Himalaya.
Around 200 BC, the plain was still humid, but during the Han dynasty the plain became very arid. Thanks to irrigation and new farming methods, it became a fertile agricultural area again.
Until Lanzhou's new Zhongchuan Airport was built in the 1960s, the area remained of little importance. In the 1970s and 1980s, a water diversion project leading water from the Datong River improved the availability of irrigation water in the plain.
Administrative divisions
In 2019, Lanzhou New Area was formally established as a county-level division of Lanzhou, and given government over three towns that were split off from Yongdeng and Gaolan counties:
Zhongchuan (中川镇) Qinchuan (秦川镇) Xicha (西岔镇)