Laibin (来宾)

1. Introduction

Laibin City (Zhuang: Laizbinh) is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of Guangxi. The city borders Nanning City to the southwest, Hechi City to the northwest, Liuzhou City to the north, Guilin City and Wuzhou City to the northeast, and Guigang City to the southeast. Situated in the low mountainous and hilly region of the Central Guangxi Basin, the terrain is higher in the east and west and lower in the middle, with the Dayao Mountains in the east. The Hongshui River flows through the urban area, merging with the Liujiang River in the central part of the city to form the Qianjiang River. The Xianggui Railway passes through the area. Over 70% of the city's population is of Zhuang ethnicity. The People's Government of Laibin City is located at No. 1 Renmin Road, Chengbei Subdistrict, Xingbin District.

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2. History

In the second year of the Qianfeng era of the Tang Dynasty (667 AD), Yanzhou was established within the region, governing the three counties of Xunde, Guihua, and Huaiyi. In the second year of the Tianbao era (743 AD), Huaiyi County was renamed Laibin County. According to the Yuanhe Junxian Zhi (Geographical Records of the Yuanhe Era), Laibin was "located north of the Duni River and east of the Laibin River (now known as the Beizhi River), hence the name." During the Song and Yuan dynasties, it belonged to Xiangzhou. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was under the jurisdiction of Liuzhou Prefecture.

In the second year of the Republic of China (1913), the prefecture system was abolished, and the county was directly administered by the province. In the sixth year of the Republic of China (1927), the Liujiang Circuit was established, and Laibin County was placed under its jurisdiction. In the 38th year of the Republic of China (1949), it was governed by the 13th Administrative Supervision District of Guangxi Province.

On November 30, 1949, the People's Liberation Army occupied Laibin County, which was then placed under the jurisdiction of Liuzhou Prefecture. In 1953, it was transferred to Yishan Prefecture. In 1954, the seat of the Laibin County government was relocated from Chengxiang to Shuiluo Village (now the urban area of Laibin). In 1958, Yishan Prefecture was renamed Liuzhou Prefecture, and Laibin County was placed under its jurisdiction, with the prefectural office located in Liuzhou City. In 1970, Liuzhou Prefecture was renamed Liuzhou Region. In June 1981, Heshan City was established from part of Laibin County. In 2002, Liuzhou Region was abolished, and the prefecture-level Laibin City was newly established. Laibin County was renamed Xingbin District of Laibin City. Laibin City now governs the counties of Xincheng, Xiangzhou, Wuxuan, and Jinxiu Yao Autonomous County, which were originally part of Liuzhou Region, and administers the county-level Heshan City.

3. Geography

Laibin City is located in central Guangxi, hence its nickname "Central Guangxi." It lies between 108°24′–110°28′ east longitude and 23°16′–24°29′ north latitude, with the Tropic of Cancer passing through its territory. The city covers a total area of 13,411 square kilometers. The municipal government is situated in Xingbin District, which is 156 kilometers away from the provincial capital, Nanning. The main stream of the Xijiang River, the Hongshui River, flows through the urban area. The Hongshui River and the Liujiang River converge in Wuxuan County, after which they are called the Qianjiang River. Laibin City is one of the cities in the Xijiang Economic Belt, with five counties (cities, districts) accessible by navigation. Thousand-ton vessels can sail directly to the Pearl River Delta, and the total inland waterway navigable mileage is 341 kilometers.

Laibin City is situated in the low mountain and hilly region of central Guangxi. Its landforms are primarily mountainous and hilly, with mountains accounting for 38.4%, hills for 26.2%, plains for 22.5%, platforms for 8.8%, and the rest being water bodies and other features. The per capita arable land area is 2.82 mu. The annual average temperature is 21.2°C, with an average annual rainfall of 1,959.6 mm. The forest area is 687,813 hectares, resulting in a forest coverage rate of 51.4%.

3.1 Climate

The following is the meteorological data table converted from an image into markdown format:

Laibin City Meteorological Data (1981–2010)

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annual | |--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--| | Record High°C (°F) | 27.6(81.7) | 33.0(91.4) | 34.7(94.5) | 36.7(98.1) | 36.6(97.9) | 37.2(99.0) | 39.6(103.3) | 39.5(103.1) | 38.2(100.8) | 36.2(97.2) | 32.7(90.9) | 29.6(85.3) | 39.6(103.3) | | Avg. High°C (°F) | 15.2(59.4) | 16.6(61.9) | 19.9(67.8) | 25.5(77.9) | 29.6(85.3) | 31.8(89.2) | 33.2(91.8) | 33.5(92.3) | 31.7(89.1) | 28.1(82.6) | 23.2(73.8) | 18.4(65.1) | 25.6(78.0) | | Daily Mean°C (°F) | 11.1(52.0) | 12.9(55.2) | 16.1(61.0) | 21.4(70.5) | 25.2(77.4) | 27.5(81.5) | 28.6(83.5) | 28.6(83.5) | 26.7(80.1) | 22.9(73.2) | 17.9(64.2) | 13.1(55.6) | 21.0(69.8) | | Avg. Low°C (°F) | 8.2(46.8) | 10.3(50.5) | 13.5(56.3) | 18.5(65.3) | 22.0(71.6) | 24.5(76.1) | 25.3(77.5) | 25.2(77.4) | 23.2(73.8) | 19.2(66.6) | 14.1(57.4) | 9.4(48.9) | 17.8(64.0) | | Record Low°C (°F) | -0.9(30.4) | 0.4(32.7) | 0.7(33.3) | 7.6(45.7) | 12.6(54.7) | 16.9(62.4) | 19.7(67.5) | 20.5(68.9) | 15.0(59.0) | 8.6(47.5) | 2.6(36.7) | -1.2(29.8) | -1.2(29.8) | | Avg. Precipitationmm (inches) | 51.1(2.01) | 54.7(2.15) | 75.5(2.97) | 103.9(4.09) | 212.2(8.35) | 269.3(10.60) | 214.4(8.44) | 149.7(5.89) | 82.6(3.25) | 53.0(2.09) | 47.3(1.86) | 27.6(1.09) | 1,341.3(52.79) | | Avg. Relative Humidity(%) | 74 | 78 | 80 | 80 | 79 | 82 | 80 | 79 | 75 | 71 | 71 | 69 | 77 |

Data source: China Meteorological Data Network (http://data.cma.cn/data/weatherBk.html)

4. Administrative Divisions

Laibin City administers 1 district, 3 counties, 1 autonomous county, and manages 1 county-level city on behalf of the higher administration.

• District: Xingbin District
• County-level City: Heshan City
• Counties: Xincheng County, Xiangzhou County, Wuxuan County
• Autonomous County: Jinxiu Yao Autonomous County The following is the markdown format table converted from the image:

Administrative Divisions and Related Information of Laibin City

|Division Code|Division Name|Chinese PinyinZhuang (Official Transliteration)|Area (km²)|Permanent Population (2020 Census)|Government Seat|Postal Code|Subdistricts|Towns|Townships| |--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--| |451300|Laibin City|Laíbīn ShìLaizbinh Si|13,381.83|2,074,611|Xingbin District|546100|4|45|21| |451302|Xingbin District|Xīngbīn QūHinghbinh Gih|4,403.47|925,377|Chengdong Subdistrict|546100|4|16|4| |451321|Xincheng County|Xīnchéng XiànYinhcwngz Yen|2,521.90|297,825|Chengguan Town|546200| |6|6| |451322|Xiangzhou County|Xiàngzhōu XiànSiangcouh Yen|1,917.91|281,846|Xiangzhou Town|545800| |8|3| |451323|Wuxuan County|Wǔxuān XiànVujsenh Yen|1,704.05|340,312|Wuxuan Town|545900| |9|1| |451324|Jinxiu Yao Autonomous County|Jīnxiù YáozúZìzhìxiànGinhsiu YauzcuzSwcjyen|2,468.79|130,313|Jinxiu Town|545700| |3|7| |451381|Heshan City|Héshān ShìHozsanh Si|365.72|98,938|Lingnan Town|546500| |3| |

5. Economy

5.1 Economic Growth and Industrial Structure:

• Laibin City's economy has maintained steady growth. In 2023, Laibin achieved a regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 98.141 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 8.9%, ranking fourth among prefecture-level cities in Guangxi. In the first quarter of 2024, Laibin's GDP reached 21.556 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.9%.
• In terms of industrial structure, the tertiary industrial structure of Laibin City continues to optimize. In 2023, the added value of the primary industry was 11.051 billion yuan, an increase of 5.0%; the added value of the secondary industry was 25.887 billion yuan, an increase of 4.5%; and the added value of the tertiary industry was 34.999 billion yuan, an increase of 2.7%.

5.2 Key Industries and Project Development:

• Laibin City vigorously develops its industrial economy, particularly pillar industries such as wood processing, metallurgy, and aluminum. For example, the Sanjiangkou Forest Industrial City, as a major project, is expected to achieve an output value of 3.5 billion yuan in the park by 2024.
• Furthermore, Laibin City is actively promoting the development of emerging industries such as the new energy and new materials industrial park, and pharmaceutical chemical new materials.

5.3 Infrastructure and Regional Advantages:

• Located in central Guangxi, Laibin City is a crucial node city in the Pearl River-Xijiang River Economic Belt and one of the "4+2" cities in the Guangxi Beibu Gulf Economic Zone. With the construction of the Pinglu Canal and the Datengxia Water Control Project, Laibin's locational advantages have become more prominent, positioning it to become a vital city connecting east and west and serving as a transportation hub.

5.4 Finance and People's Livelihood:

• Laibin City's fiscal revenue has maintained stable growth. In 2023, the city's public budget revenue was 4.582 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 12.4%. Simultaneously, the living standards of residents have continuously improved, with the per capita disposable income of urban residents reaching 31,870 yuan and that of rural residents reaching 26,387 yuan.

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6. Education

6.1 Higher Education Institutions

• Public Undergraduate Institutions: Guangxi Science & Technology Normal University Laibin Campus, Guilin University of Aerospace Technology Laibin Campus
• Private Vocational Colleges: Guangxi Blue Sky Aviation Vocational College

7. Population

As of the end of 2022, the total registered population of Laibin City was 2,677,700. The city's permanent resident population was 2,077,800, accounting for 77.6% of the total population. Among them, the urban population was 1,022,700, accounting for 49.22% of the permanent resident population (i.e., the urbanization rate of the permanent resident population), an increase of 0.11 percentage points from the end of the previous year.

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's permanent resident population was 2,074,611. Compared with the 2,099,711 people from the Sixth National Population Census, the total number decreased by 25,100 over the past ten years, a decline of 1.2%, with an average annual growth rate of -0.12%. Among them, the male population was 1,074,915, accounting for 51.81% of the total population; the female population was 999,696, accounting for 48.19% of the total population. The sex ratio of the total population (with females as 100) was 107.52. The population aged 0-14 was 483,711, accounting for 23.32% of the total population; the population aged 15-59 was 1,222,582, accounting for 58.93% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 368,318, accounting for 17.75% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 271,907, accounting for 13.11% of the total population. The population living in urban areas was 1,006,712, accounting for 48.53% of the total population; the population living in rural areas was 1,067,899, accounting for 51.47% of the total population.

7.1 Ethnic Groups

Among the city's permanent resident population, the Zhuang population was 1,493,971, accounting for 72.01%; the Han population was 484,400, accounting for 23.35%; and the population of other ethnic minorities was 96,240, accounting for 4.64%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han population decreased by 2,399, a decline of 0.49%, but its proportion of the total population increased by 0.16 percentage points; the population of all ethnic minorities decreased by 22,701, a decline of 1.41%, and their proportion of the total population decreased by 0.16 percentage points. Among them, the Zhuang population decreased by 34,605, a decline of 2.26%, and its proportion of the total population decreased by 0.79 percentage points; the Yao population increased by 5,119, an increase of 7.46%, and its proportion of the total population increased by 0.29 percentage points.

The following is the markdown format table converted from the image:

Ethnic Composition of Laibin City (November 2020)

| Ethnic Group | Zhuang | Han | Yao | Miao | Mulam | Dong | Bouyei | Sui | Tujia | Maonan | Other Ethnic Groups | |--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--| | Population | 1,493,971 | 484,400 | 73,738 | 8,090 | 5,997 | 3,365 | 1,042 | 753 | 736 | 418 | 2,101 | | Percentage of Total Population (%) | 72.01 | 23.35 | 3.55 | 0.39 | 0.29 | 0.16 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.02 | 0.10 | | Percentage of Minority Population (%) | 93.95 | — | 4.64 | 0.51 | 0.38 | 0.21 | 0.07 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.13 |

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8. Culture

8.1 National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units

• Mo Chieftain's Yamen

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Xingbin District

Xingbin District

Among the city's permanent residents, the Zhuang ethnic group has a population of 1,493,971, accounting for 72.01%; the Han ethnic group has a population of 484,400, accounting for 23.35%; and other ethnic minorities have a population of 96,240, accounting for 4.64%.

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