Rui'an


Rui'an is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Wenzhou prefecture, Zhejiang province, China. It has a population of 1,125,000 people and covers a land area of, when including water area. Natives of the city speak the Rui'an dialect of Wu Chinese.
As one of the trial counties and cities for comprehensive economic reforms, Rui'an was recognized as the fourteenth development zone by the State Council in 1987, and was subsequently listed as one of the first counties to be opened for foreign direct investment in 1988.
Rui'an is also one of the top 100 cities for economic growth in China with a burgeoning tourist industry. As of today, there are 49 towns and villages under the administration of Rui'an.
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History

Rui'an, also known as Meitou, has a history that goes back to about 2000 BC, when it became known for its machine production. The historic city began its trade and commerce in and given its current name in 675 AD.

Administrative divisions

Subdistricts:
Towns:

Economy

Rui'an has been a relatively wealthy and prosperous city since ancient times. However, it was not until the initialization of Reform and Opening Up that Rui'an regained its momentum. The people of Rui'an have been pioneers in many fields, especially in the development of China's market economy in the form of joint-stock system.
They set up a household contract responsibility system, which would encourage the citizens to take lead in the household industries, and in turn invest their best effort to sell their products. Consequently, Rui'an experienced rapid economic development. The government induced the rural entrepreneurs and shareholders to cooperate effectively. Many kinds of economic systems that have significantly accelerated regional development have been experimented and introduced in Rui'an. Together, these approaches became known as the "Wenzhou Model", and is from 1980s to early 21st century one of the leading model for economic growth both in China and abroad.
In 2005, Rui'an ranked 39th place in comprehensive economic strength among the first 100 counties and cities of China. In the 20-square-kilometer economic development zone at the provincial level, there is enthusiasm for capital investment in building Rui'an into a new urban area with comprehensive development of industry, trade, science and technology. Rui'an is also known for its production of plastics and auto accessories.

Transportation

The infrastructure of Rui'an has improved, with an ever-quickening pace of urbanization. Now, it has modernized traffic control, transportation and communication systems. The Wenzhou Yongqiang Airport, a 10,000-ton seaport and the local railway station are each less than 30 kilometers from the city proper. The coastal highway and the No. 104 state highway which run through the city, and the Rui'an station on the Wenzhou–Fuzhou railway are a few significant examples of developments in transportation in Rui'an. The Rail Transit Line 2, which started operation on April 26, 2023, arrives in Rui'an.

Resources

As a coastal city, Rui'an is rich in natural resources and has several salt mines. Situated about 100 nautical miles away from the estuary of Feiyunjiang, there lies the seabed rich in crude oil and natural gas, which are now being prospected and planned to be excavated.

Notable people