Hechi city

The city of Hechi, in the northeast Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, has beautiful scenery, breathtaking mountains, caves, rivers and lakes.

Covering an area of 33,500 square kilometers, Hechi's terrain is mostly mountainous, with Hongshui River flowing through the city. It is home to 3.35 million people according to the seventh census and is a multi-ethnic city dominated by the Zhuang ethnic groups, with minorities accounting for 85.6 percent of the local population.

The beautiful scenery of Hongshui River in Hechi. [Photo/Hechi Daily]

The city's residents are also known for their long lifespans, with around 19.5 per 100,000 people living to the age of 100, making it the first prefecture-level "longevity city" in China.

It is also famous for its culture and folk customs. Yizhou district's Xiashi village is the hometown of Liu Sanjie, a well-known folk singer from the Zhuang ethnic group.

Hechi residents celebrate the Zhuang minority's Sanyuesan Festival. [Photo/Hechi Daily]    

Another item Hechi is well known for is the bronze drum, with hundreds of them appearing in museums around the world, with more than 1,400 handed down in the city from generation to generation.

The Liusanjie Ballad and bronze drum dancing are both listed as national intangible cultural heritages from Hechi.

In 2023, Hechi's GDP reached 116.34 billion yuan ($16.06 billion), increasing by 2.2 percent, the per capita disposable income for all residents was 22,508 yuan, up by 5.1 percent.

Specifically, the per capita disposable income for urban residents was 35,692 yuan, increasing by 3.4 percent, while the per capita disposable income for rural residents was 14,164 yuan, increasing by 7.1 percent.