The qingpu District is heading forward with modernization plans as the municipal government makes more efforts in the development of the city's suburbs.

Last year, the northwestern district achieved a gross domestic product of 20.7 billion yuan (US$2.5 billion), up 22.7 percent year-on-year -nearly the amount the government had hoped to reach by 2005.

At the same time, the district reported a gross industrial output of 57.5 billion yuan and 2.3 billion yuan in revenue for the past year, up 22.9 percent and 31.6 percent respectively compared with the same period in 2002.

The manufacturing and real estate industries, which had a value-added output of 12.8 billion yuan last year, and the service sector, which realized a value-added output of 6.93 billion yuan within the same period, have become major supporters of the district's economy.

The district has been divided into six parts, with different industrial focuses.

In the downtown area of the planned Qingpu New City, commerce, real estate and service industries will be developed.

Information technology, biomedicine and precision machinery and new textile materials will become pillar industries of the Qingpu Industrial Zone, the youngest among the city's nine industry zones.

The eastern part of the district will develop non-pollution industries and commercial industries to serve the downtown area.

The northern area, connected to the International Auto Town in Jiading District, will be reserved for auto parts and motorcycle manufacturers.

Depending on its unique water resource, the area around Dianshan Lake will become an ideal tourist place.

Labor intensive industries, forestry and modern agriculture will be scattered in the south near the Shanghai-Hangzhou Expressway.

"The government will make special efforts to further develop the Qingpu Industrial Zone," said the district's Director Jiang Yao.

"The establishment of a three-square-kilometer export processing zone will help spur foreign trade."

The zone, with a history of just eight years, has expanded from 16.6 square kilometers to the current 56.2 square kilometers.

Foreign investment was US$2.2 billion last year, surging 275 percent from the previous year, and contracted foreign investment reached US$1.8 billion.

By 2007, the zone is expected to realize an industrial output value of 60 billion yuan.

Qingpu also has plans to beautify the district with greenery and fresh water streams.

By the end of last year, the district's per capita green public space reached 8.06 square meters and the green coverage rate was 21 percent.

As the only water town in the city, special attention will be given to Zhujiajiao Town, located on the shore of Dianshan Lake. Residences will be built in the vicinity.

With a history of about 1,000 years, the town is rife with architecture built in the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911).

"The old houses and historical relics in the ancient town will remain. Some will be carefully restored while others will be reconstructed by retaining their original exterior," Jiang said. "Our efforts are being made to preserve the town's traditional style."

The district will construct a museum featuring historical relics in Zhaoxiang Town.

Unearthed relics, like stonewear, jade articles and petrified rice seeds, prove human beings lived in the area more than 6,000 years ago, officials said.