To top it all, Zhaoqing is rich in minerals and ores like coal, sulfur, and gypsum and GOLD! Agriculture is the main backbone of the economy at present, with a considerable share of poultry and animal husbandry segments. The forest region in the nearby mountains is rich in herbs, which have formed the basis of ancient Chinese art of healing. Herbal medicine industry, which is local to this region, amounts for considerable exports to international markets like USA and Australia and have a decent fan following.
It is because of this reason only, that one of the 10 projects listed above is to explore the mountain region to its potential by establishing research institutes here and manufacturing and R & D hubs, which will expedite the whole process of converting the small scale herbal medicine industry in to economic dynamite.