Wuhan is known as the "Chicago of the East". As early as the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Hankou had become a well-known port city.

In the history of China's commodity circulation, the praise of "goods arrive in Hankou and live in life" has won her unlimited business opportunities; in the history of China's transportation development, the conclusion of a "nine-province thoroughfare" has made her famous all over the world.

Facing the wave of modern industrial civilization, Wuhan has been polished for many times and strives for its own position on the economic map of the Republic of China.

From taking off from the "two links" to flying with both wings, the footsteps of this city's struggle are recorded.

The "Two Direct Links" took off: "Hanzheng Street" became Wuhan's business card

In 1989, a TV series became popular in major cities across the country. Its name is "Hanzheng Street".

Hanzheng Street is an inconspicuous old street in Qiaokou District, Wuhan City. For a time, it became a common trademark for small commodities across the country and a business card of the mighty Wuhan city.

To this day, outsiders still want to visit Hanzheng Street when they come to Wuhan. The fame of Hanzheng Street has affected a period of reform and development history in Wuhan.

Wuhan, with three-dimensional advantages in water, land and air transportation, is the largest business center in inland my country, with nearly 700 trading markets of various types, radiating to 600 counties and cities in 30 provinces and cities across the country. From the perspective of businessmen, this is a city with enviable conditions.

As the trend of opening up began, Wuhan, an important economic center in central China, began to think about its own development direction.

Economist’s advice: Wuhan should make full use of its location advantages, use transportation and circulation as the starting point, and use active markets as the carrier to promote economic take-off.

This proposal, titled "Two Direct Links", took off and was adopted by the Wuhan Municipal Government and quickly approved by the State Council, becoming Wuhan's development strategy in the early stages of reform and opening up.

In 1979, Wuhan became the first in the country to announce the "Open City Gate" and opened China's first small commodity market, Hanzheng Street.

In a few years, this narrow alley with only 103 individual merchants has become a small commodity distribution center extending to more than 10 communities, with annual sales exceeding 10 billion yuan and radiating across the country. A profound revolution in the circulation of small commodities has been triggered across the country.

In 1992, China's first commercial stock - Hubei Wu Commercial Stock Co., Ltd. was listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, marking a new height for Wuhan's "Two Direct Links" take-off strategy. Subsequently, Zhongshang, Hanshang and Zhongbai were listed one after another. There are four listed commercial companies in one city, which is unique in the country. Wuhan’s “Two Direct Links” reached its peak.

In the history of Wuhan’s reform and development, the take-off strategy of “Two Direct Links” has played its historical role. However, with the development of the economy and society, people have discovered that the Wuhan market has been revitalized, but a large number of key enterprises have not; moreover, "eating Guangdong grain and drinking Pearl River water" has become a consumption trend in Wuhan.

As an old industrial base, how can Wuhan build the backbone of a modern city?

China Optics Valley: High technology ignites passion in Wuhan

Some people say that in the history of Wuhan’s economic development, two events have aroused unprecedented warm responses from citizens. One is that the central government decided to build the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge, and the other is to build the "Wuhan China Optics Valley".

In the "Chasing the Light" campaign of many domestic cities striving to build Optics Valley, more than 1 million citizens of Wuhan spontaneously signed to support the municipal government's initiative to build Optics Valley.

Facts have proved that the construction of Optics Valley not only provides a strong guarantee for Wuhan's manufacturing enterprises to implement technological transformation and take the road of informatization, but more importantly, it has turned Wuhan into an industrial hot spot and inspired People’s entrepreneurial passion.

A series of dazzling numbers burst out in passion. As of the end of last year, there were more than 6,000 companies settled in Optics Valley. Among them, there are more than 1,300 high-tech enterprises, 15 listed companies, 3 companies with annual sales revenue of more than 3 billion yuan, 5 companies with annual sales revenue of more than 1 billion yuan, and 55 companies with annual sales revenue of more than 100 million yuan.

A promising industrial cluster bursts out of passion. With the optoelectronic information industry as the leading industry, bioengineering and new medicine, environmentally friendly energy, mechatronics, high-tech agriculture, etc. are competing to develop, and an industrial pattern with complete supporting upstream and downstream products has basically been formed.

After more than three years of construction and development, Wuhan Optics Valley has become China's largest optical fiber and cable manufacturing base, China's most powerful scientific research and development base in the field of optical communications, China's largest IC card network product production base and The largest laser equipment production base. Wuhan YOFC ranks third in the world in terms of its optical fiber production scale. By acquiring Australian companies, Huagong Technology has gradually participated in the division of labor in the global industrial chain and established a global marketing network.

Wuhan Optics Valley’s unique talents, technology and innovation advantages have attracted a steady stream of funds from all directions. The number of venture capital companies registered in Wuhan by domestic and overseas venture capital circles has increased from 1 before 2000 to 13; domestic and foreign financial institutions have donated nearly 28 billion yuan and have supported 16 large-scale projects in the field of optoelectronics and information to start construction and put into production in Optics Valley. , nearly 700 companies registered.

Both wings fly together: Wuhan leads the rise of central China

On July 26 this year, the sixth plenary session of the 10th Wuhan Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China was held grandly. The topic of the meeting is: learn and implement the central government’s strategic decision on promoting the rise of central China, comprehensively accelerate the development of Wuhan, and strive to be at the forefront of the central and western regions.

Historical opportunities once again favor Wuhan; Wuhan people once again face the test of history.

With a long-term view and assessment of the situation, the Wuhan Municipal Party Committee made a major decision: comprehensively promote the strategic adjustment of the economic structure and vigorously develop modern manufacturing and modern service industries.

Chen Xunqiu, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Wuhan Municipal Party Committee, believes that vigorously developing modern manufacturing is the key and core to promoting the strategic adjustment of the economic structure; developing modern service industries is to serve modern manufacturing and comprehensively improve urban service functions. This is an important measure and an important focus for the city's sustained and rapid economic development.

Two wings support Wuhan’s ambition to lead the rise of central China.

As an important birthplace of China's modern industry, Wuhan has created an extremely glorious past: the world-famous "Made in Hanyang" scenery has been prosperous for a century; the rails of Hanyang Iron Works held up the reeds running from north to south ( Gouqiao) Han (kou) Railway. In recent years, Wuhan people have focused on revitalizing the manufacturing industry. A few kilometers west of the old site of Hanyang Arsenal, a new modern automobile city has sprung up. Large-scale projects such as the second hot rolling and the second cold rolling of WISCO have been completed one after another, making WISCO the largest plate base in my country.

Last year, the Wuhan Municipal Government proposed that it would invest more than 200 billion yuan in 10 to 15 years to initially build Wuhan into a national modern manufacturing base.

At the same time, a plan is to vigorously enhance Wuhan's functions as a financial and trade center, logistics center, information center, science and education center, tourist destination and distribution center in the central region, and promote Wuhan to become a modern service industry center in central China. The blueprint is being drawn up.

The grandeur of Wuhan is evident from this. It will play a strategic fulcrum role in coordinating regional economies and undertaking gradient transfer processes. As the only megacity in the central region, Wuhan has an unshirkable responsibility and has great potential.

People are looking forward to Wuhan.