Designated as a nationwide pilot area for building a resources-saving and environment-friendly society in 2007, the city cluster highlights Hubei's model role in China's central regional development.

Since the State Council approved the overall construction plan of the pilot area in September 2008, a series of related actions have been carried out in the province.

To date, investment in integrating transportation in the city cluster has reached 61.6 billion yuan. The regional transportation integration is scheduled to be completed in 2020.

Industrial shift

Within the city group, traditional industries in Wuhan are shifting to surrounding cities while headquarters, R&D facilities and marketing institutions are moving to the provincial capital.

For instance, many textile companies in Wuhan moved to Xiaogan. As a result, a great number of textile and apparel industrial parks have been established in Xiaogan.

Wuhan Tobacco Group has conducted a provincial-wide M&A and reorganization, remarkably improving the company's production and competitiveness.

Wuhan Iron and Steel Company has expanded large production bases to other cities.

At the same time, many high-tech companies and private enterprise have entered into an economic development zone situated between the cities.

In 2009, 156 projects were slated to begin in the city cluster, including a Great East Lake ecological water system, new harbor, airport economic zone and Wuhan bonded logistics centre.

In the first half of last year, regional GDP accounted for 63.2 percent of the province's total.

Eco-cultural tourism

With the rapid rise of the Wuhan city circle, the western Hubei ecological and cultural tourism circle - including Xiangfan, Jingzhou, Yichang, Shiyan, Jingmen, Suizhou, Enshi and Shennongjia - has played an important role in the province's economic and social development.

The provincial government, eight cities and prefectures in western Hubei and the Three Gorges Project Corporation jointly created an investment firm in May 2009.

Hubei's tourism area is planned to attract 375 projects, bringing a total investment of 237.5 billion yuan from 2009 to 2011.

More than 58.41 million tourists visited the area last year, generating nearly 494 billion yuan in outcome, up 14.4 percent.

Following the pilot urban cluster and the eco-cultural tourism circle, the Yangtze River Economic Belt of Hubei was officially introduced as another major strategy, marking a new era for the city's economy.

The Yangtze River Economic Belt is located west of Badong, a county in Enshi, and east of Huangmei, a county in Huanggang.

The belt area includes Wuhan, Yichang, Jingzhou, Huangshi, Huanggang, Ezhou, Xianning, and 25 counties.