In 2012, annual output of Beihai's petrochemical industry reached 28.15 billion yuan ($4.52 billion). The output of its petrochemical industry is expected to hit 100 billion yuan by 2015, forming a major petrochemical industrial belt in the Guangxi Beibu Gulf Economic Area.

The Port-Surrounding New Materials Base will also be pushed forward with a focus on Chengde New Materials Projects. The first-phase project, which carried an investment of 12 billion yuan ($1.93 billion) with an annual output of 600,000 tons of Ni-Cr alloys, was put into operation in March 2011, generating revenue 7.47 billion yuan ($119.82 million) in 2012. In September 2012, the second phase of the project was put into operation with an output of 1.6 million tons. The 1.2 million-ton cold-rolled sheet project, with a total investment of 8.73 billion yuan ($1.4 billion), will begin in 2013.

The Port-Surrounding New Materials Base, which will cover an area of 6.5 square km, will introduce downstream manufacturers like cooking utensils, kitchenware, decoration and medical/sanitary products. The base will give a further boost to the opening-up and development of the Guangxi Beibu Gulf Economic Area.

Sinopec's Beihai Refinery (CHEN JIANLI)

Old Street (JU YUNHUA)

Weizhou Island (XU WEIJIE)

Modern production line (ZHANG ZILIANG)

A bird's-eye view of Haicheng District Beihai (CHEN JIANLI)