A Showcase of Speedy Urbanization

IT was an 800-km, smooth drive from Beijing to Ordos. The first stretch was along the Badaling Expressway, before turning off at Hebei's Xuanhua exit and heading for Zhangjiakou. We then continued westward, passing Ulanqab, Hohhot and Baotou before heading south. We were soon within the jurisdiction of Ordos.Ordos' ongoing urbanization is plain to see from the booming construction sites throughout the area. A little on-the-spot research upon arrival in Ordos revealed that the local urbanization rate increased from 43.5 percent in 2000 to 54 percent by the end of 2005, and increased to 57.4 percent by the end of 2006. Urbanization of this rapidity is rare among China's prefecture-level cities.

A Showcase of Speedy Urbanization