Press conference for the commencement of the third group of construction projects and Wahaha Yichang Shopping Plaza was held on the morning of November 12. On that day, 12 key construction projects with a total investment of 8.23 billion RMB came into operation. 

　　This is another mega-event after the common commencement of 80 projects with a total investment of 30.55 billion RMB in this March and August, marking that the New District construction enters a new stage.

　　Among the projects started that day, 3 are municipal infrastructure projects, including Dongshan Second Road (Gangyao Road to Zhongnan Road), connection road to Shahe Placement Residential Community and connection road to Stadium Road (Yayi Railway Bridge to Yemingzhu Road); 3 are landscape architecture projects, covering Moji Mountain Park, renovation of Dongshan Park and Zuobatou Park; 4 housing projects with a total investment of 2.286 billion RMB, including placement housing projects for Industrial Technical School, Pinghu Green Island, Lijiahe Harmony Garden and Lianpeng Dayanba Residential Community; 2 social investment projects with a total investment of 5.25 billion RMB, including Wahaha Yichang Shopping Plaza and the sixth phase of Jindongshan projects.

　　Wahaha Yichang Shopping Plaza is the key investment project of Yichang, taking only 3 months to start since agreement signing in August. The predicted investment for the project is 5 billion RMB and the gross area is 1,125 thousand m2. The project includes 100,000 m2 of shopping center, a super high-rise five-star hotel, 6 Grade A office buildings and 18 high-rise residential buildings. It’s a large urban complex project covering tourism, hotel, catering, shopping, business, relaxation, residence and many other programs.

　　As early as 1997, Wahaha Group began to invest in Yichang to positively support the development of Middle and Western China and the construction of the Three Gorges Project. By the end of 2012, Wahaha Yichang Company’s operating revenue reached 5.237 billion RMB, with tax payment of 396 million RMB, keeping the momentum of rapid development. On August 29, 4 phases of series beverage filling projects with investment of 1 billion RMB by Wahaha Group came into operation in Yiling District.

(Reporter Liu Zirong and Lei Pengcheng, Correspondent Xin Quxuan)