Yong'an

Yong'an (Chinese: 永安; pinyin: Yǒng'ān; Wade–Giles: Yung-an) is a county-level city in west-central Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It is located on the Sha River, which is a tributary of the Min River. Formerly a county, Yong'an became a county-level city on September 12, 1984. Yong'an is located in the west-central part of the prefecture-level city of Sanming, approximately 290 km (180 miles) west of Fuzhou, the provincial capital. The city's population is 319,000 (2003–2004). The natural population growth rate is 5.87%. The city was the capital of the Fujian Provincial Government during the Second Sino-Japanese War from 1938 to 1945. Yong'an is known for: Its rich natural resources (hence the saying "gold mountain silver water"). The forest coverage is more than 85%, which is a miracle percentage in coastal southern-east of China. A relatively strong industrial base. Yong'an is a rising industrial city in Fujian Province and an important energy and raw materials' production base. A relatively complete infrastructure located in the northwest of Fujian Minnan. It is an important transport hub and a distribution center. A relatively high level of urbanization, actively creating better urban residences.