Heilongjiang province has ambitious plans to undertake several mega projects to boost its economic growth.

There are 300 mega-projects with a total investment of 1.34 trillion yuan. The government plans to invest 280 billion yuan this year alone.

Among the mega-projects, 60 are expected to be completed this year, according to the provincial development and reform commission.

Notably, several large-scale projects aim to improve people's living conditions.

Over 500,000 low-income households have moved out of their shantytown cottages into modern concrete houses.

More than 2 million people in the province's 4,000 villages now have adequate clean water sources, thanks to a government project to help them drill more wells.

Besides building more houses, other mega-projects to improve people's livelihood include enhancing education facilities and improving the public health system.

Other key areas of investment are to build a modern transportation system in the province and raise grain output.

Heilongjiang province has the largest commercial grain producers in the country.

Insufficient transportation has always been a problem that hinders development.

Three highways are under construction in the eastern part of the province, which has vast farms and rich mineral resources.

In the western part, seven highways will be built in Qiqihar, a major city in the province, which currently has no highways.

A further 11 expressways linking all major cities in the province will be built.

Air transport is also a focus. There are nine airports in the province now, and there are plans for another three in Jiagedaqi, Fuyuan and Wudalianchi.

The province will then have the fifth most airports in the country. The goal is to allow all residents in the province's major cities to be able to get to an airport within 90 minutes.

It is hoped that better air transport will also help tourism. Last year, more than 430,000 tourists visited Mohe, the utmost northern city in the country, a year-on-year increase of nearly 100 percent.

The city's tourism bureau officials attribute the success to the operation of Mohe airport.

(China Daily 04/28/2010 page15)