Banan District Unveils 15th Five-Year Plan: Urban-Rural Integration, Sci-Tech Innovation, and Shared Prosperity

Chongqing - Banan District, the largest central urban district of Chongqing and the municipality's sole national pilot zone for urban-rural integration development, laid out its development blueprint for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030) at a press conference today.

Banan District unveiled the district's vision under the theme "Urban-Rural Integration and Beautiful Banan," highlighting five strategic pillars - industry, science and education, agriculture, opening-up, and culture - to transform Banan into a key growth pole and new engine for the central urban area.

Industrial Output Target: RMB 140 Billion

Banan will align with Chongqing's "33618" modern manufacturing cluster system - three trillion-yuan-level pillar industries, three 500-billion-yuan-level pillar industries, six 100-billion-yuan-level specialty industries, and 18 "rising star" industrial clusters. The district will pursue the simultaneous transformation of traditional industries, the expansion of strategic emerging sectors, and the forward deployment of future industries.

Four major industrial platforms will drive growth through differentiated and coordinated development:

• Chongqing International Bio-City - biomedicine and smart medical devices

• Huanqiaoping Mountain Digital Intelligence City - next-generation electronic information manufacturing and aerospace information

• Dajiang Science and Technology Innovation City - intelligent connected new energy vehicles, low-altitude economy, and embodied intelligence

• Chongqing Higher Vocational Town - software and information services, plus talent cultivation

The district targets gross industrial output of RMB 140 billion (approx. $20.6 billion) by 2030, up from RMB 108.03 billion at the end of the 14th FYP period.

On the innovation front, Banan will deepen its "312" industrial innovation system - three major sci-tech domains (life and health, digital intelligence, and scientific equipment) and 12 key directions. The district plans to build a 300,000-square-meter innovation and entrepreneurship incubation community at Gaofenghu and foster a "tropical rainforest" innovation ecosystem. R&D expenditure intensity is targeted at 3.75% by 2030.

Urban-Rural Integration: Agricultural Output to Top RMB 10 Billion

With over 90% of its territory classified as beautiful countryside, Banan will leverage its unique urban-rural endowment to bridge the urban-rural divide.

The district will implement a "4+4+N" beautiful countryside development framework, comprising four demonstration zones, four town-village collaborative clusters, and a number of distinctive "Bashi Xiaoyuan" (comfortable courtyard communities). By 2030, Banan aims to complete 100% of beautiful and harmonious villages.

Key agricultural targets include:

• Strengthening specialty industries: vegetables, animal husbandry, fruit and tea, and aquaculture

• Improving cold-chain logistics and agricultural product processing

• Total agricultural output value exceeding RMB 10 billion (approx. $1.47 billion)

On ecological governance, Banan will build or renovate over 130 kilometers of sewage pipelines, advance the quality improvement of 11 "happy rivers and lakes," and create approx. 1,900 hectares of forest belts along the Yangtze River. It will also deepen reforms including forestland tenure separation, land contract extension, and revitalization of idle rural housing, while cultivating more than 2,000 rural practical talents.

The urban-rural income ratio is targeted to narrow to 1.91:1 by 2030 (from 1.94:1 in 2025).

Opening-Up and Cultural Tourism: Foreign Trade to Reach RMB 20 Billion

As a national logistics hub for commercial and trade services, Banan is positioning itself as Chongqing's gateway for southward opening. The district will expand its cross-border highway freight network - currently covering 3 directions, 12 routes, 25 ports, and 39 overseas distribution warehouses - to reach 30,000 TEUs in freight volume and 42 million tons in hub throughput by 2030.

Key platforms include auto and motorcycle parts, electronic intermediate products, and the ASEAN Food Industry Park. Banan aims to grow foreign trade from RMB 15.89 billion in 2025 to RMB 20 billion (approx. $2.95 billion) by 2030.

On culture and tourism, Banan will cultivate five major brands: ancient towns, hot springs, "Baxian Laoyuanzi" (historic courtyard homes), beautiful countryside, and sports events and performances. Intangible cultural heritage such as Mudong folk songs and Jielong wind-and-percussion music will be revitalized. The district targets 52 million tourists and RMB 34.5 billion (approx. $5.09 billion) in tourism-integrated consumption by 2030.

People's Livelihood and Governance: 15,000 New Jobs Over Five Years

Education: Banan will form educational alliances with Chongqing's top secondary schools - No.1 Middle School, Nankai Middle School, No.8 Middle School, and Bashu Middle School - sending 60 key teachers annually for training and exchange. The district will add more than 8,500 quality senior high school places and strive to become a national model for balanced and high-quality compulsory education.

Healthcare: The district will accelerate Chongqing Seventh People's Hospital toward Class-A tertiary status, targeting 7.5 hospital beds per 1,000 population by 2030, with new beds concentrated in critical care, oncology, and nursing.

Employment: Banan plans to attract and cultivate 350 quality enterprises over five years, creating 15,000 new jobs and achieving a cumulative total of over 120,000 new urban jobs.

Governance: The district will deepen integrated comprehensive governance reform, strengthen the "people call, we respond" grievance mechanism, and leverage IoT sensing, drone patrols, and digital platforms for early warning and closed-loop management of flood risks, geological hazards, and fire safety.

2026 Targets

For the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, Banan has set annual targets of approximately 5.5% GDP growth and 3% growth in general public budget revenue.