Another underground treasure is its hot springs, a geothermal resource with a temperature between 57 and 75 C, and which contains many elements beneficial to health.

The springs can compete with the more famous minerals springs in Vichy, France, in quality, so they are ideal healthcare spots.

This resource wealth helped the city's industrial development in the energy, chemicals, machine, food processing, metallurgy, and construction sectors.

Naturally, local companies in related businesses have grown and have gradually gained influence nationwide and even globally.

Ruzhou is now the world's third largest producer of L-tryptophan, which is used in a number of ways to treat attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, insomnia, even depression.

The city tops in Asia in its alloys and wheels for heavy high-speed locomotives, and a major producer of cement.

Ruzhou is also a major national wheat, grain and meat center, and, a producer of cornstarch and biscuits.

Its sewage treatment plant can handle 40,000 tons of waste water daily and it has an eco-friendly garbage-treatment system.

Friendly environment

With its forest-coverage running to 28 percent, Ruzhou has improved its environment dramatically.

It has also improved its administration and investment policies to attract investors from China and abroad.

These include the US' KKR, a private equity member of the Fortune 500, and the International Finance Corp, a member of the World Bank Group.

The investment has helped the local economy and put Ruzhou in 154th place last year, in competitiveness, out of 2,001 county-level cities.

It has also taken a number of awards for its innovation, startups, tourism, private economy, and environment.