Zhongguancun
Encyclopedia
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
It is geographically situated in the northwestern part of Beijing city, in a band between the northwestern Third Ring Road and the northwestern Fourth Ring Road
4th Ring Road (Beijing)
The 4th Ring Road is an expressway-like ring road in Beijing, China which runs around the city approximately 8 kilometres from the centre of the city.Although it is the city's third ring road, it is named the 4th Ring Road.- Route :...
. Zhongguancun is very well known in China, and is often referred to as "China's Silicon Valley".
History
Chen Chunxian
Chen Chunxian （Chinese:陈春先, 1934-August 11, 2004） was the founder of the Silicon Valley of China, also known as Zhongguancun.Chen Chunxian was born in 1934 in Sichuan Province, China...
, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chinese Academy of Sciences
The Chinese Academy of Sciences , formerly known as Academia Sinica, is the national academy for the natural sciences of the People's Republic of China. It is an institution of the State Council of China. It is headquartered in Beijing, with institutes all over the People's Republic of China...
(CAS), who came up with the idea for a Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
in China after he visited the U.S. as part of a government-sponsored trip. The location of the Chinese Academy of Sciences within Zhongguancun reinforced, and perhaps was in part responsible for the technological growth in this area.
Throughout the 1980s and still today, Zhongguancun was known as "electronics avenue," because of its connections to information technology and the preponderance of stores along a central, crowded street.
Zhongguancun was officially recognized by the central government of China in 1988. It was given the wordy name "Beijing High-Technology Industry Development Experimental Zone."
The current designation Zhongguancun refers commonly to the original site. However, officially (as of 1999) Zhongguancun has become the "Zhongguancun Science & Technology Zone." It is a zone with seven parks, including Haidian Park, Fengtai Park, Changping Park, Electronics City (in Chaoyang), Yizhuang Park, Desheng Park, and Jianxiang Park.
The original Zhongguancun is now known as the Haidian Park of the Zhongguancun Zone. The area and environs, however, remain the same.
Notable areas
Hailong Market
-See also:*Dinghao Market*Guigu Market*Kemao Market*Taipingyang Market*Zhonghai Market-External links:*...
, Guigu Market, Taipingyang Market, Dinghao Market
Dinghao Market
-History:Li Zhongjin is the current chief business officer of Dinghao Market.Dinghao Market is home to Lenovo's flagship store and Starbucks 1000th milestone Asian location.-External links:*...
and Kemao Market
Kemao Market
-History:Kemao Market opened its doors on 2004-02-21. The building is rated 5A-class and features a four-star hotel.-See also:*Dinghao Market*Guigu Market*Hailong Market*Taipingyang Market*Zhongguancun Computer Festival-External links:*...
are the five prominent IT and electronics markets. They are technology bazaars, famous for their "shops with a shop", where prices are easily but grudgingly bargained. Zhongguancun shops mainly deal in PC
IBM PC compatible
IBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to...
-compatible hardware, peripherals and software. AppleCentre and Apple Experience Centre are also close by.
Notable education and research centres
Due to the proximity and participation of China's two most prestigious universities, Peking UniversityPeking University
Peking University , colloquially known in Chinese as Beida , is a major research university located in Beijing, China, and a member of the C9 League. It is the first established modern national university of China. It was founded as Imperial University of Peking in 1898 as a replacement of the...
and Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University , colloquially known in Chinese as Qinghua, is a university in Beijing, China. The school is one of the nine universities of the C9 League. It was established in 1911 under the name "Tsinghua Xuetang" or "Tsinghua College" and was renamed the "Tsinghua School" one year later...
, along with the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chinese Academy of Sciences
The Chinese Academy of Sciences , formerly known as Academia Sinica, is the national academy for the natural sciences of the People's Republic of China. It is an institution of the State Council of China. It is headquartered in Beijing, with institutes all over the People's Republic of China...
, many analysts elsewhere are optimistic about Zhongguancun's future prospects.
Notable high schools in Zhongguancun include High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China
High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China
The High School Affiliated to Renmin University Of China , colloquially Rendafuzhong abbreviated to RDFZ , is the affiliated high school of Renmin University of China, and is one of the most prestigious high schools in Beijing. It is the sister school of Phillips Academy in Massachusetts and...
.
Notable companies
The most famous companies that grew up in Zhongguancun are Stone Group, Founder GroupFounder Group
Founder Group is a major Chinese technology conglomerate that deals with information technology and pharmaceuticals. Its subsidiary Founder Technology Group is the second-largest personal computer vendor in China. Its motto is "世界在变 创新不变", which translates roughly to "The world is changing;...
, and Lenovo Group
Lenovo Group
Lenovo Group Limited is a Chinese multinational personal technology company that develops, manufactures and markets desktop and notebook computers, workstations, servers, storage drives, IT management software, and other related products and services. Lenovo was incorporated in Hong Kong in 1988...
. They were all founded in 1984-85. Stone was the first successful technology company to be operated by individuals outside the government in China. Founder is a technology company that spun off Peking University
Peking University
Peking University , colloquially known in Chinese as Beida , is a major research university located in Beijing, China, and a member of the C9 League. It is the first established modern national university of China. It was founded as Imperial University of Peking in 1898 as a replacement of the...
. Lenovo Group spun off from Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chinese Academy of Sciences
The Chinese Academy of Sciences , formerly known as Academia Sinica, is the national academy for the natural sciences of the People's Republic of China. It is an institution of the State Council of China. It is headquartered in Beijing, with institutes all over the People's Republic of China...
with Liu Chuanzhi
Liu Chuanzhi
Liu Chuanzhi is a Chinese businessman. Liu is the founder of Lenovo, the second largest computer maker in the world, and remains the paramount leader of the firm.-Lenovo:...
, a hero of Zhongguancun and current Chairmain, eventually taking the helm. Lenovo purchased IBM's PC division with $1.75 billion in 2005, making it the world's third-largest PC maker. Both Founder and Lenovo Group maintain strong connections to their academic backers, who are significant shareholders.
According to the 2004 Beijing Statistical Yearbook, there are over 12,000 high-tech enterprises throughout Zhongguancun's seven parks, with 489,000 technicians employed.
Eastdawn Corporation is in the Sinosteel
Sinosteel
Sinosteel Corporation is a raw material processing company founded in 1993 based in the People's Republic of China. It is the country's second largest importer of iron ore.-Management:*Tianwen Huang - President and Secretary of the Party...
building.
Many world renowned technology companies built their Chinese headquarters and research centers in Zhongguancun Technology Park, such as Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
, Intel, AMD, Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing hardware systems and enterprise software products – particularly database management systems...
, Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
, Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
, and Ericsson
Ericsson
Ericsson , one of Sweden's largest companies, is a provider of telecommunication and data communication systems, and related services, covering a range of technologies, including especially mobile networks...
. Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
has built its Chinese research headquarters in the park that costs $280 million and can accommodate 5000 employees , which is completed in April, 2011. Microsoft Research Asia
Microsoft Research Asia
Microsoft Research Asia, Microsoft’s fundamental research arm in the Asia Pacific region, was founded on November 5, 1998. In 2004, Technology Review named Microsoft Research Asia “the hottest computer lab in the world”....
is in that building .
The development center of Loongson, which is China's first general-purpose microprocessor
Microprocessor
A microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit on a single integrated circuit, or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and...
design, is also in the Zhongguancun area.
See also
- List of technology centers around the world
- China Beijing Equity ExchangeChina Beijing Equity ExchangeChina Beijing Equity Exchange is an equity transaction bourse and platform run by the government of Beijing for mergers, acquisitions and restructuring of state-owned enterprises.-Background:...
- China Milan Equity ExchangeChina Milan Equity ExchangeCMEX is the first equity exchange platform set up in Europe to help European companies gain access to the ongoing privatization process of Chinese State-owned enterprises...
- Zhongguancun Administrative CommitteeZhongguancun Administrative CommitteeThe Zhongguancun Administrative Committee is a committee which oversees the affairs of Zhongguancun, Beijing....