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People's Life and
   Environment

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* People's Life and Environment

The new urban area of Qingdao developed in the 1990s has become the political, economic, financial and cultural center of the city. The shanty houses have disappeared and new high-rise buildings stand up in their stead.

For years, Qingdao government has stressed the overall development of the city in urban planning, ecological construction and residential buildings. As a result, the city was awarded the honorary title of “National Model City for Environmental Protection” in 2000. The city gained first prize for the “China Living Environment Award” in 2002, becoming one of the cities with the best environmental conditions in China.

The income and expenditure of the residents has grown steadily, and living standards have been greatly improved. In 2002, the average employee income was RMB12,839, an increase of 12.4% over the previous year. The per capita disposable income of urban residents was RMB8,721, up 13.5%, and the per capita consumption was RMB7,344, up 12.0%. The average net income of farmers was RMB4,195, up 7.5%. The per capita living space for urban residents was 25.05 square meters and that for rural residents was 27 square meters.