Laizhou 莱州市

Laizhou (莱州) is a county-level city in Yantai Prefecture, Shandong Province, China. As of 2008, Laizhou had a population of 902,000, out of which 188,000 are urban residents.

Laizhou traditionally boasts strong economy due to its abundant natural resources, such as gold, magnesium, granite, and salt. Laizhou produces about 15% of the gold production of the whole nation, around 55,000 pounds annually. It is ranked 37th among the similar size cities in the nation and the top 10 in Shandong Province. In 2010, the GDP of Laizhou reached $7.3 billion USD. Laizhou Port is one of the major ports in the Yellow River Delta.