Agriculture is the mainstay of the hsien 's economy; irrigated rice, sugarcane, sweet potatoes, and fruits a.... part research

Agriculture is the mainstay of the hsien 's economy; irrigated rice, sugarcane, sweet potatoes, and fruits are grown on the fertile alluvial coastal plains that constitute most of the region. Asbestos, dolomite, zircon, and salt are extracted, and oil and natural-gas fields are located in the central part of the hsien . Taiwan's only international research institute, the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center, is at Shan-hua, and the Yang-k'ang Industrial Park is at Wang-hsing. Ts'eng-wen Hsi Shu-k'u (reservoir), in the northern part of the hsien, provides irrigation for a 336-square-mile (870-square-kilometre) area and supplies water for the scenic man-made Shan-hu (Coral) Reservoir, 9 miles (15 km) south of Hsin-ying, the administrative seat. part research