The city of Taizhou in east China’s Jiangsu province has given full play to ecological conservation in recent years by restoring and repairing the ecological landscape along the Yangtze River so as to ensure the high-quality development of the local economy.
In the evening hours, the Yangtze River shoreline in Taixing witnesses the hustle and bustle of people taking leisure walks. On the lush shore, the unique trestle makes this place a popular tourist attraction.
Chen Zhanghai, a local resident
"We used to come here very often when we were young. The place was very shabby at that time, There was a fishpond and many factories nearby. Now I feel the scenery is beautiful the water is very clear, and many places are crystal clear," said Chen Zhanghai, a local resident.
In the past, the large numbers of shipyards, fishponds and factories, coupled with the broken river embankments, made the shoreline a haunted place.
Starting in 2016, the local government invested 620 million yuan to ecologically restore more than 50% of the coastline. In just over three years, the earth-shaking changes on the riverside left a deep impression on Yin Shiyue, a villager who had lived on the riverside for a lifetime.
Yin Shiyue, a villager
"The changes in the Yangtze River in the past two years have been too great. There are many trees and the waves are green, People walk on the dike as if touring in the middle of the painting," said Yin Shiyue, a villager.
Ma Shuning, Official in charge of Restoration of Ecological Landscape along Yangtze
"We turned the original shipyard into a forest and built 200 thousand square meters of cedar forest. We have turned fishponds into wetlands and restore a total of 3000 mu of ecological wetlands. We have widened and transformed the river embankment and turned it into a racetrack. We have also turned the factory into a park," said Ma Shuning, Official in charge of Restoration of Ecological Landscape along Yangtze.
While accelerating ecological restoration, Taizhou has also increased the environmental capacity of the original river beaches. In 2018, Gaogang District relocated 16 coastal docks, demolished or relocated dozens of enterprises, banned more than 10 thousand square meters of aquaculture area, and increased the area of ecological reeds from 1,800 mu to 3,000 mu.
The good ecological environment has attracted seven kinds of more than 300 kinds of fish, birds and amphibians. Wandering in the endless river beach wetlands, the visitors will enjoy a panoramic view of the reeds swaying and heron birds flying in the wetland.
Ji Zeshan, a villager
"There are many ducks and wild goose, It is not only a paradise to birds and flowers but also a wonderland of blue water and green hills. The beautiful environment has lured many visitors from near and afar," said Ji Zeshan, a villager.
Shao Jianfeng, Deputy Director of Development and Reform Commission, Taizhou
"In order to further highlight ecological control Taizhou is determined not to construct projects along the Yangtze River but to focus on building ecological green safety," said Shao Jianfeng, Deputy Director of Development and Reform Commission, Taizhou.
(Source:ourjiangsu.com)
