Since last August, the people of Lianzhou city, Qingyuan, have been working to improve the local environment. About 280 million yuan has been invested and 63,000 trees planted to cultivate a harmonious city of clean rivers, green banks and fascinating landscapes.
-- City officials have invested 15 million yuan to plant 24,000 mu of trees. This includes 4.5 million yuan to construct a 12,000-mu forest park at Jinfeng Mountain, 1.8 million yuan to plant trees covering 1,000 mu, and 17,000 mu waste mountains along roads at Baishi village, Jiubei. It spent 8.7 million yuan to fertilize trees and plant vines and grasses on barren cliffs, with a survival rate of 95 percent.
-- About 100 million yuan will be used to improve riverside environments. People have planted 152 ficus lacor trees, leveled 9,045 cubic meters of beach-front land, and picked 7.4 square meters of weeds at dykes. Workers have planted 10,000 dawn redwoods, 2,040 sweetgums, 100 red maples, and 2,530 willows. In addition to satisfying flood control, the city has set up green belts of trees and dredged sandbars. With these efforts, it has built up a landscape of clean rivers, green banks and fascinating landscapes to highlight the beauty of the mountainous city and harmonious relations between man and rivers.
-- The city has allocated 72 million yuan to improve roadside environments. It has elaborately maintained surfaces of national and provincial roads in areas under its administration. Trees planted along the roadsides present gorgeous, green scenes no matter the season.
-- The city put 70 million yuan to improve tourists. Nearly 60 million yuan will be used to upgrade the tour guide identification system, build more tourist rest facilities, and install a tourist real-time monitoring system. Those improvements will make the Lianzhou underground river scenic spot meet the national 5A standard. Workers have planted trees and flowers to cover 80 percent of the city’s scenic areas with a 98 percent survival rate. The city has cooperated with South China Botanical Garden to establish files on rare plants and grotto scientific surveys results in the scenic zones. The city will also be home to a pilot ecological tourism site to highlight the wonders of Chinese grottoes and rivers.
-- The downtown environment will also be revitalized with 21 million yuan for planting trees and beautifying environments. About 15 million yuan will pay for the construction of central avenues, streets which run through the middle of a city. With an eye to its landscape culture, the city has built up ladder waterscapes, fountains programmed to synchronize with music, and a 60-meter water curtain. The city invested 5 million yuan to repair city roads, parks and greenbelts. It has planted 199 kapok trees and 400 camphor trees. New yellow fructus forsythia, sweet-scented osmanthus, ceiba and judas trees brighten up the city’s feel. Over 80 percent of urban primary and secondary roads have been shaded with trees.
-- The city’s towns and townships have invested over 3 million yuan for perennial afforestation. Among them, the town of Lianzhou has invested 70,000 yuan to ensure the improved protection of the local environment is effective and unique.
