Changchun City in northeast China's Jilin Province has further renovated and upgraded the waterfront greenway along the middle section of the Yitong River, to consolidate its ecological restoration achievements and improve people's livelihood.
The renovation project of the 55-kilometer greenway has recently completed, providing a good choice for residents to relax and get close to nature. Many cycling lovers come to ride on the greenway, along which the lawn is a good campsite for people to spend their leisure time.
Stretching 342.5 kilometers, the Yitong River is a secondary tributary of the Songhua River. It winds through the entire Changchun City from south to north and is the "mother river" of the city.
Now the banks of the river present a picturesque scene with lush vegetation, and the watercourse is clean and unobstructed, but it was a stinking ditch that locals would not come close to.
Changchun started the largest comprehensive treatment project in 2016 to improve the ecological environment along the banks. A total of 75 black and malodorous water bodies have been effectively remedied through measures such as building sewage treatment plants, managing sewage outlets and clearing silt and dredging.
"I came to Changchun 15 years ago when I was studying, and then I settled here. At that time, the banks were still quite desolate, and there were many insects, like mosquitoes. I had my child a few years ago, so we often come here to take a walk. I can feel the great changes here, including those on the greening and environmental management. There is quite huge improvement," said Chen Jian, a local resident.
So far, Changchun has built a total of about 800 kilometers of greenways. The city will continue to optimize the overall layout during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), to build another 200 kilometers of greenways and establish a more systematic greenway network.
Comprehensive river management and ecological corridor construction are the epitome of Changchun's efforts in continuously consolidating the high-standard urban forest ecosystem. This year marks the eighth year that the city has been listed as a national-level forest city.
At present, the greenery area of Changchun's built-up area reaches more than 24,000 hectares, with a green coverage rate of 43.7 percent. The city has 190 parks, with a per capita average area of park greenery of 14.17 square meters.
Changchun City renovates greenway network to consolidate ecological restoration achievements
