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New water system gets afloat

People wonder why I love my hometown Chengdu. I think it is because of the clear air, the pleasant weather, the tasty food and the overall improving environment, with green spaces and water, where I can play, eat bamboo, enjoy the cool temperature and take naps. Come and play with me here. There are increasing numbers of direct international flights and you will find it easy and interesting here.

--- Panda Rong Rong

Just as the ancient Egyptian civilization originated along the River Nile and the Indus Valley civilization developed along the Indus River, the Shu civilization and Chengdu in Southwestern China was created along the Minjiang river, a tributary in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

About 2,200 years ago, the Shu people built an irrigation system in Dujiangyan, which is in the upper part of Chengdu. The irrigation system kept Chengdu's plains free of floods and droughts and made the city one of the most fertile in China.

Today, the city has grown into one of the largest cities in China with a population of 15 million people. To improve the environment and maintain its advantage as a livable city, Chengdu is building a new water system.

The "Ecological Belt Around the City" project started in 2012 aims to create an ecological preservation area along the city's ring expressway.

The ecological belt will connect the rivers, lakes and wetlands and enlarge the city's total water area to five times that of the famous West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. The water area will make up 6 percent of the city's urban area, compared to the current 1.8 percent.

According to the city's latest green space plans, land within 500 meters of both sides of the ring expressway will be used for ecological construction.

At the same time, Chengdu also released regulations to sustain the "ecological belt" and protect land which is specialized for ecological purpose.

The water system will not only help clean the air and mitigate the urban heat island effect, but will also provide leisure space for residents, according to the plans.

“This place is so beautiful. The fresh air, the clear water, the lush grass and the flying birds all make me feel at ease,” said Liu Yuqiang, who picnicked by Jincheng Lake with his wife and son.

Jincheng Lake is part of the city's ecological belt. It was built into a park and opened to the public in 2013. The 160-hectare park is made up of 42 percent of water area.

Liu said he was on the way to meet a friend last winter when he stumbled across the lake on the ring expressway. "I was quite surprised when I found out that there was such a big lake here," he said.

Soon after, Liu brought his family to the lake and it has become a favorite place for them to come for picnics, badminton and to play games. Many other residents go jogging and cycling along the track around the lake.

Another four big lakes are planned to be built or enlarged in the suburban area of the city: Qinglong Lake in the east will cover 266 hectares, Nanhu Lake in the south will cover 66 hectares, Anjing Lake in the west will cover 193 hectares and Beihu Lake in the north will cover 246 hectares.

The ecological belt also serves as a model for Tianfu New Area, the country's 11th national-level development area that stretches from the southern part of Chengdu, to the neighboring cities of Meishan and Ziyang.

The new development area covers 1,578 square kilometers, 82 percent of which is in Chengdu. It encompasses six key industries: information technology, vehicle production, clean energy, new materials, bio-pharmaceuticals and finance.

"We wanted to strike a balance between industrial development and ecological development," said Liu Limin, a planning officer for the area.

Ecological development was considered from the very beginning to work simultaneously with the infrastructure construction, she said.

Tianfu New Area will make use of its rich water resources, such as Xinglong Lake, Luxi River and Luhu Lake, to build a series of ecological wetlands.

Regarded as the "kidney of Tianfu New Area", Xinglong Lake covers 300 hectares. According to the plans, the lake will be built into a comprehensive ecological conservation project that combines functions of flood control, irrigation, water conservation and sightseeing.

Xinglong Lake will also be home to the Science and Technology City of Tianfu New Area. According to the plans, a series of advanced industries, including big data, creative design, technical research and development and intelligent manufacturing, will gather around the lake.

"Building wetlands on such a large scale is uncommon, especially when many other cities are reclaiming land from the lake," said Zhang Shijun, an engineer at the city's wetland protection center.

"I'm honored and pleased to witness and participate in the project," he said.

Fact box:

Wetlands in Chengdu: More than 350

Area: 21,068 hectares

Vegetation area in the wetlands: 2,021 hectares

Rivers: more than 150 covering 1,500 kilometers

Lakes and ponds: 194

Artificial ecological wetland parks: 9, including Huahuaxi, Qinglonghu, and Sanshengxiang ecological wetland parks.