A captivating view of Jiuqu Lake Wetland Park at Liangjiang New Area, with colorful foliage lining the lake [Photo/Visual Chongqing]

Chongqing municipality in Southwest China boasts even more beautiful scenery this winter after years of efforts. It now has not just evergreens plants, but also numerous red maples, phoenix trees, lavenders, and camellias.

Chongqing began increasing the use of plants with colorful foliage and flowering ornamentals in public spaces in 2019, and one year later, the government required that the planting area for these plants account for no less than 80 percent of total green space in Chongqing, according to Liao Congquan, official of the Chongqing City Management Bureau.

In addition to choosing trees and flowers based on its localities, Chongqing has also brought in several foreign plants, such as acer palmatums.