Qingdao makes concerted efforts to protect historical areas, transform old cities and villages, and become a park city. [Photo/WeChat account: qd12301]

Qingdao has been making concerted efforts to protect historical areas, transform old cities and villages, and become a park city.

The core area of the historical district, which covers 2 square kilometers, has undergone protection, renovation and utilization. Qingdao has renovated 350,000 square meters of old buildings, improved key roads such as Zhongshan Road and Taiping Road, and used underground space to build parking lots. Fifteen old street areas such as Yinyu Lane and Pichaiyuan have introduced new business formats and become new landmarks for urban tourism. The highest daily passenger flow in historical areas exceeded 300,000 this year.

Qingdao, a coastal city in China's eastern Shandong province, is on track to become a park city. [Photo by Tang Jiajun/Qingdao Daily]

The city has also upgraded nearly 800 old residential areas. For example, the relocation of the Zhangcunhe area, the largest urban village in the main urban area, was completed in just one and a half years. Qingdao has also renovated 60 mountain parks in the urban area and built riverside greenways and parks such as botanical garden and Huiquan Square.