Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai

Zhuhai is expected to be designated as a "national forest city" this year now that the State Forestry Administration has just approved the Pearl River Delta as the country's first National Demonstration Area for Forest City Cluster Construction.

Zhuhai seen as a "national forest city"

According to the Guangdong Forestry Bureau, the State Forestry Administration acknowledged provincial efforts to build forest cities, and urged the setting of an example in creating a cluster with integration of forest and city, livability, and human harmony with nature. It also required that Guangdong provide positive experiences that can be borrowed, duplicated, and promoted to other areas throughout the country. Industry insiders envision that this initiative will boost Guangdong's forestry construction and guide urban development.

It has been four years since Guangdong first initiated a new round of greenery campaigns and construction of the PRD National Forest City Cluster in 2012. The move has been listed as a provincial key ecological construction project.

Flamingoes on Xiannv Lake of Seven Star Crags in Zhaoqing [File Photos]

PRD cities have made notable achievements in constructing outskirts forests, urban landscaping, and wetlands. As a result, Guangzhou, Huizhou and Dongguan have already become "national forest cities", whereas Zhuhai and Zhaoqing are expected to follow suit this year.

PRD areas have so far built 4,912 km of landscape forest belts and 11,285 km of greenways. Meanwhile, 221 forest parks and 67 wetland parks have been constructed. Regional forest coverage rate reaches 51.5 percent with per capita green space of 19.2 sq m in urban areas. 

Sources say that Guangdong is endeavoring to build the PRD into the country's first ever state-level Forest City Cluster with picturesque and livable environment and harmonious human-nature coexistence by 2020.