Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai

Xiangzhou's endeavors to make Zhuhai's signature landscape more ecological have paid off with Xianglu Bay Beach recently winning the China Habitat Environment Prize, the highest honor for this field.

The scenic spot between the Fisher Maiden in Jida and Yeli Island in the district is one of the four projects in Guangdong Province to be listed, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Housing & Urban-Rural Development on Oct 16.

The establishment of the award aims to attract more attention to projects which focus on harmonious, healthy, and environmental-friendly human life.

Entrants were evaluated as to whether they had created a satisfactory living and working environment for their residents. Criteria covered environmental protection, ecology, air quality, water quality, afforestation, and traffic.

Xianglu Bay Beach is a famous Zhuhai scenic spot sited between the Fisher Maiden in Jida and Yeli Island in Xiangzhou District. 

The coast of Xianglu Bay is the 'symbol' of Zhuhai. The beautiful site has a good view of the Pearl River Delta, its pale water and rocks, and attracts many visitors and fishermen every day.

To meet the increasing needs of local people, the government initiated several rounds of improvements and ecological restorations.

In 2013, studies and measurement began on ocean currents, hydrology, and submarine topography before overall planning on the area began. The following two years saw a batch of landmark projects under renovation and construction including Xianglu Bay Beach.

Gree Real Estate was responsible for the work. Several hundred thousand cubic meters of sand used for paving and filling the 1.5 km bay was repurposed from the excavation construction at Zhuhai port for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

The beach has received segmental restoration construction.

According to a project head, the renewal added a 15-m-wide green belt along Lovers Avenue and many other leisure facilities over the 30,000-sq-m area.

Analysis shows that rehabilitating a beach of similar size costs 60 million yuan ($8.7 million) to 100 million yuan ($14.5 million) per kilometer, but the whole restoration of Xianglu Bay Beach only took slightly over 20 million yuan ($193,153).

Thanks to the structural upgrade of the breakwater, Lovers Avenue is strongly protected from typhoon damage, said one resident. The beach reopened on Jan 1, 2016.

Last year, the beach became the only Guangdong project to earn the Livable Environment Example Award for 2016. Positive environmental improvements, creative sand recycling, ecological protection and green construction received unanimous recognition.

Newly upgraded Xianglu Bay Beach is capable of weakening the damage typhoons can wreak on the city. [Photos courtesy WeChat account: zhxiangzhou]