The Crystal Fenhe River flows through Taiyuan city, surrounded by green areas. [Photo/Taiyuan Daily]

Taiyuan city – capital of North China's Shanxi province – has in recent years been actively promoting local landscaping and gardening, by focusing on its development as a national ecological garden city.

To date, the green area in Taiyuan has reached 15,840 hectares, equivalent to a green coverage rate of 44 percent. 

Projects that have targeted the greening and restoration of Tianlong Mountain, Taishan Mountain, as well as the East and West mountains have been carried out – with 3.6 million square meters of damaged mountain surfaces restored. 

Construction of parks, gardens

Taiyuan has advanced the development and reconstruction of parks, gardens and green spaces. 

The number of various parks has increased significantly and their distribution and layout has become more balanced. 

Moreover, the city has combined park developments with cultural promotions, so as to protect and pass on to future generations local historical and cultural relics. It has also established street gardens when reconstructing some roads and urban shanty areas.

Currently, Taiyuan has established 55 comprehensive parks, 12 specialized parks, seven strip parks, 58 community gardens, 329 street gardens and squares, as well as 280 green spaces along its streets.

The parks' green areas have increased to 4,716 ha, with the per capita park green area amounting to 12.25 sq m. And the parks across the city receive 21 million visits annually.

Projects targeting the greening and environmental restoration of Tianlong Mountain, Taishan Mountain, as well as the East and West mountains, are carried out in Taiyuan. [Photo/Taiyuan Evening News]

Road greening

Taiyuan has completed over 100 road greening projects since 2016. 

The city has planted more than 4 million flowers along urban main roads, rivers and in parks; it has finished green landscaping along 230 km of mountain tourist roads and 93 km of riverside bicycle lanes. 

To date, the total area of urban road greening has increased to 17 million sq m, with the road greening rate reaching 98.7 percent. 

Expansion of protective green spaces

Taiyuan has continued to add protective green spaces to improve urban eco-functions. 

Efforts have been made to build protective forest belts along the national highways, provincial highways and railways, as well as to form urban green corridors, with 500,000 sq m of protective green space added.

The city has also conducted comprehensive treatment of river channels and flood drainage facilities, as well as tended to afforested roads along eight rivers, with 3 million sq m of green areas added.