Nantong, Jiangsu: Facing the Yangtze River, birds singing and flowers fragrant

Towards our well-off life

On June 13, after the rain, the air in Nantong Langshan National Forest Park was fresh and pleasant.

A group of tourists on the riverside sightseeing boardwalk were pointing at the water plants below and shouting, "I saw it too," "There are some here too," "This is so big," "There are several in this area." "What surprised this group of people and danced with joy was the crab crawling on the water plants. The lush aquatic plants swaying along the river, and crabs of all sizes living there, were a sight rarely seen here in the past. Walking along the riverside road, you can see many tourists opening their arms to embrace the river breeze and breathing in the fresh air.

It is hard to imagine that before 2017, this place was once a dirty and messy area with "near the river but no river, close to the water but not close to the water". According to the staff in the park, there used to be various enterprises with high energy consumption and high pollution and various production and domestic wastewater sewage outlets. The bulk cargo terminal equipment on the riverside is old, "small miscellaneous ships" were parked randomly, and the riverside is dirty. It was chaotic again, she said: "The sea breeze here used to be smelly. How could anyone specifically breathe in the sea."

"City Living Room" is like a painting

The five mountains (Langshan, Junshan, Jianshan, Huangnishan, Ma'anshan) and the area along the river are the symbols and characteristics of Nantong as a riverside city, with a total area of ??about 17 square kilometers and a river coastline of about 14 kilometers. At the beginning of 2017, Nantong City launched the implementation of ecological protection and restoration work in Wushan and along the river, fundamentally solving the difficulties in production, living and ecological space caused by decades of industrial agglomeration in the urban section along the river, and coordinating the promotion of "industrial retreat, "Move the port, advance the city, and protect the ecology", create an "urban living room" facing the Yangtze River with the singing of birds and the fragrance of flowers, and strive to maintain the ecological background of the river and sea.

"Wushan and the areas along the Yangtze River are important ecological hinterlands in the Nantong section of the Yangtze River and an important water source for urban development. The Langshan Water Plant, which draws water from the Yangtze River, supplies 1.4 million tons of water per day. In order to implement the Yangtze River major protection requirements, solve Wushan and the areas along the river are under multiple divisions of management, small scenic spots, old port areas, dilapidated factory areas, and old residential areas are intertwined with each other. There are also problems such as high energy consumption and pollution in port industries along the river. To fight against pollution in key areas, Nantong has launched urban areas since 2017. More than 20 special rectification actions were carried out on enterprises along the river, sewage outlets, 'small boats', ship pollution, illegal docks and environmental protection of drinking water sources. Polluting enterprises that seriously affected the environment were resolutely shut down, and enterprises that met the requirements of industrial development were resolutely shut down. Enterprises are actively promoting the transfer to coastal areas, clustering in industrial parks, and further optimizing the layout of production, life, and ecological shorelines along the river," said Shao Wenjian, deputy director of the Nantong Langshan Tourism Resort Management Office in Jiangsu Province, "As of now, Wushan and the areas along the river*. **Shut down and transfer 203 "scattered and polluting" enterprises, clean up and renovate 162 "small miscellaneous boats" (households), demolish 65,000 square meters of illegal construction around the river, block 5 direct sewage discharge outlets, and withdraw from the line The port cargo function has freed up 5.5 kilometers of shoreline for restoration, and the water quality rate of the Yangtze River Langshan water source has reached 100%." ??

Huang Yongbin, a resident of Tongxin Village, Langshan Town, said: "To the north of our Tongxin Village is Junshan and to the east. It is the Ponggang River, a tributary of the Yangtze River, which surrounds the bank of the Yangtze River in the south and west. It can be said that this river has nurtured our growth. Today, the old Tongxin Village has been transformed into a beautiful botanical garden, integrated with the five mountains and riverside scenery, standing tall. You can overlook the Yangtze River from a distance. The "small boats" that once docked along the river are gone, and the fishing boats and motor boats on the river have also disappeared. The view is full of open river scenery, like a painting. ”

< p> After more than two years of ecological restoration, the forest coverage rate in Wushan area has reached more than 80%, and the ecological environment has undergone fundamental changes. In August 2018, Nantong Langshan National Forest Park became the only approved national forest park in Jiangsu that year and the first national forest park in Nantong, achieving the ecological restoration effect of "playing with the river on the mountainside and embracing the five mountains on the river". Shao Wenjian said that at present, more than two-thirds of the area in the ecological restoration completed area is open to citizens and tourists free of charge. Functional facilities such as beaches, football fields, skateparks, and 11.5 kilometers of slow walking trails are in place at the same time. Citizens and tourists can enter the forest. You can enjoy the blue waves of the Yangtze River at the oxygen bar, and you can also meet guests here to truly live a happy life "facing the Yangtze River with the singing of birds and the fragrance of flowers".

“The protection of the Yangtze River has allowed us to live a good life”

“Where I used to live there was a cement factory in the north and a sulfur factory in the east. When the weather is fine, ordinary residents will choose Dry the quilt and do some hygiene, but here, cement dust and sulfur powder and soot are flying everywhere. A good quilt will change after just one exposure to the sun, and the air will be filled with a strange smell that makes people gasp. Yuan Haigen, a former resident of Hongjiang Community in Langshan Town, sighed when he recalled the past, but when he talked about the present life, a happy smile appeared on his face, "Later, we moved in Sunshine and got a house in Xincheng Xinyuan. To the south of the house is the Harbor River. The living environment before was completely different from what it is now. I am now retired and receive a retirement salary. When I have free time, I meet up with some old friends to walk on the road in the park and breathe. Fresh air makes me feel much younger. Now the environment is getting better and better, and the protection of the Yangtze River has really helped us live a good life! ”

The environment of the Yangtze River and its surrounding areas continues to improve, and the people The small environment of life is also changing beautifully.

The residents of Hongjiang Community in Langshan Town have almost changed their lives through sunshine relocation, while the Zhongcheng Community in Langshan Community has achieved a new look during the comprehensive renovation of the old community. Walking into the Zhongcheng community, the mottled walls and parking chaos have disappeared. The Chinese architectural style with white walls and black tiles is integrated with the scenic area outside the community. "Push the window to see the park, look up at Langshan", every inch of space All exude the flavor of nature.

Such "transformations" have been staged in various areas of Nantong. As a demonstration project for Nantong Yangtze River protection, the Wushan area is being gradually rolled out across the city. Nantong's Yangtze River coastline accounts for 18.5% of the province's total. Among them, the main river bank is 157.2 kilometers long, accounting for 19% of the province's total. The city has 5 drinking water source protection zones along the river (Honggang, Langshan, Ligang, Changqingsha and Haimen), with a total area of ??35.4 square kilometers and a daily water supply capacity of 2.5 million cubic meters. In addition, there are many nature reserves, important wetlands, special species reserves, etc. Ecological protection work has a long way to go.

In response to the outstanding problems of the ecological environment that existed in the past, Nantong City has solidly promoted urban sewage and garbage treatment, chemical pollution control, agricultural non-point source pollution control, ship pollution control and tailings pond pollution control along the river" 4+1" project, since 2017, more than 2,600 "small miscellaneous boats" along the river's estuaries have been cleaned up; 2,923 suspected drainage outlets in the city have been inspected one by one; a total of 710 million yuan has been invested in special rectification funds, and the city's riverside estuaries have been thoroughly rectified and banned There are 53 illegal docks in total, with an ecological restoration area of ??1.19 million square meters. In addition, Nantong City has safeguarded the Yangtze River protection work and the people's livelihood and contentment by improving environmental protection facilities. The environment is beautiful, the mood is beautiful, and the people's sense of happiness and gain are also constantly improving.

Beside a trail at the foot of Langshan Mountain, a group of tourists were taking photos and recording videos on the river. Suddenly, a long-sounding voice called "The Yangtze River is so beautiful" came from the riverside, and more than a dozen pairs of eyes flashed to the ground. Looking over, everyone smiled. Obviously, the person who couldn't help but express his emotions loudly echoed the sentiments of the surrounding tourists and even many Nantong citizens.