The marked improvements made to its environment have laid the foundations for the economy in Licang district in Qingdao, in eastern Shandong province, to really take of and brought new vitality to its tourism sector, according to officials.

Last year, the district government's work report proposed an environmental improvement project that covered the mountains, rivers, a world horticultural expo park and a business area.

The project aims to turn all of them into tourist destinations and make Licang a big-draw scenic area where travelers can enjoy the local sights, sample the food and hit the shops.

The district's attractions are plentiful. Licang boasts more mountains and hills than any other district in Qingdao. The stars of its stunning typography include Baiguo Mountain and Niumao Mountain.

The district has carried out projects to beautify these mountains since it made preparations for the International Horticultural Exposition 2014 Qingdao.

The expo was held in the Baiguo Mountain area, whose natural environment is well protected and where diverse plants and vegetation thrive. The venue has since become a major tourist destination, local officials said.

They said Licang has paid a lot of attention to the construction of its mountain parks to provide residents with a beautiful environment for physical exercise and relaxation.

Zaoshan Park is another mountain park that is a popular draw in the district. It fulfills a recreational need as residential quarters surrounding the mountain are densely populated and lack venues for sports and other activities. The mountain's environment also provides birds with a resting stop on their annual migrations.

Construction of the mountain park began in July 2016 and it now has six venues for sports and recreation, including a children's activity square. It is home to more than 30,000 trees and shrubs and has free car parking.

Since 2017, Licang has further developed other mountain parks, including Loushan Park and Yandunshan Park. The newly built Laohushan Park will finish construction in 2020. The government has begun to remove illegal buildings in the Shuangfeng Mountain area and has introduced more than 3,000 young plants there including gingko trees.

Licang has also improved conditions in the Licun River, the longest river in downtown Qingdao, which was badly polluted in the last century. The ecological improvement program started in 2009 and remedial work on 9.8 kilometers of its upper reaches was completed before the International Horticultural Exposition 2014 Qingdao was held.

The river has become a scenic watercourse and a park was built alongside it, featuring a leisure venue and a bridge, attracting many visitors.

The staging of International Horticultural Exposition 2014 Qingdao helped Licang become an attraction for tourists, local officials said.

The district improved related tourism support facilities and services in recent years, they said.

The ecological tourism area, which has the Qingdao International Horticultural Exposition Park at its core, was rated as a national-level ecological tourism demonstration area in 2015. The park reopened in March of that year as a leading destination for Licang's tourism sector and officials added that it has also boosted the popularity of nearby scenic spots.

Six new bus routes to the park also make it easy for tourists to journey to other scenic spots in the district such as Baiguo Mountain and Zhuzi Nunnery.

The latter, nestled in a pristine natural environment, is a famous Buddhist site in the district. It has a diverse variety of bamboo species, remarkable carvings on its precipices and the oldest ginkgo tree in Qingdao, which is more than 1,600 years old and 35 meters tall.

The tree has become a popular attraction in the autumn when its leaves turn golden, attracting more than 10,000 visitors daily on weekends.

Licang is also home to obsolete factories, which are fast being turned into industrial-themed tourist sites and venues for cultural creativity and other emerging industries, local media reported.

An old cotton mill is now home to a cross-border e-commerce industrial park and the building's original features have been carefully preserved.

These are proving popular places for older visitors to take nostalgic photos that recall their younger days.

There is also a plan to restore the old Cangkou railway station as a railway-themed park.

Licang's tourism authorities have mounted promotional campaigns to get people to link the district with the sector. A host of events - such as the plum blossom festival held in Shimei Nunnery in early spring, a flower show in the horticultural expo garden, and a beer festival - have further added to Licang's charms.

Most of the district's scenic areas don't charge admission, including the many mountain parks, local officials said. They added that as Licang becomes more beautiful, its tourism sector will have a better foundation and the district will have good prospects for further economic development.

songmengxing@chinadaily.com.cn

The Licun River is the longest river in downtown Qingdao. It has become a scenic watercourse featuring leisure facilities on both banks.Xin Ruoke / For China Daily