Wang Guofu, director of the Jinan landscaping and forestry bureau and a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Jinan Committee [Photo/tianxiaquancheng app]

Jinan plans to strengthen its efforts in improving its urban ecological environment by constructing ecological gardens, upgrading old urban areas and enhancing the greenery along transportation routes in 2020, said Wang Guofu, director of the Jinan landscaping and forestry bureau, on May 11.

According to Wang, who is also a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Jinan Committee, Jinan will transform itself into a city of gardens within three years by learning from the city of Shenzhen.

Jinan currently has 500 ecological gardens, including wetland gardens, forest gardens, nature reserve areas and country parks. The local government is planning to build an additional 131 gardens in the coming years.

The plan also involves the removal of unapproved buildings in the city, introducing green belts on both sides of the city's expressways, high-speed railways and provincial highways, planting flowers in the city's wasteland and creating 100 rural greening model villages.