Zibo, located in the center of East China's Shandong province, is striving to build itself into a vibrant city with many parks, gardens, squares and a growing art and culture scene.

Fully aware of the importance of parks for urban communities and local economies, Zibo aims to build parks of various sizes and styles across the city.

To this end, it rolled out a campaign on April 21.

The Sibaoshan area has taken the lead in the campaign.

The area used to accommodate many of Zibo's industrial enterprises, which have brought economic benefits but damaged the environment. To regain a balance between the environment and development, mines were shut down and parks built to restore ecosystems.

After more than 10 years of continuous efforts, the ecological restoration areas with the Heitieshan, Huashan, and Panlongshan mountains have been approved as provincial scenic sites and have become popular travel destinations.

Gaoqing county is working to build parks around rivers. In the Qiancheng Lake Ecological and Cultural Park, 11.2 kilometers of ecological greenways and more than 3,800 meters of wooden plank roads have been built. In other places, a large number of tree seedlings were grown and large expansive grasslands were developed, forming a green system consisting of "smooth rivers, clear water, green banks, and beautiful scenery".

A photo of the Qiancheng Lake Ecological and Cultural Park in Gaoqing county, Zibo, East China's Shandong provinve. [Photo/Zibo Daily]

"A sports park will be built here, where we stand now," a worker told reporters, referring to plans to build the Wenchang Lakeside Park. Wenchang Lake is located at the junction of Zichuan and Zhoucun districts.

"The plan is to build a circular path for jogging, smart multipurpose grounds for ball games, and a sports field for children." He added that the goal of the plan is to create a demonstration area for smart sports in the city.

Linzi district is developing new types of rural business. It proposed building a pastoral farm ecological complex integrating circular agriculture, creative agriculture, and farming experience. It has attracted restaurants, wineries and various other businesses. A three-year plan was launched to build 50 "green villages", each of which is required to thoroughly showcase its own unique features.

The Tangku Cultural and Creative Park is one achievement of Zhangdian district. It has transformed old sugar and liquor warehouses into a cultural and creative park with offices, creative designs, e-sports, a cultural and creative market, and places for exhibition and art performances. Apart from taking part in cultural activities, people can also exercise, drink coffee, and eat.

The Tangku Cultural and Creative Park is transformed from old sugar and liquor warehouses into a cultural and creative park with offices, creative designs, e-sports, a cultural and creative market, and places for exhibition and art performances. [Photo/Zibo Daily]