Dongping Lake reflects the clear sky like a mirror, forming a picturesque view in Tai'an, Shandong province. [Photo by Zhang Huan/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Tai'an, with 83.2 percent of its area located in the Yellow River basin, is the major region working towards ecological protection and high-quality development in the lower reaches of the Yellow River.

In order to better support the strategic advantages of the Dawen River and Dongping Lake in carrying out the national strategy on the Yellow River, Tai'an has increased its efforts in recent years.

From January to July, the city has made fruitful achievements in environmental improvement. For example, The city's ozone concentration improved by 3.6 percent year-on-year, the proportion of good days improved by 5.2 percent year-on-year, the comprehensive air index improved by 9.5 percent year-on-year, the environmental quality index of water improved by 13.4 percent year-on-year, and the soil environmental quality remained safe and stable.

Tai'an has also been speeding up the construction of an ecologically livable city. In 2021, the city completed a total of 7.73 square kilometers of afforestation, 156 km of greening, 460 beautified villages, and planted 2.51 million seedlings of various types of plants.

To date, Tai'an is home to 36 towns and 269 villages and communities that are recognized as municipal-level "forest towns and villages", and 20 villages and communities were named "national forest villages".

An aerial view of Jiunv Peak village resort in Tai'an, which boasts a vast forest and fresh air. [Photo by Chen Yang/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A bird's-eye view of the Dawen River, which flows east to west through Tai'an in Shandong province. [Photo by Chen Yang/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Mount Tai turns into a scene from a fairytale. [Photo by Liu Chunlian/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]