Shandong's Zhangbei Bay in Rizhao and the Yellow River Estuary in Dongying were recently listed in the third batch of excellent case examples of beautiful bays by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

The province currently has a total of six selected cases of beautiful bays, the most of any provincial-level region in the nation.

Since 2021, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment selected a total of 31 excellent cases of beautiful bays in three batches, with Lingshan Bay in Qingdao, Sanggou Bay in Weihai, Bajiao Bay in Yantai, and Miaodao (or "Temple Island") in Yantai's Changdao among the four selected in the first two batches.

Shandong is rich in marine resources, with a coastline stretching over 3,500 kilometers, comparable to its total land area. In recent years, the province has been working to strengthen comprehensive bay governance and accelerate the development of beautiful bays.

By 2024, the proportion of excellent water quality in Shandong's nearshore waters had reached 93.6 percent – among the top three in the nation for the second year in a row. By 2027, 40 percent of the 283 bays nationwide are expected to be transformed into beautiful bays, while all bays are expected to be developed into beautiful bays by 2035.

Zhangbei Bay in Rizhao, Shandong province. [WeChat account: rzrbwx]

The Yellow River Estuary in Dongying forms magnificent tidal trees. [WeChat account: sdtvdongying]