Laoshan Bay in Qingdao's Jimo and Laoshan districts boasts enchanting natural scenery. [Photo/WeChat account: qd12301]

Laoshan Bay in Qingdao's Jimo and Laoshan districts was selected as the top case in the first batch of provincial-level excellent cases of beautiful bays announced by Shandong province last year, demonstrating the relentless efforts the city has made in deepening the comprehensive governance of key sea areas and exploring its model for the development of beautiful bays.

Qingdao is located by the sea and thrives due to its bays. The ocean is a prominent natural endowment of the city, with nearly 12,200 square kilometers of near-shore waters and 49 bays.

Over the years, Qingdao has adhered to the coordinated development of land and sea and implemented precise measures tailored to the ecological characteristics and development positioning of different bays. These measures focus on key tasks such as environmental pollution control, environmental protection and restoration, and enhancing the quality of bays to improve the marine environment.

As one of the first pilot projects for the bay chief system nationwide, Qingdao launched the system in 2017 with Jiaozhou Bay as the pilot area. The city established a four-level organization system for the bay chief system, breaking through maritime boundaries, forming a multi-departmental joint prevention, control, and governance mechanism, and creating a comprehensive protection and governance framework from the mountains to the sea, significantly enhancing governmental efficiency.

The bay chief system is a three-level governance system with top officials serving as general bay chiefs. The bay chiefs' responsibilities include pollution prevention and control, restoration of marine ecosystems and environmental monitoring.

The enhancement of environmental conservation has led to the improvement of local industries. The restoration of beautiful bays not only brings back the area's scenic beauty but also triggers comprehensive upgrades of existing industrial projects along the coastline, fueling development.

Years ago, the northern shore of Xiaodao Bay, which is part of Laoshan Bay, primarily focused on traditional backward fisheries and aquaculture, which not only impacted the environment, but also hindered the development of marine technology projects in the surrounding area.

Since 2019, Jimo district has invested approximately 1.74 billion yuan ($240.47 million) to comprehensively renovate the northern coastal area of Xiaodao Bay. The renovation included the removal of breeding ponds and seedling sheds, as well as the construction of coastal promenades, transforming the coastline into a beautiful coastal area.

To date, the area has attracted over 50 national-level scientific research institutions and high-level universities, more than 90 innovation platforms at the city-level or above, and over 300 high-level talents, including academicians from provincial-level institutions. It has established a comprehensive industrial system featuring three dominant industries - marine high-tech services, marine biology, and marine high-end equipment, as well as marine tourism and headquarters economy, becoming a place full of vitality and innovation.