A bird's-eye view of the green landscape in Tai'an. [Photo/Tai'an Daily]

Tai'an has been recognized as a national water ecological civilization city, one of China's most ecologically competitive cities, and one of the top 10 most picturesque cities in China.

The city has been bolstering afforestation efforts in major ecological areas such as Dongping Lake, Dawen River, Mount Tai, and Culai Mountain in recent years. The city has afforested 565.93 hectares and performed greening spanning 154 kilometers over the past few years. In addition, 26 km of forest networks were built, and 800 hectares of forest nurturing was accomplished.

In recent years, Tai'an has carried out comprehensive environmental improvement projects in key river basins such as the Chaiwen River, Haizi River, and Panhe River. Over 150 km of river channels have been dredged and riverbank restoration has been implemented. More than 170 km of sewage pipelines have been constructed, and 63.54 km of rainwater and sewage diversion transformation projects have been implemented.

Good ecological environment has attracted more and more rare bird species to inhabit in Tai'an's Dongping Lake, including the nationally protected Baer's pochard. Currently, over 1,600 Baer's pochards - the largest single population recorded in China - have been spotted in Dongping Lake.

Villages and towns in Tai'an have also developed characteristic industries in accordance with local conditions.

For example, the Beizhangzhuang village in Feicheng, a county-level city in Tai'an, has transformed its coal pit pond into one with lotus blossoms and crayfishes. Presently, the integrated cultivation area of crayfish and lotus root spans 13.3 hectares and earns farmers 6,000 yuan ($930) per hectare.