Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai

Xianglu Bay Beach between the Fisher Maiden in Jida and Yeli Island in Xiangzhou recently earned the 2016 Guangdong Livable Environment Example Prize.

The award was presented by the Guangdong Department of Housing & Urban-Rural Development in recognition of positive environmental improvements, creative sand recycling, ecological protection, and green construction.

Xianglu Bay [Photo courtesy xinhuanet.com]

A total of 14 projects won the honor this year after being recommended by governments above prefecture-level cities, reviewed and examined by experts, and publicized. Included were Guangzhou’s Cantonese Opera Art Museum, Shenzhen’s pollution control and sanitation project, and Foshan’s Bijiang old architecture revitalization.

The 1.5-km bay was recreated by Gree Real Estate last year. To conform to natural laws and seek cyclic utilization, several hundred thousand cubic meters of sand excavated from the construction site of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Zhuhai Checkpoint were utilized.

The renewal brought the beach a 15m-wide green belt along Lovers Avenue and many other leisure amenities over 30,000 sq m.

After the hard-type breakwater was upgraded to soft structure to protect the coastline, typhoon damage to Lovers Avenue will be greatly reduced, according to a project executive. The project also promoted restoration and balance of the eco-system, producing an ideal habitat for flocks of egrets.

Reopened on last New Year’s Day, the beach proved incredibly popular with locals and tourists with its fresh landscape design. Statistics place the number of visitors on opening day at 60,000. For the elderly, it has not only optimized the environment, but also brought back memories of the beach area and promoted abundant cultural feelings for the coastal city.