Dujiangyan flourishes as a model for ecological civilization

Known as a "natural oxygen bar "and "land of longevity", Dujiangyan city in Sichuan province is an important ecological center in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and a key water conservation area in the Chengdu Plain.

Over the years, Dujiangyan has taken ecological civilization as a priority and promoted urban development driven by industrial chains such as green initiatives and cultural tourism.

Due to its superior location and unique mountain and water resources, Dujiangyan has picturesque scenery and an untouched natural environment with fresh air, blue skies, green trees, clear rivers and snow-capped mountains.

It is a site listed in the World Cultural Heritage, the World Natural Heritage and the World Irrigation Engineering Heritage. The city's forest coverage rate has reached 60.34 percent. It is home to some of the nation's protected animals such as giant pandas and golden monkeys.

In recent years, Dujiangyan has won titles as a national all-for-one tourism demonstration area, a national-level tourist resort, a national ecological city, a national-level ecological demonstration area and a pioneer in excellent green development.

It is boosting the "greenway plus industries" model to build an ecological system for the city.

The 735-kilometer Tianfu Greenway is a demonstration ecological project to connect the rich nature reserves, scenic spots, historical sites and idyllic scenery, covering the urban area with new businesses.

Another project is the 30-km greenway in the Qili community in Shiyang township, which extends to Linpan, a special settlement in western Sichuan.

The natural scenery and farms form more than 10 emerging tourism business patterns including catering, dining, coffee, teahouses, bars, rural life experience halls and characteristic homestays.

The region's rural tourism is booming and attracts many residents to participate in the development of their hometowns.

"Now I drive a sightseeing car and my wife runs a rural bed-and-breakfast business, and we gain a higher income than before," said Mao Qiang, a resident of the community of Qili.

They are typical examples of Dujiangyan's integration of agriculture, commerce, culture, tourism, sports and medicine with greenways.

Small gardens and micro green spaces are key initiatives of Dujiangyan's construction of a city park.

This year, Dujiangyan will speed up the construction of a global park system of "one national park, 10 comprehensive parks and several small amusement parks and micro-green spaces", complete the construction of four small parks and add 3,000 square meters of three-dimensional urban greenery. A total of 35 km of greenways at all levels have been rebuilt to enhance its green coverage.

Dujiangyan is home to nine rivers and a high-quality water source in China.

In April, sparkling drink brand Yuanqi Senlin completed its first production line in Dujiangyan. In June, the construction of the Industrial Park of Golden Horse started in Qingcheng Mountain.

The project plans to invest 3 billion yuan ($415.8 million) and covers an area of more than 15 hectares. It will build a craft beer research and development center, a production plant, a sales center, a beer museum, a craft beer college, and a beer consumption center.

The annual revenue is expected to reach 1 billion yuan ($138.88 million), and more than 300 people will be employed in the facility.

"As long as you choose the right water, beer production is half the success, and the development has a foundation," said Wang Bin, director of the project and head of Sichuan Puyang Craft Beer.

"We chose the location in Dujiangyan because the mountains and waters are good in quality," Wang said, adding that the brewing process is very picky and should use high-quality raw materials.

"The finished product does not contain any artificial and chemical ingredients and retains active yeast to the greatest extent. On the basis of traditional raw materials, various kinds of natural fruits and other foods are added, and this has a higher effect on the water," he said.

Dujiangyan will create demonstration scenarios for the integration of industry and tourism, strengthen the water economy, continue to explore the industrialization of ecological products and accelerate green industries.

Leisure destination

Dujiangyan is a city close to snow-fringed mountains where tourists can enjoy the scenery throughout the year.

As long as the temperature and light are suitable, visitors can take pictures of large and small snowcapped mountains such as Jianjian Mountain, Zhaogong Mountain and Huoshaogang. In the streets and alleys of the city, they can also look up at the snow-crowned mountains at close range.

In addition to ice and snow, the grand opening of the 2022 Winter Olympics has brought new vigor and vitality to Dujiangyan.

Olympians Su Yiming and Gu Ailing have brought renewed public attention to the snow resources in Dujiangyan.

While cheering for the Olympic athletes, more and more people have come to the Chengdu Bonski venue, which was a training field for the two champions, to experience the charm of ice and snow sports.

The Chengdu Bonski venue, located in Yutang Street, Dujiangyan, is one of the largest indoor ski resorts in China.

There are people on every snow trail who are enjoying the thrill of speeding down the track. From beginners to enthusiasts, everyone feels the speed and passion of the sport.

"This sport is very incredible. When you step on a small board and you can go 60 yards, 70 yards, there is a sense of freedom, including when you do certain actions, feel very brave and get a great achievement," tourist Wang Xingle said excitedly after skiing on the intermediate track for an hour.

It is becoming a fashionable choice for more tourists to come to Dujiangyan for sightseeing in the spring, escape the heat in the summer, enjoy the scenery in autumn and winter and experience indoor skiing in all seasons.

Over the years, Dujiangyan has adhered to the simultaneous advancement of ecological construction and economic development, and has formed a healthy path for people taking part in these activities.