Parks, night tours benefit from local development

Chengdu's focus on the integrated development of its cultural, sports, tourism and business sectors has made it an ideal destination to host the 2019 World Police and Fire Games, according to the city government.

The 18th World Police and Fire Games, being held Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province, will run through Aug 18. Among 56 competition events to be held in Chengdu will be the beach volleyball, to be held at Chengdu's Jiangtan Park from Friday to Monday. The park was reopened earlier this year after undergoing a major face-lift by Chengdu Culture and Tourism Development Group.

According to the city government, the park, part of the Jinjiang Greenway scenic belt running along the banks of the Jinjiang River, is not only home to the largest beach volleyball facility in Sichuan but also a skateboard park and infinity swimming pool.

In addition, the park features a cycle track, rock climbing and parkour facilities, and an esports and intelligent technologies experience center.

"The efforts were made to improve the entertainment and leisure environment around Jiangtan Park, to meet the diverse needs of the citizens," said a local official.

"Jiangtan Park is not just a place integrating culture, sports, tourism and business, but also a high-quality leisure and consumption area," said Li Lu, deputy general manager of the company tasked with the construction of Jinjiang Greenway.

With the upgrading of its infrastructure and the conservation of its ecological environment, Jiangtan Park has become a pilot for an array of new business models aimed at creating new growth drivers for the local economy, according to the city government.

Another project, which has made a name for itself in Chengdu in highlighting the city's integrated development, has been the Jinjiang River night tour.

Created by the Chengdu Culture and Tourism Development Group, the night tour features six night themes based around markets, food, exhibitions, shows, festivals and accommodation.

The night tour shows visitors around the Jinjiang River, which flows through Chengdu. The river has helped bring prosperity to the city for thousands of years, with renowned Chinese poets Du Fu, Li Bai and Lu You from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) writing poems about the river.

By integrating local culture with tourism, the night tours around the Jinjiang River have created a new economic driver to the city.

Data show that during the seven-day 2019 Spring Festival holiday, the night tours attracted more than 200,000 tourists.

Both Jiangtan Park and the night tours have become major attractions on the Jinjiang Greenway, an ecological economic and industrial belt along the Jinjiang River spanning 10 districts and counties of the city.

To further develop Chengdu into a beautiful and livable city, which transforms its ecological advantages into economic benefits, the city government has another park - Jinjiang Park - in planning.

The government has been soliciting opinions from all sectors of society on the overall planning of the new park on its official website since Aug 1.

According to the city government's plan, the park will encircle the Jinjiang River and cover some 20 square kilometers. The park will feature 170 scenic areas and more than 20 landmark buildings.

zhangdandan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 08/08/2019 page5)