Zhanjiang, a coastal city in South China's Guangdong province, has been taking great steps toward self-improvement amid the local government's efforts to construct a city honored with multiple plaudits.

Guangdong-based newspaper Nanfang Daily used a whole page on Friday to elaborate on how the Zhanjiang government is carrying out this task.

The government has adopted a plan of "construction of a five-title city", so far it has attained the title of National Hygiene City, with future plans to achieve Environmental Protection Model City, Ecological City, Low Carbon City, and Civilized City.

A green view of Zhanjiang [Photo by Yang Xun / Nanfang Daily]

Liu Xiaohua, Party chief of Zhanjiang, said that the five-title city campaign is a project to improve local residents' livelihoods by giving them a healthier environment, reputable traffic conditions, sound infrastructure and improved public services.

Another benefit from this development is that it will also boost the city's attractiveness and comprehensive competence, bringing in more investors and skilled workers to the city.

According to Mayor Wang Zhongbing, the old prefecture-level city with 8 million residents will be able to showcase its capability and determination to overcome its difficulties.

The local folk art performance during the 2015 National Day holiday attracts many visitors. [Photo by Li Bo / Nanfang Daily]

In February 2015, Zhanjiang received the nomination for National Civilized City. On March 24 the same year, it was officially approved as a National Hygiene City. The city's forest cover rate has reached 40.55 percent at present. Its performance in energy saving and emission reduction has ranked at the forefront among cities in Guangdong, and the city has risen to second place in Guangdong's 2015 annual air quality report.

Investors see chances in the city's advancement. Xie Zhiqiang, chairman of Guangxi Pinglu Group, a large-scale enterprise, said that he is full of confidence in his recent projects in Zhanjiang's Haidong New District as he has witnessed firsthand the city's progress over the years.

Property investment company, Wang On Group's chairman Deng Qinghe said during a recent trip to Zhanjiang that he could tell from the high level of urban street construction that the city's managers are putting in a lot of effort and determination.

An agricultural trade market in Zhanjiang [Photo by Cai Bingyang / Nanfang Daily]

Edited by Owen Fishwick