August 15th is the first National Ecology Day.
Take a look at Jinjiang, and you’ll see lush mountains and lucid waters everywhere. The ecological environment in Jinjiang has been improving, and the birds are the first to know.
In recent years, the national treasure bird—the oriental white stork, visits the ecological park on the south bank of the Jinjiang River. The glossy ibis, also known as the giant panda among birds, forages in the lotus field of Jinjiang Ninety-nine stream. The “mythical bird” Chinese crested tern has been continuously appearing at Weitou Bay since 2019. The national endangered migrant birds, the relict gull and the spoon-billed sandpiper, also winter together at the Bay. The “most beautiful bird in China”, the blue-tailed bee-eater, has settled down in Jinjiang. According to incomplete statistics, there have been 14 species of key birds under first-grade state protection and 28 species of key birds under second-grade state protection coming to Jinjiang to roost, forage, and overwinter.
Protecting “green lungs” for fresh air in the city
In the core area of Jinjiang City, the idyllic scenery project Ninety-nine Stream, working like a “green lung” of the city, provides birds with a good habitat environment and sufficient food sources.
Last year, the glossy ibis, a kind of bird under first-grade state protection visited Ninety-nine Stream. As an endangered species, the bird is also known as “the giant panda among birds”.
The idyllic scenery of the Ninety-nine Stream connects urban and rural areas, making it an intertwined area of “city, village, mountain, water and field”. Not only does it bear the historical responsibility of protecting arable land and inheriting agricultural culture, as the central park of the city, it also plays an important role in recreation, ecological regulation, and the integrated development of agriculture, industry and service.
In Jinjiang, there are still more urban “green lungs”. Jinyang Lake, with nearly 1,000 mu (around 666,666 ㎡) of lake surface, is the favorite habitat for egrets.The ecological park on the south bank of Jinjiang River is full of trees and grasses, attracting people to stroll along the riverbank and watch birds search for food and soar. At Anping Bridge Park, gulls and egrets fly over the clear water and green trees, picturing a beautiful natural scenery.
Jinjiang is the only county-level city in Fujian Province that has merged forestry and landscaping management institutions. Currently, the green area of the urban built-up area in Jinjiang is 1,541.27 hectares, with a green area rate of 40.03% and a green coverage rate of 44.03%, and the per capita park green area is 14.4 ㎡.
Protecting forest for “gene pool of species”
In addition to the “urban green lungs”, Jinjiang also boasts“LOHAS mountain forest”.
On the ecologically friendly Zimao Mountain, the appearance of silver pheasant, a kind of key bird under second-grade state protection, once attracted hordes of citizens and bird watchers for appreciation and photographing, giving rise to a “bird rush”. According to incomplete statistics, the number of animal species in Zimao Mountain amounts to 177, including 112 bird species.
Zimao Mountain, Lingyuan Mountain, Huabiao Mountain, Luochang Mountain, Qi Mountain, Baxian Mountain and other mountain forests in Jinjiang constitute the “skeleton” of its urban ecological green space and are home to the majority of its nature reserves, scenic spots and parks. During the urban construction, Jinjiang takes advantage of its geography and designs a great many green spaces for residents’ leisure and recreation featuring natural mountain landscape.
Last year, Jinjiang fully implemented the forest chief system, establishing a three-level forest chief organizational structure at the village, town and city levels, building a forest chief patrol system at all levels and a working mechanism of “forest chief+forest police chief” “forest chief+procurator chief” and “forest chief+court president” while appointing 100 forest rangers to different areas via grid management to maintain the green environment.
Wetlands are known as the “kidney of the earth” and “gene pool of species”. Located in the coastal area, Jinjiang is bestowed with abundant wetlands, its Weitou Bay, Shenhu Bay, Anhai Bay and Quanzhou Bay Estuary Wetland being important staging sites across the flyway of migrant birds in China. In recent years, Jinjiang has strengthened efforts in the ecological restoration and protection of wetlands, effectively enhancing the diversity, stability, functionality and sustainability of wetland ecosystems. In the past two years, rare birds flying here for overwintering, resting and breeding have been on the rise, becoming an attractive ecological trademark of the city.
Protecting wetlands for better ecology
Standing at the bird monitoring tower of Quanzhou “Blue Bay” Comprehensive Restoration Project(Phase II), you will be greeted by a stretch of newly planted mangrove forests dotted with flying gulls, anseriformes and other types of birds.
The Mangrove Ecological Restoration Project is a key component of the “Blue Bay” Comprehensive Restoration Project. In recent years, Jinjiang has stepped up efforts in ecological restoration with nearly 2,000,000㎡ of mangrove forest restored, building a coastal ecological system based on coastal wetlands, ecological seawalls and coastal ecological protection zones.
Water is an ecological trademark of Jinjiang. By assigning the 21 rivers in the city to both municipal and town management levels, Jinjiang starts water protection from protecting the river source and continuously enhances the water and shoreline landscape, creating a batch of unique micro river landscapes, waterfront leisure trails and waterfront theme parks which reproduce the ecological and cultural environment highlighting the traditional Chinese aesthetic unity of little bridges, flowing water and households while providing relaxing and recreational space for residents.
Nowadays, blue sky, white clouds and clean air have become a norm in Jinjiang. Oriented at and driven by green development, the city is embarking on an ecological road of sustainable development and taking firm steps to safeguard the lucid waters, blue sky, crystal sea and pure land, building a green city thereby.