Big-budget forestation of Beijing in progress

Beijing (CNS) -- The capital's three-year plan to build 11 new urban forest parks is expected to be finalized by the end of this year, revealed the Municipal Commission of Development and Reform on Wednesday.

The 11 parks, budgeted at 5.5 billion yuan (about US$ 817.7 million), will cover a total area of more than 100,000 mu (around 6,666 hectares) at various locations around the city. So far three of them, in Tongzhou, Daxing and Yanqing, have thrown open their gates to the public free of charge.

The natural and ecological parks feature scenic and cultural elements, as well as basic facilities and public conveniences.

The city passed the construction plan for the 11 new suburban parks in 2011, adding about 6,000 mu (400 hectares) to its original scale of 48, measuring 39,000 mu (2,600 hectares). By completion, Beijing will be ringed by parklands visible from the air, including the Summer Palace, the Olympic Forest Park and Chaoyang Park.

Greening the urban environment will stay top of the government's agenda in the three to four years to come,an official at the authority confirmed.