Chengdu to build largest green corridor by 2017

The southwest part of China's Sichuan province is renowned for its rich history that spans over a thousand years and its fast paced growing capital. As urbanization accelerates in Chengdu, city planners have created the largest green corridor to ever have been built around a Chinese city.

Immersing yourself in nature in the new green zone is a perfect way to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It's the perfect getaway for city dwellers.

People need this kind of environment to recharge.

"First the environment is good, second the air is fresh, we should build more places like this," said a visitor.

Since 2008, Chengdu has been working on an initiative that introduces a new concept to the overall landscape. The initiative creates ecological areas and parks using the region's natural lakes and rivers along the city's edge.

The city has a very ambitious plan to construct a 133 kilometre ecological strip by 2017. It will include lakes, wetlands, rivers, creating a green corridor around the city. It's not simply an additional piece of greenery for city dwellers, but will benefit the area's entire ecological environment.

Last year China's rate of urbanization reached 51 percent, and millions of people now live in urban areas. Analysts have stressed that many challenges now face cities due to the increased pressure on their infrastructure.

Zhang Qiao, Director General of Chengdu Planning Admin Bureau, said, "The fundamental reason for creating this ecological strip is to slow down the expansion of the city, and create a leisure space for the city. It also provides a space where people can relax when they want to escape the city."

Experts also say that in the next 20 years, over 300 million people will be living in china's urban areas; and many challenges are expected to face these mega cities. How to improve people's living environment and enhance the development of cities are the future focus of many city planners.