Chongqing- By 2022, Chongqing aims to add 30 million square meters of green land or 300 community parks in its main urban area. According to local authorities, it has already reached halfway with 131 parks being built in 2018 alone and a total of 10 million square meters of green parks being built in 2018 and 2019.
A community park is built under the Chongqing-Macao Jialing River Bridge.
These urban greening projects, initiated by the Municipal Urban Management Bureau, is a part of the city’s efforts to contribute to the national “Thirteenth Five-Year-Plan,” and the upcoming “Fourteenth Five-Year-Plan,” by setting up a network of newly-built or renovated comprehensive city parks, special-purpose parks, city biological parks, city wetland parks. The concept of “Greens by the Window, Views by the Door, and Flowers for Every Season” has become a more common scenario in local citizens’ daily lives.
Park under A Bridge
Liu Yousu, a resident, performs Taichi Folding Fan martial art in the Xingzhi Community Park.
The Xingzhi Park under the Chongqing-Macao Jialing River Bridge is a 3,000-square-meter community park dedicated to a widely venerated Chinese educator and reformer, Tao Xingzhi (1891 - 1946 A.D.). It was officially put into use at the end of 2019, has attracted a lot of local and even faraway residents to come and take pictures here.
"I used to live in the neighborhood... and I remember it wasn't this easy for us to get around a park, we had to drive for a really long distance to a nearby park," 71-year-old Li Xiaorong said, "Now I could just walk down my apartment building and step right into the Xingzhi Park whenever I want, It's very convenient."
As the "Capital of Bridges," Chongqing boasts many cross-river bridges, flyovers, viaducts, and cloverleaf bridges. While implementing the "greening projects," local district governments would consider the distinctive geographic features and make full use of all available spaces to build as many parks as possible.
Park on A Hillside
A resident walks a baby stroller along the pathway of the Lingjiang Community Park.
The Lingjiang Park was built on a hillside to the Northside of the Wanxiang Avenue East Section in the Jiulongpo District. When it first started construction in 2019, many residents showed great curiosity and expectations for this park because it used to be a very unattractive wasteland.
"This newly built community park is very scientifically designed and constructed, and with distinctive 'mountain city' features of Chongqing," said Wang Xuchao, a resident from the nearby CR 24 Cities home community. "The four-layered staircase effectively makes the steep slope less intimidating and more pleasant to walk on." However, what most intrigues Wang is the accessibility facilities, elevators, and escalators for the elderly, parents with baby strollers, and those with disabilities. "It's truly an inclusive community park for all," added Wang.