Impressed by Chongqing’s Efforts to Combines Environmental Preservation with Ancient Heritage | Insights

Editor's Notes: Lojain Suliman comes from Syria and is now a Ph.D. student at Chongqing University. She participated in an activity called Perception of Chongqing, which allowed her to observe and explore Chongqing more deeply. She was touched and inspired a lot by the city's development, especially its environmental preservation. Taking this opportunity, she reflected on all that she had seen, heard, and felt in Kaizhou District, Chongqing.  

Along the road between 'Chongqing' and 'Kaizhou,' I used to recall my travels from the capital, 'Damascus' to my hometown, comparing this highway and saying to myself how much I wish we would like one day witness this degree of civilization in Syria. It was a highway with several trees planted on both sides of it. Additionally, a tunnel leads to the light at the end of it every few kilometers or so. I have an ambition to one day build a tunnel in my country, Syria, mainly because my studies taught me a lot about this subject in China.

We arrived at Kaizhou district, where one can see the sun clearly, as it is quieter and calmer than the core area of Chongqing. We immediately went to Hanfeng Lake, where the scenery was lovely. Because I'm from a nation with numerous issues, the most recent of which was the war. Thus, I used to be more interested in the story of any city or location I visited, and I tried to investigate the tale that led to the development. Especially because we have to learn from developed countries. I thought about the motivations behind the creation of Hanfeng Lake, especially given that it is an artificial lake.

Before I came to Kaizhou, I had known that the reason for creating this lake was due to the fluctuation of the water level, which might cause floods in the neighboring areas. Perhaps one of the most attractive things in that city is the combination of environmental preservation and ancient heritage. As China usually does, the modernization of the cities is based on their longstanding history. Even the name of that Hanfeng Lake is because of the fact that when that province was founded in the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was called "Hanfeng".

After this trip, I truly understood how China protects the environment, which is an ongoing effort. Contrary to the persistent claims made in Western media that China is to blame for environmental pollution. China actually works to attract birds to protect their lives, just as it does to protect the lives of its citizens.

Finally, congratulations to the nations that value humans, plants, and birds. As with China's peaceful ascent, they are already a nation rising with a peaceful power, as China's achievement in the protection of the environment.  

This article was written by Lojain Suliman on Oct. 31.