Chongqing's first demonstration "sponge garden" recently opened to the public in the city's Yubei district.

The garden, located in Chongqing Central Park, covers an area of about 700 square meters, with six sets of facilities with different application scenarios.

Taken together, the garden supports the "sponge city" concept in a garden landscape.

In 2015, the State Council, China's Cabinet, launched the sponge city pilot project, in which 30 metropolises are taking part. The aim of the project is that by 2030 around 80 percent of urban areas should be able to capture and reuse at least 70 percent of rainwater.

The sponge garden in Chongqing, with its sustainable water systems, can collect and purify rainwater runoff from approximately 2,000 square meters of impermeable ground in a local plaza. The stored water in the overflow ports of multiple gardens can directed to sustain plants, through a network of pipelines and sprinklers.

According to the municipal Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Chongqing has systematically promoted the construction of its water absorption capabilities in recent years. As of the end of last year, the city had 626.9 square kilometers of standard sponge areas, accounting for 34.2 percent of the total sponge city area.