The abandoned Yudai River Mine has been transformed into the Yudaihe Ecological Cultural Park, which opened to the public in the Rongchang District of Chongqing on September 28, 2021.

The comprehensive ecological restoration project launched by the local government has renovated seven unused mine pits, cleaned 4.6 kilometers of the Yudai River, grew more than 80 plant species, and improved its water environment.

The view of the Yudai River mine before the comprehensive ecological restoration in Rongchang District, Chongqing. (Photo/Chongqing Municipal Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources)

The newly-built park is multifunctional: that can control flood and storage water, protect the ecological environment, and function as an urban park for tourism, exercise, and cultural experience.

The view of the Yudai River mine after the comprehensive ecological restoration in Rongchang District, Chongqing. (Photo/Chongqing Municipal Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources)

The renovation project started in November 2018 and was completed in June 2021. It aims to restore the mine area by fully considering its historical context and natural environment, which solves the potential safety problem of mine collapse and turns the stinky water and garbage pits into a leisure place for residents.

Yudai River Mine was selected as one of the top ten demonstration cases of ecological protection and restoration in Chongqing last year.