Chapter I Living in Nantong

(I) A National Forest City on the Jianghai Plain

October 15 of 2018 is an unforgettable day for the 7.28 million citizens of Nantong. At the symposium on forest city construction which was held in Shenzhen on that day, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration officially awarded Nantong and 27 other cities as the “National Forest City.”

National Forest City, the highest honor given to urban ecological construction, is an important symbol to measure a city’s comprehensive competitiveness. Nantong, a city located at the confluence of river and sea, despite its inherent deficiencies, such as saline land and the lack of mountains and lakes, has continued to make steady progress through the city’s practical actions to meet all 40 indicators falling under five categories required in the National Forest City Evaluation Index LY/T2004-2012 and other related documents. These practical actions perfectly interpreted the essentials of the objectives of the honor:“developing an urban forest and expanding forest canopy in city,” which has provided a solution for many other cities in China.

In 2019, as one of the national forest cities, Nantong won the bid to host the China Forest Tourism Festival, one of the important festivals approved by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council and sponsored by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.The festival is scheduled to be held annually, and it was the first time a prefectural-level city hosted the event.

With a population of 7.28 million, Nantong, located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province, bordering the Yangtze River in the south and the Yellow Sea in the east, is one of the first fourteen open coastal cities in China and the only “Longevity Hotspot” in the coastal plain. It has been awarded many honorary titles, such as the National Model City for Environmental Protection, the National Garden City, the National Ecological City, the National Civilized City, the National Ecological Civilization Construction Demonstration City, and the China Human Settlements and Environment Award.

The citizens of Nantong, upholding the philosophy that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,” proactively responded to the construction of the forest city clusters in the YRD region and Chongming world-class ecological island, which has promoted the construction of Shanghai’s green ecological barrier area and the green gateway to the YRD Urban Agglomeration through vigorously carrying out the building of the forest city. Located at the T junction of the east coastal line and the Yangtze River, the land of promise, covering an area of 8,001 square kilometers, made great strides in large-scale greening and created a picturesque landscape in the new era.

i. Solutions to greening the city

Nantong boasts flat terrain and fertile land, with 600 square meters per capita. Its multiple cropping index of arable land is up to 238 percent. A high basic farmland protection rate brings a greater comparative advantage of planting and breeding industries. Due to the dense river network, the lack of mountains and lakes, and scarce natural resources, forestation is of prime importance. To create a national forest city, Nantong is required to reach a 35.26 percent forest coverage by 2018, and its seven counties(cities) and districts need to have a forest rate of over 35 percent, a total of newly-built 16,600 hectares of afforestation area within the next two years.

Where does the city locate a forest? What is the prospect of developing forestry and the forest city in the plain? The CPC Nantong Municipal Committee and the Nantong Municipal People’s Government made a solemn promise to ensure that all indicators would be basically met by the end of 2018 and that the city would succeed in creating a national forest city. However, the experts invited to review the Overall Planning of National Forest City Construction in Nantong had many doubts.

As Shanghai’s northern gate, Nantong focused on making use of various elements including land, water, afforestation, culture, landscape, production, and residence to innovate the idea of greening along roads, rivers, industrial parks, agricultural parks, and farmers’ homes. Also, effort was made to build the core green landscape in the central urban area, the ecological protection forest belts along the river and coast, the road, river and farmland forest networks, seven ecological corridors, and the forest ecology and forestry industry clusters all over the city, thus forming an integrated urban and rural forest ecosystem. Green spaces were built in urban areas and along rivers and roads, and forests were planted in suburban areas. This was the plan for a sound and stable forest ecosystem for integrated development of urban and rural areas that included some of the unique characteristics of the river-sea regions.

Along the coastal highway from Sutong Yangtze River Highway Bridge to Ningtong Highway Jiuhua Junction, an ecological landscape corridor around the eastern and northern part of the central city has taken shape, with a green belt of 100 meters wide. Under the Chenqiao Junction of the G40 expressway, Nantong’s city tree, southern magnolia, is beautifully luxuriant, and the crape myrtles and beech trees are well-arranged in a vacant land of more than 20 hectares for greening. According to the requirements of planting precious tree species in diverse colors, the former People’s Government of Gangzha District was responsible for purchasing tree species and providing professional maintenance. Meanwhile, farmers were paid rent for their land to plant crops under the trees for economic benefits. Yuejiang Community is one of the first large affordable housing communities in Nantong, covering 350,000 square meters. Therefore, a total green area of 60,000 square meters has been added in urban area, accounting for 17 percent of the total. Various species, such as the southern magnolia, red maple, azalea, and paperbush flower, were planted in the community so that neighboring residents could also share the benefits of greening.

Nantong strived to integrate mountains, water, roads, and forests and achieved forest connectivity among different regions, which demonstrated the ingeniousness of the city: Taking the Wushan Mountain and ecological restoration along the river as the core green area, the city would create an ecological corridor along the river and plant forests in urban areas. Green projects were carried out in the Nantong Botanical Garden and the Junshan Mountain of Wushan Mountain National Forest Park, and others like public parks, the urban green lung, and the green corridor along river have been completed, with more than 430 hectares of newly-built green space, an increase from 39 percent to 81 percent in forest coverage. All these achievements, echoing with the construction of Chongming World-Class Ecological Island, aimed at building the ecological northern gate of Shanghai and the green gateway of the YRD Urban Agglomeration.

ii. People’s livelihood as a priority in development

It only took ten months from the time of approval of the application to build a forest city according to the specifications for preparation and evaluation in the master plan, an exceptional feat that Nantong was able to accomplish. As Nantong’s Party chief and mayor assumed the Leading Group of the Forest City Construction, several major projects were launched and implemented in an organized manner. To highlight Nantong’s favorable conditions as a city on the plain, the guidelines for designing the green ecological corridor projects were formulated. Several construction specifications were promulgated for building forest parks, wetland parks, demonstration units with colorful, precious, and economic tree species, and forest towns and villages.

Although the key concern facing the government was efficiency, the top priority was people’s sense of happiness. The people’s suggestions and the government’s prompt actions enhanced the utilization and design of green space. For example, during the construction of Dongsheng Small Garden, after fully seeking public opinion, the construction company built a sports area on the west side and a parking lot on the east. They addressed the issue of pollution arising from restaurants around the village. Therefore, residents like taking a walk here, and those who live nearby plant beautiful flowers to beautify the garden. Many gardens like this have been built and opened at Chengshan Road, Haobei Road, Baihua Road, and other urban areas. Through soliciting public opinions via the Nantong Daily Media Group and other major media, the newly prepared Urban Green Space System Planning in Nantong plans to increase the number of gardens from 10 to 20 per year. According to the statistics provided by the Nantong Municipal Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources, within five years,the total area of urban park green space has nearly doubled, amounting to that of 132 Wenfeng Parks. At present, the average green area is 18.47 square meters per person in Nantong’s urban area.

Nantong stepped up its effort to improve its citizen’s well-being by creating the National Forest City, the Ecological Garden City, and the Garden City all at the same time so as to maintain an eco-friendly and sustainable development. In 2014, Nantong started the canal green corridor project. After completing a section, it was opened to the public. Along the corridor dotted with sightseeing platforms, children’s playgrounds, and some featured landscapes. The Binjiang walkway winds through trees and flowers, a popular place for people who like jogging here at night. Also, this corridor witnesses the green transformation of the Tonglyu Canal, which was built in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1297). By reconnecting and reshaping the river and water systems and improving the green space network, the shoreline stretching 21 kilometers was revitalized into a catalyst for new sustainable development, providing drainage to the YRD. Its post-industrial style blends with local features, attracting citizens to engage in recreational activities in these spaces. Mrs. Xia Yumin, who lives in a residential quarter along the corridor, takes a walk as part of her daily routine. When interviewed, she stated, “Compared with the Haohe River Scenic Spot, the green corridor is larger, with more landscapes and views.”

Moreover, Nantong’s “503020” Project is designed to increase green spaces for people’s life circles. This project requires that the widths of green belts on both sides of urban expressways, arteries, and sub-arterial roads be no less than 50, 30, and 20 meters, respectively. There are trees along the roads and green plants in street gardens and district-level and city-level parks. In the urban district, citizens have an easy access to green space and enjoy the beautiful scenery within a 300-meter radius, and the urban green land covers a total area of more than 3,000 hectares. The forest, the water, and the city are intertwined to present an idyllic environment for Nantong’s citizens.

iii. Fulfilling Nantong’s centennial dream

Nantong Wushan Mountain National Forest Park, located in the southern urban area along the Yangtze River, comprises five separate mountains( the Langshan, Junshan, Jianshan, Huangni, and Ma’an mountains) and surrounding areas such as the Nantong Horticultural Expo Garden and the Seyuan Garden. With an area of 1,080 hectares and a forest coverage rate of over 80 percent, the park serves an important ecological function for Nantong’s main urban area.

In accordance with the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instruction of “focusing on the restoration of the ecological environment of the Yangtze River, making all-out efforts to protect the river, and prohibiting large-scale luxury development of the river,” the CPC Nantong Municipal Committee and the Nantong Municipal People’s Government have decided to adjust the planning of the riverbank of the Yangtze in the Wushan Mountain area from manufacturing to ecological and livable areas in 2017. By optimizing the allocation of productive forces along the river, the city has fully carried out ecological restoration and protection along the riverbank of the Wushan Mountain. Forests and rivers, the urban green lung, and the ecological parlor along the Yangtze River were fully restored. Nantong Municipal People’s Government invested more than RMB3 billion in the construction of the new forest areas based on the former provincial-level Langshan Forest Park. The Junshan Forest Area, Botanical Garden Area, Binjiang Ecological Area, and the Yulan Valley Area of the Seyuan Garden were constructed successively, an increase of 392 hectares in forest area. In this way, the Wushan Mountain Forest Park took shape.

A century ago, Zhang Jian, a Number One Scholar of the late Qing Dynasty (1840-1912) and an industrial magnate of modern China, carried out the practice of developing forestry in the Wushan Mountain area. In the early years of the Republic of China(1912-1949), Zhang, then Minister of Industry and Commerce, formulated the first Forest Law of China and initiated Arbor Day. In Nantong, Zhang’s hometown, he applied his ideas of ecology and forestry into practice by planning the Wushan Mountain area as a garden and a scenic spot, establishing the Institute of Forestry Affairs, and building the Junshan Observatory, the first privately owned and operated observatory in China. He also employed a water conservancy expert from the Netherlands to make a river for forest protection around the mountains and construct the Wushan Nursery Garden, Junshan Mountain Forest, and Nanjiao Botanical Park, thus establishing the initial shape for today’s Wushan Mountain Forest Park, Therefore, it is of specific historical significance to establish a national-level forest park in the area.

Wushan Mountain, also known as “Langwushan Mountain,”is the only mountain on the Jianghai Plain and the First Mountain at the intersection of the Yellow Sea and the Yangtze River. The Wushan Mountain represents the Yangtze River estuary’s geomorphic evolution and forms an ecological island that is rarely seen in cities. Abundant in plant and animal resources, the forest park, according to an initial survey, is home to 558 species representing 384 genera and 135 families of vascular plants, among which 9 species are classified as rare and endangered plants. In addition, there are 228 species of wildlife, including 82 species of birds, 117 species of insects, and 29 species of other animals. In particular, the nature reserve located at the southern Junshan Mountain has always maintained its natural ecological environment and been hailed by academics as “the only and rare wildlife gene bank in cities on the plain, possessing the value of a world natural heritage.” Therefore, setting up a national forest park would play a vital role in protecting the forest resources of the Jianghai Plain, protecting the water quality of the Yangtze River, and providing a natural ecological barrier for the Jianghai Plain.

There was a consensus for building the national-level Wushan Mountain Forest Park by the citizens in this area. From 2010 to 2012, Nantong Municipal People’s Government invited experts to conduct a scientific investigation of the Junshan Mountain nature reserve. Based on this investigation, the Mysterious Piedmont of Mount Junshan, which focused on flora and fauna in the forest park, was published. The 12th Party Congress of the CPC Nantong Municipal Committee set the blueprint for creating the national forest city and the national-level forest park and formulated the master plan and action plan for building a national forest city. A leading group and a directorate for constructing the areas of the Wushan Mountain and areas along the river were established to coordinate the work of the ecological restoration projects and conservation of natural resources in these two areas. During the process, the Government of Chongchuan District completed the relocation of factories, docks, enterprises, and public institutions within the construction area of the forest park and the comprehensive environmental improvement within the specified time. At the same time, the Langshan Mountain Management Office and Nantong Construction Group undertook the construction and renovation of six forest areas in the park.

An area facing the Yangtze River with lucid waters and lush mountains was emerging. At the national review meeting, experts unanimously agreed that the Wushan Mountain Forest Park had effectively mitigated the urban heat island effect and fully embodied the benefits of forests to livelihood, thus giving people a stronger sense of gain.

Nowadays, ten forest parks, such as Fangong Dyke and Laohonggang, and nine wetland parks, like Yuantoujiao and Lixiahe, have been built in Nantong. The city has realized the full coverage of forest and wetland parks in counties, cities, and districts, with a balanced layout.

iv. A win-win strategy for both ecological and economic benefits

With superb bonsai-making skills, Wang Xiaojun, a villager from Guzhuang Village in Rugao Industrial Park, had spent RMB6,000 three years ago purchasing a boxwood which was valued at RMB900,000 in 2020. His bonsai garden, which includes over 100 boxwood bonsai, is considered as being both popular and exceptional. Wang said with pride, “In 2018, my family spent more than RMB1 million to renovate our house. Every day, people from Beijing and Shanghai come to view my bonsai garden, and my bonsais if sold out, would be worth at least a million.”

Creating a forest city contributes to enriching the lives of people. Covering an area of about 6,670 hectares, the Guzhuang Ecological Park in Rugao, a county-level city in Nantong, is known as the birthplace of Rugao-style bonsai. The bonsais created here boast exquisite design and delicate shape. After years of development, the thriving Rugao-style bonsai, which used both heritage and traditional skills for grooming, trimming, and growing the bonsai, created new innovative techniques in the production process, which then aided in the development of several types of bonsai, including herbal bonsai, fast-growing bonsai, and miniature bonsai. Local flower growers have successfully bred Buxus sinica var. parvifolia, an endangered species worldwide, thus allowing more people to have access to this rare plant. Through grafting and improving varieties, valuable tree species, such as Buxus bodinieri Levl. and junipers, can reach maturity in a short time. Moreover, the flower growers pioneered novel techniques to overcome problems dealing with sterilization and long-distance transportation, making it possible for Rugao bonsai to be exported and exempted from customs inspection.

Using modern internet technologies, Rugao flower growers sell their bonsai products worldwide through e-commerce platforms and have achieved fruitful results in the fusion of tourism and horticulture. Rugao International Garden City, a marketplace that opened in 2019 with numerous bonsais produced by horticulture enterprises and renowned gardeners, is listed as a national 4A-rated scenic spot. Also, Rugao Bonsai has been registered by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce as a Trademark Geographical Indication. The garden city’s turnover surpassed RMB20 billion in 2019 and has become the largest export base of flowering bonsai trees in Eastern China, with an annual output of 350 million green plants, 1 million bonsais, and 4 million potted flowers, and a planting area of nearly 18,700 hectares.

People from Nantong’s urban and rural areas have reaped many benefits from creating a forest city. In Haimen District, the annual income of the under-forest economy has reached nearly RMB100 million, using the three major models of planting, breeding, and tourism under trees. In Xinjie Village of Sijia Town, Wu Guoping plants day lilies, irises, orchids, and other flowering plants under fast-growing trees on his rented land. Generally, more than 15,000 plants can be harvested per hectare of forest land, generating an additional income of about RMB45,000. In an ecological garden located in the Linjiang New Area, chickens wander around and look for food in the forest of beech trees and red maples. Within the 20 hectares of forest area, 4,000 chickens are stocked. In this way, the land is fully utilized, and the cost of raising chickens is also saved because the manure produced by chickens can fertilize the plants, thus forming an ecological cycle. What is more, the chickens raised in the forest can be sold for about RMB400 per day on average, and the additional income from selling these broiler chickens reaches approximately RMB150,000 per year. With the increasing popularity of raising chickens, ducks, and sheep under fruit trees, the revenue of forest farmers has continued to rise.

Nantong, a forest city on the plain that is fully implementing the rural revitalization strategy, a city that has always been committed to spreading and practicing the ecological concept that “clear waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” during the process of creating the National Civilized City, the National Hygienic City, the National Model City for Environmental Protection, the National Garden City, the National Famous Historical and Cultural City, and Characteristic Towns, is boldly exploring the mode of creating a forest city in the densely populated plain. This is also the original aspiration of Nantong that will always remain true.