Lake adds beauty to growing area

Health-conscious people can take a respite from the hurly-burly of urban life to enjoy fresh air and a Zen-like peacefulness.

Those fond of fauna and flora will have a field day.

Jingyuetan is a cross between an urban central park and a national park. It is accessible by Changchun's light-rail, yet it is a world away from the high-rises and traffic.

The Jingyue development zone, where the park, a first-class national scenic site, is situated, boasts an appealing ecological environment, with more than half of its total area covered by forests and water.

In addition to being a park, it also includes a vast reservoir in the south, the 13.3 km long Yitong River in the west and green belts in the north, not to mention five streams and eight smaller reservoirs.

"Such an ecological advantage is rare in the country," says Guan Shusen, director of the zone's administrative committee. No wonder a number of renowned property developers, including Vanke, CITIC Real Estate and Sino-Ocean Land have been drawn to the zone and undertook construction projects there.

The zone aims to be the core eco-friendly area of the city, where residents can lead a healthy lifestyle and high-end industries will flourish, local authorities say.

The National Reform and Development Commission designated the zone as a national pilot area for comprehensive reforms in the service industry in 2010, a move spurring the growth of a local modern service sector.

The development zone has witnessed marked achievements in economic growth, urban construction, environmental protection and industrial restructuring over the past few years.

"Urban construction does not just mean high-rises of steel and concrete. It is more important to inject culture, soft power and soul into the city," Guan says.

"A sculpture exhibition can be seen as a soul-building move," he noted, adding that the theme of this year's international sculpture show - "sports, health and life" - dovetails with the zone's goals of being an eco-friendly area that combines leisure and clusters of high-tech industries.

raymondzhou@chinadaily.com.cn