Chengdu greenway's floral beauty draws spring tourists

The roads leading to different sections of the Tianfu Greenway in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, have been packed with tourists, especially on weekends, since late March.

Visitors from throughout the city make the trip to admire vast seas of flowers along the greenway.

"The cherry blossom trees with blooming flowers along the Jincheng section of the greenway in the city's hi-tech zone offer an explosion of colors, and the flower power proves to be a big draw to my family," said Sui Xuemei, a middle-aged woman who posed for a photo with her teenage daughter on Sunday.

A section of the Tianfu Greenway in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province. /VCG Photo

The Tianfu Greenway, intended to be the world's longest urban greenway system, will be a major artery running through Chengdu when it is completed in 2035.

The project has a total length of 16,930 kilometers, which is more than 4,000 kilometers longer than the earth's equatorial diameter. It was initiated in May 2017 and plans to link nature reserves, parks and greenbelts dotted across the entire city.

Chengdu's construction of the Tianfu Greenway is in line with the new concept of high-quality development proposed by President Xi Jinping to give priority to ecology and use green development as the guiding direction, according to the city government.

In April 2017, the city proposed building the Tianfu Greenway with high standards, turning it into a beautiful and habitable park city with the support of the greenway.

The Tianfu Greenway, which consists of 1,920-kilometer regional greenways, 5,380-kilometer urban greenways and 9,630-kilometer community greenways, will make it possible for residents to enjoy at least one kilometer of greenway out of every square kilometer of land in Chengdu, said Yang Xiao, vice president of Chengdu Planning and Design Research Institute.

Visitors at the Xinglong Lake section of the Tianfu Greenway in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, March 20, 2019. /VCG Photo‍

Once the Tianfu Greenway is completed, residents will have access to a greenway if they go out and walk for five minutes, he said.

By the end of last year, 2,607 kilometers of the Tianfu Greenway had been completed, and the system has received a warm welcome from residents for leisure activities.

(CGTN)