Since 2020, Zhangjiagang has completed a total afforestation area of 8,289.75 mu (552.65 hectares), increasing the city's forest coverage rate to 20.37 percent. This dual pursuit of ecological beauty and economic growth drives Zhangjiagang's high-quality development.
In recent years, Zhangjiagang has focused on improving urban greenery and landscape by developing town-level parks and forest trails, meeting residents' growing demand for getting close to nature and enhancing their sense of well-being.
For instance, Xinhu Park in Daxin town features garden-style corridor bridges along both sides of the road crossing the lake, planted with reeds, lotuses, and other characteristic aquatic plants of the Jiangnan region. This personalized waterfront space integrates leisure and ecological education, setting a new benchmark for urban forest greening with lush greenery, beautiful scenery, and vibrant public activity.
Zhangjiagang has also systematically advanced afforestation along the Yangtze River shoreline, completing over 3,400 mu of greenbelt forest, significantly improving wetland ecosystems and supporting biodiversity conservation.
Additionally, Zhangjiagang Bay, a 12-kilometer Yangtze riverside area, has been transformed into a scenic, accessible waterfront, turning a former industrial area into an ecological park. In 2024, Yongxing village was selected as one of Suzhou's first featured wetland village cases for this ecological wetland restoration project.
An aerial view of Zhangjiagang Bay. [Photo/WeChat account: zhangjiagangfabu365]
As the environment continues to improve, more wildlife species are finding a home in Zhangjiagang, with over 340 bird species observed, including many rare species.
Green development has also driven local economic growth and improved public well-being. Changyinsha Modern Agricultural Demonstration Park has promoted the integration of agriculture, culture, and tourism, building a countryside tourism route that features rice-wheat parks, citrus orchards, and flower seas, achieving a cycle of "green leading to prosperity, prosperity enhancing beauty" and supporting rural vitalization.
An aerial view of rice field painting in Changyinsha Modern Agricultural Demonstration Park. [Photo/WeChat account: zhangjiagangfabu365]