In Wuhan, greenway around lake is paying off

The East Lake in Wuhan, Hubei province, wasn't happy. China's largest lake inside a city, with a surface area of 33 square kilometers, it suffered from noise and air pollution - the result of heavy traffic - as well as soil and water pollution.

But a long-term greenway project has helped turned things around. The project, a belt of green space that encircles the lake, has helped improve the water quality and provides a pleasant environment where people can relax.

The lake, which lies along the Yangtze River's south bank in downtown Wuhan, is now an eco-tourism scenic spot.

Before construction of the greenway began at the end of 2015, the lake and its surrounding areas were not ideal for leisure. Li Jinjie, 46, a teacher at Wuhan University, which is near the lake, said: "I am a fan of long-distance running, but there were too many vehicles going too fast near the lake, and it was dangerous."

According to Changjiang Daily, East Lake's average water quality had long been at Grade V or worse by Chinese standards before 2008. That level means it was seriously polluted.

"The Wuhan government officially put forward the plan for building a long greenway around East Lake in 2014, aiming to deal with the pollution of air, noise, soil and water, which was brought from the heavy traffic loads on the streets, and to revitalize the lake," said Song Jie, deputy director of the Wuhan Land Use and Urban Spatial Planning Research Center, which developed the greenway's design.

The greenway's first and second phases - a total of 102 kilometers - were finished in 2016 and 2017. The greenway also embraces several attractions nearby, including the universities, a museum, historical buildings and an art-themed park.

"That was what we learned from greenway projects on the US East Coast - establishing a greenway more than 100 km long and free of motor vehicles that connects the main university, public service centers and cultural attractions of a region," she said.

"In addition, the greenway is freely open to the public, following the example of the West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province," Song added.

Over a year's time, the greenway's positive effect was noticeable. Li, the teacher, was happy about it: "Since the greenway opened, there are no vehicles here, so I come for long-distance running with my friends every week."

"Because of the ban on motor vehicles, the exhaust emissions have been reduced a lot, which is good for air quality here," said Li Donghui, director of the lake's eco-tourism management committee.

Xu Yujie, program director of greenway construction at Wuhan Real Estate Group, told Changjiang Daily that the greenway helps relieve water pollution. "Now rainwater is filtered by green vegetation and by the water plants along the greenway before flowing into the lake. That reduces water pollution.

According to the newspaper, one expert, Zhang Xiaolin, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the lake's average water quality has now reached Grade III, its best level in 40 years.

Li, the eco-tourism manager, told China Daily that there were 12.9 million aggregate visits to the greenway in 2017.

"The third phase of construction is being planned, and we will pay close attention to the tourists' experience," he said.