Famed for its natural environment and diverse culture, Chengdu is one of the most popular tourist destinations in China. Zhu Xingxin / China Daily

A bride wearing a long, delicate wedding dress is shooting wedding photos with her husband in a lavender field at the Provence International Lavender Manor, in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

Lavender Manor, which consists of a 300,000 square-meter lavender field and a five-star resort, has become a popular leisure destination for Chengdu people.

Chengdu, which is known for its beautiful natural environment, was listed as the most livable city on the Chinese mainland in a recent report issued by the Asian Development Bank.

The evaluation system was based on factors including the quality of the water resources, air and the environment, as well as the management of solid waste.

The municipal government has focused on improving its ecological environment and infrastructure in recent years, an official said. And the ANB report shows its efforts have borne fruit.

According to Chengdu Daily, the forested area in the city increased by 30 square kilometers last year thanks to the government's ecological project.

Chengdu's total forested coverage is 37. 8 percent.

A total of nine districts or counties in the city are listed as ecological districts by the central government.

One of them, Jinjiang district, is considered the first national-level ecological district located in a big city in midwestern China.

Chengdu is situated near Longmen Mountain and Longquan Mountain, and the city has a great number of lakes and rivers, including Jincheng Lake, Jiangan Lake, Jinsha Lake and Qinglong Lake.

In 2011, the central government approved a plan to build Tianfu New District, which comprises seven counties in the three cities of Sichuan province.

Part of Chengdu belongs to the new district, including Xinjin County and Shuangliu County.

The local government says, the greenery rate of the new district is expected to reach 40 percent, and the number of large parks is expected to total 46.

In addition to the environment, the municipal government has also made great efforts to improve the city's infrastructure in the past few years, which has increased the convenience for local residents and improved the quality of life.

In May, Chengdu was honored as the "National Model City in Improving People's Livelihoods" by People.cn, the website of People's Daily.

Chengdu's Second Ring Road reconstruction project and northern city reconstruction project, both conducted by the municipal government, were listed as examples in improving residents' livelihoods. The Second Ring Road reconstruction project, which began in May last year, aims to ease traffic in the downtown area. According to the government, the population density inside the Second Ring Road was more than 40,000 people per square kilometer in 2012.

In addition, the number of motor vehicles in the city is more than 2 million, and the number continues to grow rapidly.

"To build Chengdu into an international city, we need to ensure the smoothness of transport," an official said. "Transport is closely linked to people's daily lives." According to the government, one of the highlights of the six-lane Second Ring Road project will be lanes for buses only. This shows the government is putting residents first, the official said.

According to the bus company, the average speed of the K1 and K2 Second Ring Road bus lanes will be 30 kilometers an hour, twice the previous speed.

The Northern city reconstruction Project will also greatly improve local's quality of life.

According to the government, the reconstruction area is 211 square kilometers, and all the old buildings that have safety issues will be rebuilt. In addition, new public facilities such as cultural centers and parks are being built.

zhuanti@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily European Weekly 06/27/2014 page18)