The project of the Longquan Mountain Urban Forest Park is an important part of Chengdu’s urban development plans and has been recognised at national, provincial and municipal levels.

Each year, nearly 20 million people are drawn to visit Longquan Mountain through a range of recreational, leisure, cultural, sporting and educational activities, such as the International Peach Blossom Festival, the CHINA100 Mountain Cross Country Series, the Cactus Music Festival, and the Nature Watching Festival.

At national and provincial levels, the central government and the provincial government of Sichuan have endorsed the project through various strategic plans, such as the strategic plan of building the “fourth pole” of China’s city cluster, the Outline of the Construction Plan for the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle, the Master Plan for Chengdu Building a Park City Demonstration Area Exercising the New Development Philosophy and the Plan for the Development of Chengdu Metropolitan Area. These documents clearly demonstrate government support for the construction of the Longquan Mountain Urban Forest Park and reinforce the role of Longquan Mountain as an “Urban Green Heart”.

At the municipal level, Chengdu has formulated the Implementation Plan for the High-quality Protection and Development of the Longquan Mountain Urban Forest Park and the Regulations of Chengdu for the Protection of the Longquan Mountain Urban Forest Park.

These documents provide comprehensive support for the development of the Longquan Mountain Urban Forest Park, covering aspects such as spatial planning, protection mechanisms, financial guarantees, control of development intensity, and the ratio of blue space to green space.

Additionally, Chengdu has established the Longquan Mountain Urban Forest Park Management Committee, which is specifically responsible for implementing the Programme and coordinating government efforts at all levels and the efforts of other stakeholders during the development of the park.

Prior to implementation, consultancy services for the Green Heart Project from the global consulting community were sought. An 11-member review committee with prominent Chinese and foreign experts in the fields of urban and rural planning, ecological landscaping and architectural design was established. A global call for bids was launched and 58 leading consortiums were invited, including LDA Design and James Hitchmough Design and Management Ltd, to provide consulting services.

During implementation, the development of the Longquan Mountain Urban Forest Park involved multiple fields such as forestry, architecture, planning, landscape and transportation. It has engaged various government departments and received support from renowned Chinese research institutes including the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Forestry, the State Information Centre of China, and the Development Research Centre of China Geological Survey. These institutes have conducted fundamental research focusing on ecological restoration techniques, biodiversity conservation and governance of soil erosion. To address drought and water scarcity in the Longquan Mountain, we have initiated the “Hundred-Lake, Thousand-Pond, and Ten Thousand-Reservoir” project with the support of the Chengdu Water Authority.

Comprehensive databases have been established encompassing plant communities and biodiversity, along with graphical representations of biodiversity specific to Longquan Mountain. Through in-depth analysis of vegetation types, the structure of biodiversity, biome composition and the trajectory of plant succession, we have acquired valuable insights into the ecosystem of Longquan Mountain. This information will provide support for subsequent stages of vegetation restoration, landscaping, project site selection, scientific research endeavours and science popularisation activities.

Distribution maps for various categories of flora and fauna have been developed, including key protected, rare and endangered species, as well as invasive species and different vegetation types. These maps are instrumental in facilitating the systematic planning and construction of spatial systems for species protection, ecological corridors for species migrations and genetic exchanges, and nurseries and seedling bases for national reserve forests to adapt to local conditions.

To support the Programme, Chengdu has established the Longquan Mountain Urban Forest Park Protection and Development Centre and the Park City Development Academy. These institutions have launched 49 research projects on hydrology, soil, climate, biology and geological environments in collaboration with China’s renowned scientific research institutes.

So far, 45 research outcomes have been delivered and applied to the implementation of the project. Furthermore, academician workstation and training bases were set up to conduct research into key projects, including forest vegetation mapping and the construction of twin platforms for intelligent management.

These endeavours provide a strong guarantee for the implementation of the Programme in a rational, forward-looking and innovative manner as well as consistent exploration of the potential benefits that the harmonious co-existence between man and nature may deliver in the process of urban development.

Financial support: In the past five years, the Longquan Mountain Urban Forest Park has received a fiscal subsidy of 1 billion yuan from various levels of government to support its ecological conservation and restoration, infrastructure construction, and creation of ecological consumption scenarios. Additionally, the park has raised 10 billion yuan through China’s supportive policies for green finance. This funding is used for the ecological conservation and protection of Longquan Mountain and the construction of the national reserve forest project. Chengdu is currently applying for state fiscal support targeting the green development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the systematic governance of mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, lakes and grasslands to further ensure the implementation of the Programme.

Policy support: At national and provincial levels, Chengdu is actively seeking supportive policies that aim to conserve and restore important ecological systems and develop city clusters in Sichuan and Chongqing. At the municipal level, the Programme is striving to be included in policies that support the construction of Chengdu Smart City Brain and the organic renewal of the city.

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During implementation, the development of the Longquan Mountain Urban Forest Park involved multiple fields such as forestry, architecture, planning, landscape and transportation. It has engaged various government departments and received support from renowned Chinese research institutes including the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Forestry, the State Information Centre of China, and the Development Research Centre of China Geological Survey. These institutes have conducted fundamental research focusing on ecological restoration techniques, biodiversity conservation and governance of soil erosion. To address drought and water scarcity in the Longquan Mountain, we have initiated the “Hundred-Lake, Thousand-Pond, and Ten Thousand-Reservoir” project with the support of the Chengdu Water Authority.

The Management Committee, in collaboration with the Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has developed an index system for accounting the value of eco-services provided by the Longquan Mountain Urban Forest Park. According to their calculation, the Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) generated by the park in 2020 was worth 64.137 billion yuan. The Management Committee has also developed an intelligent monitoring plan that incorporates new technologies such as satellite remote sensing, geographic information systems, unmanned aerial vehicles and the Internet of Things. Specifically, 28 micro-weather stations, 4 soil erosion monitoring points, 34 fixed plots for biodiversity monitoring as well as 3 raptor monitoring points have been set up to carry out long-term and regular monitoring of typical plant communities, ecological types and ecological and environmental elements in the park. The monitoring covers 273 items across 61 categories. These monitoring stations and points are also responsible for the real-time collection, long-term storage and integrated application of data.

Monitoring data has shown that the average temperature in August, the hottest month in the project area, is 4°C lower than in the downtown area. Additionally, the average annual concentration of negative oxygen ions and average air oxygen content inside the forest are approximately 23% and 5.6% higher, respectively, compared to outside the forest. These findings indicate that the Programme has effectively improved the city’s liveability.

In the last five years, the development of the Longquan Mountain Urban Forest Park has resulted in the addition of approximately 70.6 million square metres of new forested areas. This has increased the per capita forest area for Chengdu people by an average of 3.35 square metres. Additionally, the park captures an average of 1.218 million tons of carbon dioxide and releases 889,000 tons of oxygen annually. The recorded species of plants and animals has also increased from 1,147 in 2020 to 1,724 currently. Moreover, the park has contributed about 40,000 tons of carbon absorption capacity to the Chengdu 2021 FISU World University Games, promoting low-carbon sports initiatives globally. A total of 24,700 people living in Longquan Mountain have voluntarily relocated to cities, towns and featured communities, freeing up 24.04 million square metres of space for ecological development.

Over the past five years, the Programme has attracted 660,000 individuals from all walks of life to participate in tree planting within the Longquan Mountain Urban Forest Park. More than 69.8 million yuan of greening funds has been raised from the public, resulting in afforestation across more than 19 million square metres of land. Additionally, the Programme has utilised the power of the internet to promote tree-planting activities and increase public awareness about the importance of ecological conservation.

The Programme aims to tackle soil erosion. Longquan Mountain used to be a major area of soil erosion in Sichuan, with the affected area hitting 112,000 square kilometres. It was the primary source of sediment entering the Three Gorges reservoir area of the Yangtze River. Thanks to recent ecological conservation and restoration efforts, the soil erosion modulus has successfully decreased by 240.5 tons/km2-year, marking significant progress in soil erosion control.

The Programme aims to address urban sprawl and related urban challenges. By building the Longquan Mountain Urban Forest Park, urban air corridors and wildlife migration corridors in the future heart of Chengdu, an ecological network where greenery and urban spaces are seamlessly integrated is formed. This creative urban ecological paradigm known as “one mountain connecting two wings” will greatly enhance the city’s liveability.

The Programme aims to improve the conservation of the natural habitats of wildlife. Within the project area spanning 1,275 square kilometres, ecologically sensitive areas are identified. An area of 364.6 square kilometres is delineated as the core ecological conservation zone, which focuses on ecological conservation and prohibits development and construction; and Longquan Lake and Changsongsi are designated as natural habitats for wildlife.

1. Innovation in philosophy of ecological restoration. The Programme aims to transition from a narrow focus on forest protection and restoration to a holistic and systematic approach that encompasses the conservation and governance of mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, lakes and grasslands. With a strong emphasis on ecosystem and biodiversity conservation.
    
2. Innovation in application of ecological technologies. Plants for afforestation in this project were local plants with identified genotypic origins within Sichuan. For each species of conservation value, multiple collection sites are secured to maximise the diversity of natural succession for future urban applications and enhance resilience against climate change and pests. Drawing on the few remaining patches of pristine woodland, working closely with residents and adopting a quasi-natural and ecological landscape approach to select species and seedlings. Our reforestation endeavour begins within key areas and then gradually extends to other areas. Through the restoration of the forest system, we aim to transform the mountain mass into an “urban sponge” that can utilise and conserve water to the maximum extent.
    
3. Innovation in financing: In the past, ecological conservation projects were mainly funded by the government. For this Programme, special financial, fiscal and tax support policies, as well as resource matching policies, to attract private and financial capital across all stages of ecological conservation and restoration – from investment and design to restoration, management and maintenance have been developed. By guiding private capital to integrate the concept of ecological conservation into consumption scenarios such as cultural experiences, tourism and sports.

Video: Urban Green Heart Programme