Qijiang River.[File photo/Zhongshan Daily]

Qijiang River is the mother river of Zhongshan. Its banks have bred the rich cultrual and historical resources of the city. In order to improve the quality of the "one river and two banks" construction of the Qijiang River from all aspects, create a waterfront space of rich culture, beautiful environment, ecologically livable conditions and vitality, and create a scientifically reasonable urban pattern, Zhongshan will carry out the the "one river and two banks" urban design work.

At present, the Zhongshan Natural Resources Administration is publicizing the design draft. 

The project, located in the 300-500m deep area on the banks of the Qijiang River, extends from the intersection of Qijiang River and Hengmen Waterway in the east, passing through Zhongshan Torch Development Zone, East District, Shiqi District, Gangkou Town, West District, Shaxi Town, South District, Dachong Town, Banfu Town, and Shenwan Town, to the intersection of Qijiang River and Xijiang River, with a planned area of 56.31 square kilometers. 

The urban design for both banks of Qijiang River focuses on optimizing the urban landscapes in coastal areas. The planning is oriented at "the new innovative and intelligent platform for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a charming new living room of Zhongshan", with the goal of building a scenic garden city, creating an innovative green belt, and shaping a cultural corridor. 

The building of scenic garden city will improve the water quality of the Qijiang River, promote the ecological restoration on both banks and strengthen their connection with the surrounding natural environment and pastoral wetlands for the purpose of shaping a new ecological green belt.

The creating of innovative green belt, through the renewal of old city and the development of new city, is mainly based on the existing functions to implant commercial leisure, cultural creative tourism, science and technology R&D, headquarters economy and etc, and build a new backbone for the smart development of Zhongshan and a new platform gathering innovation and intelligence elements of the Greater Bay Area.

In addition, new charming water banks to demonstrate Zhongshan's culture shall be created through the exploration and expansion of traditional cultural value, the supply of public space and infrastructures along the cultural corridor and the shaping of water space with diversity and vitality.