Chongwen Residential Subdistrict.	Shuiting Gate at night.	Riverside green belt.

Located in the western part of Zhejiang Province, the ancient city of Quzhou has a history of 1,800 years. It's one of the few Chinese cities to have escaped the onslaught of modernization -- the picturesque garden city has no high-rise buildings or urban sprawl to boast of. Instead, Quzhou prides itself on its green scenes and clear waters. It intends to use these natural assets to construct an ecologically friendly city, and set an example for the rest of Zhejiang Province in terms of conserving the ecological environment.

In 1994, Quzhou was designated as a national historical and cultural city. Among its many attractions are the Longyou Grottoes, which have been nicknamed the “Ninth Wonder of the World;” the Joint Stone Pillars of the Wuxi River, a geological phenomenon; and Guangong Mountain, which is dubbed as the “Number One Holy Mountain under the Heavens.”

Quzhou City is surrounded by mountains on four sides and by rivers on three. The Qujiang and Wuxi rivers run through the city, giving it the attributes of a typical scenic city in southern China. (By southern China, here we mean south of the Yangzte River). Within the city is Confucius' Family Temple, built by his descendents when they moved to southern China. It also boasts the Lanke Mountain, regarded by many as the place where the Chinese board game Go ( weiqi ) was first played. The ancient city is well preserved, as are its historical streets.

Li Bangqin is the chief of the city's urban construction bureau. He believes the city's mountains, rivers, trees and gardens both created and became the foundation of the city's image. He explains that the municipal government of Quzhou has worked out a plan to protect the city's historical sites like the ancient city wall, its 57 heritage sites and its enchanting streets like Shuiting and Beimen.

Some of those historical sites have already been renovated, like the Prefecture City, the Confucius Family Temple, the Tianfei (Celestial Spouse) Palace, the Shennong (Divine Farmer) Hall, the Prince Xuanling Memorial Temple, and the site of the legendary “Three Eccentrics of Quzhou.” Streets that have already been refurbished are Fangmen Street and Xinqiao Street, and detailed plans are in place for the construction of the Lanke Mountain Scenic Area.

Quzhou is the source of the Qiantang River, which boasts Grade 1 surface drinking water. To both protect existing and create new water scenery, green and ecological sightseeing areas have been built along the banks of the Qujiang and Wuxi rivers. One of the Qujiang's tributaries, the Shiliang Brook, has been comprehensively harnessed, and ecologically friendly embankments have been constructed there. A wetland scene with fascinating water features has been built at the juncture of the Miaoyuan Brook and the Qujiang River. All this work has enhanced the city's water scenery while making the most of the rivers' ecological and transport functions.

Much work has gone into the moat around Prefecture City, the Doutan Pool and the South Lake. Builders have been following the guideline of “controlling pollution, diverting water, dredging the lake and constructing parks." Clean water from the Wuxi River has also been diverted into urban areas.

Following the renovation of the old urban districts, parks and other landscapes have been built, gradually perfecting the pattern of Quzhou's public green areas, which cover 38.03 percent of the city. There is a green area roughly every 200 to 300 meters.

Residents of Quzhou take regular strolls around the streets of their city, and enjoy the refreshing atmosphere. The lush grass and shrubs in roadside parks are like green pearls decorating the ancient city, making Quzhou look much younger than its 1,800 years.

Quzhou's landscaping is done in a scientific manner. Special tree species are chosen to show the city's characteristics. Most of the trees are local species like the yellow tangerine ( Citrus vessucosa Hort) found along Yashi Road and Sanqu Road. And in Yanjiayu Park, a kind of mandarin orange tree will be planted to create an “Orange Island.”

Li Bangqin says hundreds of square kilometers around Quzhou have orange and tangerine trees. In 2006, the city that is known as the “hometown of oranges” was named as a provincial orange forest park by the Zhejiang Privincial Forestry Bureau.

The Confucius Family Temple has been renovated. The memorial temple to the Northern Song Dynasty imperial censor Zhao Bian, the Tianfei Palace, Shennong Hall, the Prince Xuanling Memorial Temple, the Quzhou Academy of Classic Learning, Shuiting Street and Beimen Street were all constructed in Huizhou architectural styles, and are considered “living fossils” for research into Quzhou's architecture and history.

One of the most fascinating sites is the ancient city wall. Built in the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220 ), the wall stretches seven kilometers and is punctuated by six gates. The northern, eastern and western sides are well preserved, but the southern section lies mostly in ruins. The wall is between three and nine meters thick. It is wide enough to accommodate the transport of materials, and has been designated as a heritage site under national protection.

All of these historical heritage sites are precious assets that the municipal government is determined to protect. Most of the sites lie in the east of the city, so in 2001, city planners decided to build its new urban district to the west of the Qujiang River. The infrastructure framework has now taken shape, and the construction of public facilities and housing has entered full swing. Standing side by side, Quzhou's old and new districts tell the story of its past and the direction of its future.