Ziyun Park

　　Ziyun Park is a star-rated park in Tianjin and was awarded the China Habitat Environment Example Award by the Ministry of Construction. It is located on No. 3 Road, Tanggu District, Tianjin. The park is 45 kilometers from downtown Tianjin and 4 kilometers from the central area of Tanggu. It is an environmentally friendly mountain park built on the foundation of solid chemical waste treatment. Covering an area of 330,000 square meters, with a mountain surface area of 360,000 square meters, its main peak reaches 31.9 meters in height.

　　Ziyun Park utilized 5 million cubic meters of alkali residue to create engineering soil, covered with 0.8–1.2 meters of planting soil. The park has cultivated over 40,000 flowers, 160,000 square meters of lawns, and planted more than 100 species of trees and shrubs totaling over 300,000 plants, all thriving lushly. It also attracts dozens of bird species to nest here. The mountain park consists of seven scenic areas, organically integrating leisure, commemoration, environmental protection, ecology, and culture. To the east of the former Tianjin Soda Plant and west of the mountain park lies a water channel that once discharged cooling water from the plant. Today, both sides of the channel have been landscaped and decorated, turning it into a scenic river surrounded by greenery. The completed park has improved the ecological environment of the area, providing the people of Tanggu with a beautiful park and green space, becoming a landmark landscape of Tanggu District. Experts consider it the only environmentally friendly park in China and even the world built using industrial waste.

　　Before the construction of Ziyun Park, it was an urban blind spot in Tanggu. For nearly a century, discharged alkali residue spread from the factory area to the seaside, eventually forming a massive alkali residue mountain covering 3.5 square kilometers and reaching up to 15 meters in height at its peak. It occupied the city center of Tanggu, becoming a serious urban pollution source while also causing significant waste of land resources. The mountain park organically combines leisure, commemoration, environmental protection, ecology, and culture, forming a continuous landscape change through its seven scenic areas. Experts have called it the only environmentally friendly park in China and even the world built using industrial waste.

　　As one of the “Top Ten Civilized Sites” in Tanggu District, the environmentally friendly ecological park—Ziyun Park—has welcomed over 100,000 visitors in the three years since its completion. It has become the best place for nearby residents to relax and exercise, achieving remarkable social benefits.

　　Starting in 1996, Tanggu District invested 350 million yuan over five years, adopting a model of government organization, corporate participation, and market operation to build a mountain park covering 330,000 square meters. The initial success in alkali residue treatment and the gradual implementation of infrastructure have effectively improved the overall regional environment, yielding significant environmental, economic, and social benefits.

　　Every spring and summer, Ziyun Park is filled with lush trees and green grass, making it hard to imagine that this was once a pollution source that plagued Tanggu for nearly a century. Citizens freely rest and entertain here, treating it as a paradise on earth.

　　In the past, in Tanggu, mentioning the Tianjin Soda Plant would immediately bring to mind the world-famous “Red Triangle” brand soda ash and the mountain of alkali residue formed from large piles of industrial waste. For many years, the 36 million cubic meters of industrial waste discharged by the Tianjin Soda Plant severely troubled the residents of Tanggu. After concerted efforts, the Tanggu District Committee and District Government tackled the issue starting with scientific research and, over five years, completely treated the alkali residue mountain.

　　Today, the people of Tanggu are no longer troubled by the alkali residue mountain. What stands before them is a mountain park, a school, a scenic river, and a residential area. The Tanggu alkali residue mountain treatment project has generated significant economic, social, and environmental benefits. After the treatment, the atmospheric environment has improved, playing an important role in enhancing the air quality of the Binhai New Area and providing valuable experience for managing large-scale open pollution sources in urban areas.

　　Transportation

　　Address: No. 3 Road, Tanggu District, Tianjin

　　Transportation: Take bus routes 101, 102, 107, 816 (section), 825, 833, 936, 936 (section), 937, etc., and get off at Xingang Road Station

　　Driving route: Tianjin City – Jianguo Road – Shengli Road – Xinkai Road – Huachang Road – Hongxing Road – Jinnan Avenue – Jinnan North Road – Jinnan Expressway – National Highway 103 – Hebei Road – Shanghai Road – Xinkai Road – Chunguang Road – No. 3 Xinkai Road