Driving westward along Chang’an Avenue, at a point 20 kilometers from Tiananmen Square, Shijingshan’s Lianshi Lake comes into view. With a gentle breeze brushing your face and the blue waves rippling, the nearly 300-hectare Lianshi Lake resembles a crystal-clear pearl on the hundred-li-long boulevard.
The planned three wetland parks around Lianshi Lake will also form Beijing’s largest urban park belt in the future, with parks connected to parks and water linked to water. The total area spans nearly 300 hectares—equivalent to moving four Beihai Parks “into” Shijingshan.
Who could have imagined that just two years ago, this place was nothing but an uneven, perennially dry and parched riverbed? Wang Yan, a nearby resident, used to never mention to others that she lived next to the Yongding River, fearing embarrassment. Now, she can’t stop telling everyone, “It’s fantastic—just like our own backyard garden.”
The Shijingshan section of the Yongding River is set to become the most pristine natural scenic highlight and urban green lung on Beijing’s western green ecological belt. The ancient mother river of Beijing is now regaining its former glory.
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