An artist's impression of the green belt around Jiangong Lake in Haimen district, Nantong. [Photo/WeChat account: haimenrongmei]

The green belt around Jiangong Lake in Haimen district, Nantong is expected to open in late September or early October, local media outlets reported.

The belt is part of the local government's efforts to upgrade the landscape on the bank along the Yangtze River. Construction on the first phase of the project is nearly complete.

The project is located north of Xianggang Road, south of Shanghai Road, east of Huangpujiang Road and west of Minjiang Road. The total designed area is 224 hectares and the first phase includes a green area of 980,000 square meters and 840,000 square meters of water.

The first phase received nearly 270 million yuan ($41.8 million) in investment and features a square, an on-water stage, a playground for children, a maze, a camp site, a 6-meter-wide marathon track and three parking lots.

"A wasteland has been turned into a park that offers a great leisure destination for people living nearby," said a resident Ni Xuefei.