Vast stretches of green land in Nantong. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province has taken measures to improve its natural environment over the past decade.

As the last ecological shelter zone of the Yangtze River that runs to the East China Sea, the city has prioritized the restoration of the natural environment along the river and the protection of the Yangtze River in its development plan.

The Binjiang area of the Wushan National Forest Park in Chongchuan district has shut down 203 polluting companies, repaired 12 kilometers of waterfront, and planted another 6 sq km of forest to create an ecosystem featuring forests, natural reserves, wetlands and waters.

Constructed over a wasteland and mud flat, the 400,000-sq m Dongbuzhou Long Beach Park in Haimen is now home to 30,000 square meters of hairawn muhly, 18,000 metasequoia trees, and 6 kilometers of footpaths for sightseeing.

Nantong has achieved notable results in pollution treatment and ecological restoration.

Last year, the city had nearly 321 days with good air and 93.5 percent of its rivers met standards for centralized drinking water, both 20 percent and 25.76 percent higher than the figures in 2015.

The ratio of clean energy to energy consumption in Nantong reached 12.25 percent, while that of coal to energy consumption decreased 52.4 percent in 2020.

Groups of Yangtze finless porpoise, an important indicator of a healthy Yangtze River ecosystem, were also recently spotted by a Chinese expedition team in the city.