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An aerial view of Qidong in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_36f5c871cac4]

Qidong, located at the intersection of the Yangtze River, the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea, has been focusing on improving its ecological environment in the past 10 years.

In 2021, the proportion of days with good air quality in the city reached 93.2 percent, and the annual average of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was 23.2ug per cubic meter. The two indicators both ranked first in Jiangsu province. The city's air quality has ranked first in the province for the past three years.

Volunteers pick up litter on the beach in Qidong, Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_36f5c871cac4]

To promote environmental protection, the city has held a public welfare clean beach action for four consecutive years, and more than 60 related activities have been carried out. Qidong was awarded the title of "National Clean Beach Public Welfare Demonstration Site" by the China Ocean Development Foundation.

A large number of birds shelter in Qidong, Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_36f5c871cac4]

A marine ecological protection and restoration project was launched to restore the wetland ecosystem of the city and improve the ecological service function of the coastal zone, which has attracted a large number of birds to shelter in the city.

Since 2021, the city has been ramping up efforts to enhance its 178-kilometer coastline.

For example, the city's Yuantuojiao Resort, a provincial tourist resort in Jiangsu province, was originally a desolate shoal; now more than 3 million tourists visit the resort every year.