Tai'an's conservation efforts: Harmony of nature, innovation

Beneath the azure sky, with white clouds floating by and sunlight outlining the silhouette of Taishan Mountain, as well as rivers winding through lush greenery on both banks, a picturesque ecological scene unfolds in Tai'an.

Through initiatives such as relocating scattered livestock and poultry farms along the lake, Tianping Lake now sparkles and is home to 48 main fish species and 19 large benthic creatures – bottom-dwelling invertebrates.

It annually attracts rare migratory birds like swans and coots, making it a popular spot for citizens to enjoy nature up close. Indeed, the Tianping Lake Scenic Area has also emerged as one of Tai'an's top tourist attractions.

In recent years, Tai'an has continuously improved its water quality through systematic governance, advancing the construction of the urban water environment network. The city's sewage treatment capacity has increased steadily, with seven wastewater treatment plants upgraded to meet higher standards, showcasing a continuous improvement in the city's water ecological environment.

While safeguarding its clean waterways, Tai'an has made solid progress in soil conservation. At Tai'an Gypsum Co Ltd, sulfur gypsum and phosphogypsum waste residues are processed on an intelligent production line for gypsum boards.

Through equipment upgrades, raw materials substitutions and process improvements, the company has established an efficient industrial solid waste recycling model.

It can annually process over 15 million metric tons of industrial by-product gypsum and over 600,000 tons of wastepaper, forming a circular economy chain with upstream coal-fired power plants and phosphate chemicals enterprises.

Additionally, Tai'an has been united in its efforts to protect the blue skies from various dimensions. Remarkable progress has been made in air pollution control, with the average PM2.5 concentration dropping to 38 micrograms per cubic meter – the best level yet recorded.

Beneath the clear blue sky, under the hulking yet magnificent form of Taishan Mountain, a picturesque ecological scene unfolds in Tai'an city. [Photo/Taian Daily]