Square fishing platforms are painted with local landscapes, and a 4.25-kilometer slow lane has been transformed into a three-color asphalt road... The reporter learned from the Beijing Chaobai River Administration Office that two waterfront spaces along the Chaobai River have been basically completed and officially opened to the public on October 9, a shared water area for leisure, strolling, fishing, sightseeing, and bird-watching.
Hundreds of waterfront fishing platforms are newly built on banks of the river
In the golden autumn of October, with clear sky and thin clouds, the Chaobai River in Miyun District is sparkling. Along the riverbank, every 10 meters or so, there is a square waterfront platform, nearly all of which is occupied by fishing enthusiasts. "I live in Chaoyang District. Passing by here, I see that the environment is awesome and the platform is convenient and safe, which is very suitable for fishing, so I come to give it a try," said Mr. Liu, a fishing enthusiast, as he skillfully prepared the bait and tied the fishing hook.
"The theme of this waterfront shared space is 'Waterfront Magic Cube', and there are more than 100 waterfront platforms like this in this section of the river. Considering the terrain and local conditions, we have newly built on the left bank 49 waterfront platforms and 100 on the right. Meanwhile, both banks are equipped with 0.8-meter-wide waterfront slow lanes, the total length of which reaches 1.3 kilometers." Yang Weichao, deputy director of the Beijing Chaobai River Administration Office, told reporters that these platforms were not arbitrarily set up but located at places attracting fishing enthusiasts, a decision based on preliminary investigations. "At the same time we have also set up life-saving facilities, garbage cans, notice boards and other supplementary and monitoring facilities in the vicinity. For example, it’s convenient for swimmers to be aware of conditions of the river if there is a water level ruler on surface," said Mr. Yang.
A damaged road is converted to a slow lane
About 30 kilometers downstream from here, on the right bank of Chaobai River in Shunyi District, a brand new slow lane has attracted many residents living nearby to come here for leisure and walking. The 4-meter-wide slow lane is divided into two parts -- a 1.5-meter-wide pedestrian walkway and a 2.5-meter-wide bicycle lane. The road surface is marked with signs to distinguish the two parts andmileage numbers to make the riverside walkway more orderly, safe, and friendly.
"The road used to be made of concrete and water-permeable bricks. Damages on road surfaces and in roadbeds were common to see, and sometimes pedestrians and vehicles even compete to go through the road." In mid-July of this year, Zhang Yanling, the deputy director of engineering at the Beijing Chaobai River Administration Office, introduced that this waterfront shared space, along with the other one in the upstream Miyun District, underwent renovation and was basically completed by the end of September. During the National Day holiday trial run, it attracted many visitors.
After the completion of this project, the previous 4.25-kilometer-long roads made of concrete and water-permeable bricks has been transformed into an asphalt road. The pedestrian walkway is painted with three colors: blue, green, and red, providing a good relaxing environment for citizens and beautifying both banks of the Chao Bai River. At the same time, approximately 110 street lights have been newly installed along the slow lane, and the railings have been repainted. Follow-up work will also be carried out to enhance the landscape greening.
Chaobai River will achieve "five-channel connectivity" in the future
In recent years, as the water ecological environment of the river continues to improve, great crested grebes, common coots, egrets and other birds often rest here. To help the public better enjoy the fun of walking along the river, fishing and bird-watching, the Chaobai River Administration Office cooperate with local departments to vigorously promote the openness and sharing of waterfront spaces. The two spaces not only serve as a good place for public entertainment but also a proof of the Beijing Water Authority practicing the specific measures of the capital’s water development goals of "safe, clean, ecological, beautiful, for the people".
Yang Weichao said that the Beijing Water Authority is planning the preliminary plan for the comprehensive management and ecological restoration of the Chaobai River. In the future, the river will achieve the integration of five channels: water flow channel, animal passage, slow lane, bicycle lane, and information channel. This will make the work of flood control of the Chaobai River more accurate and bring more beautiful waterfront shared spaces for the citizens.
Translator：LI Xiaochun
Reviewer： WANG Luchun
