Huanghualiang Ecological Park

If you travel to Xinghe via National Highway 110 or the Danla Expressway and enter the new urban district, endless green pines and cypresses will immediately come into view, with poplars and willows covering the hillsides. The well-arranged ecological landscapes are sure to amaze you — this is Huanghualiang Ecological Park, renowned across Ulanqab City.

Located 1 kilometer northwest of the new urban area of Xinghe County, Huanghualiang Ecological Park is hailed as the "back garden" of Xinghe’s new town. Spanning Chengguan, Erdeng and Tuanjie Townships, the park covers an extensive area with a total planned area of 106,000 mu. Mixed arbors and shrubs, conifers and broad-leaved trees grow across the zone, boasting a rich variety of tree species. Statistics show there are 12 varieties in total: evergreen trees including Chinese pine, Mongolian pine, spruce and larch; broad-leaved trees such as poplar, willow, wild apricot, fruit trees and Shantung maple; as well as flowering shrubs like lilac, rose, seabuckthorn and caragana. To date, 3.1 million evergreen trees, 1.7 million broad-leaved arbors and 252,000 flowering shrubs have been planted. An additional 14.6 million caragana and seabuckthorn saplings are scattered across the land. Workers have built 40.3 kilometers of engineering access roads and planted roadside shelterbelts along 25 kilometers of roadways.

In the past, this land was scarred with exposed sandstones and countless gullies, presenting a devastated scene. At the turn of the 21st century, key national forestry projects were launched in Xinghe, bringing earth-shaking transformations to the region. Back in 2001, with strong support from the county Party committee and government and technical guidance from higher forestry authorities, people across the county united to launch cross-township ecological restoration projects centered on the Beijing-Tianjin Sand Source Control Program and the Grain for Green Project on Huanghualiang. Multiple afforestation initiatives were rolled out, including voluntary tree-planting campaigns and the construction of Party Member Model Forests. Adopting an overall masterplan with phased and annual implementation schedules, the project coordinated biological and engineering measures alongside comprehensive treatments such as enclosure, protection and afforestation, eventually cloaking these once barren hills in lush greenery.

Ecological restoration work on Huanghualiang has forged steady progress year after year. The 5th Municipal Conference on Material and Ethical Civilization was held in Xinghe in 2009, creating a golden opportunity for Phase II construction and bringing a new glow to Huanghualiang.

Phase II, the scenic landscape project, entered planning and design at the end of 2008 and took 8 months and 8 days to complete. It consists of multiple scenic zones featuring a theme square, sculptures, covered corridors, cascading waterfalls, circular flower beds and a main gate. The total planned hard-paved area covers 60,000 square meters, with reinforced green space stretching 2,630 mu. Key specifications of core facilities:

All efforts have borne fruitful rewards. After nine years of construction, native vegetation has gradually recovered, and man-made forests and grasslands have yielded initial ecological benefits. The park can intercept and retain 460,000 cubic meters of runoff and 58,000 tons of sediment annually, effectively curbing soil erosion, wind erosion and desertification.

Integrating ecological conservation and recreational functions, Huanghualiang now serves as an all-season leisure resort: visitors come to admire blossoms in spring, seek cool shade in summer, pick wild fruits in autumn and appreciate snow-covered scenery in winter. It not only provides a pleasant living and entertainment space for residents of the new urban district, but also greatly elevates the overall image of Xinghe County.