Guangzhou to build 17 forest towns

Guangzhou plans to invest a jaw-dropping 850 million yuan ($124.42 million) in building 17 forest towns before 2020, according to the city's administration of forestry and gardening.

Forest towns highlight forests, green areas and wetlands and are places where residents can get close to nature and enjoy the landscape.

The 17 forest towns, according to a report of Guangzhou Daily, are mainly to be located on the outskirts of the Guangdong province capital.

They will be built featuring Lingnan culture or based on ecotourism, preserving the original pastoral scenery and natural resources.

By coordinating the development of both urban and rural ecological construction, the forest towns will help improve living conditions in towns and villages, raise people's quality of life, as well as help develop the forestry industry.

Liuxihe reservoir in Liuxihe National Forest Park is a national tourism resort in Guangzhou's Conghua district. [Photo by Qiu Weirong/Guangzhou Daily]  

Haizhu Lake Park is blanketed with flowers in spring. [Photo by Qiu Weirong/Guangzhou Daily]