Number of parks in Shanghai hits 670

SHANGHAI - With a batch of new parks opening to the public during the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday, the number of parks in Shanghai has climbed to 670, said Shanghai Landscaping & City Appearance Administrative Bureau.

The parks across the city include 438 urban parks, 172 pocket parks, 59 rural parks, and one theme park.

In a newly-opened pocket park in the Jiangsu Road sub-district under Changning district, residents who live nearby were seen taking a walk or resting while the sun shone on them through the tree canopy.

"This park was transformed from a jumble of enclosed green space. Now the closed land becomes an open park, we can not only enjoy the flowers and green but also exercise and rest," said Chu Xiaonan, a resident in the sub-district.

According to the government plan, Shanghai will be built into a "city of thousands of parks" by 2025.