Taiyuan lauded for environmental improvements

Taiyuan, capital of North China's Shanxi province, was honored for its environmental initiatives at the 9th Green Development Forum hosted by Xinhua News Agency in Boao, Hainan on Dec 3. 

Taiyuan was recognized as an excellent city for hewing to the practice of "clear waters and green mountains are just as valuable as gold and silver."

In recent years, it has improved the quality of its ecological environment.

Efforts have been made to improve the green ecological system surrounding the city, with over 666 square kilometers of forests on the city's outskirts, and the construction of a green barrier in its northwestern suburbs. The city's forest coverage rate has reached 41.96 percent.

The proportion of Class III or better-quality water bodies in the city now stands at 83.3 percent.

Special attention has been given to addressing prominent issues such as heavy pollution weather, ozone and dust pollution. From January to October, Taiyuan recorded 189 days of excellent weather. Meanwhile, its air quality index was 4.79, showing a 5.0-percent year-on-year improvement.