The first mountain city park expert and citizen forum was held in Liangjiang New Area, Southwest China's Chongqing municipality on Feb 7.

Six specialists from colleges and research institutions, including the Chongqing landscape architecture design and research institute and the Chongqing research institute of Tongji University, as well as three citizen representatives, were invited to share their opinions on park building and improving the harmonious relationship between humans and nature.

The outdoor tea house at Jinhaiwan Riverside Park [Photo/liangjiang.gov.cn]

"Although I can read at home, the outdoor tea house has a better environment, and it's nice to be able to appreciate the riverside scenery," said Xie Ran, a citizen representative who lives near Jinhaiwan Riverside Park.

Parks don't usually have such facilities, but the park in Liangjiang has attracted businesses such as tea houses, coffee bars and sports clubs, offering more recreational options.

In fact, the 132 parks in Liangjiang all have their own distinctive characteristics. Some have refreshing riverside scenery, some have slope vegetation landscapes, and some have infrastructure supporting interactive experiences.

Liangjiang's greenway system has connected residential areas with city parks, ecological green spaces, business districts and traffic hubs, and now the Liangjiang New Area section of the Jialing riverside ecological corridor, which is about 34 kilometers long, has opened to the public, boasting more than 140 entertainment options and nine themed areas.

The new area's greening rate has reached 34.32 percent, and the per capita green space comes in at 17.12 square meters.