Green vision takes shape in Xiong'an

By Chen Lin

(ECNS) -- From the sprouting greenery of the Millennium Forest to the "zero-carbon building" of the Exchange and Exhibition Center of the Xiong'an New Area of China (Hebei) Pilot Free Trade Zone, green is everywhere in Xiong'an New Area in Hebei Province this spring. In this modern city of strategic importance for China's future development, green is not only a color but also a development philosophy.

Planting trees before building the city

The concept of "planting trees before building the city" represents a new approach to Xiong'an New Area's development. The grand plan for this "Millennium Strategy" began with the Millennium Forest project, which started even before the city's planning was finalized.

Over the past eight years since the establishment of Xiong'an New Area, the region has undergone a remarkable transformation from barren land to a blueprint and now into a thriving city. A total of 481,000 mu (about 32,067 hectares) of forests have been planted, and the green area has reached 741,000 mu (about 49,367 hectares).

At Baiyangdian Lake in spring, gentle breezes ripple across the water, while willow trees on the shore sprout new leaves and reeds inside the lake push out green shoots. Following ecological restoration, the water quality of Baiyangdian has improved significantly, now stably maintaining Class III standards, ranking it among the country's good-quality lakes.

The greenery of Xiong'an extends beyond forests and lakes to include urban parks. With the concept of integrating water with the city, Xiong'an has built a park city, including Yuerong Park, Jinhu Park, and Countryside Park, which are already operational. Projects like Central Green Valley attract crowds daily for flower viewing and sightseeing. The vision of 'entering a forest within 3 km, a green belt within 1 km, and a park within 300 meters' is becoming a reality.

Green and low-carbon building becomes the trend

Xiong'an Railway Station, the first major infrastructure project in the area, now sees large daily passenger flows between Beijing and Xiong'an.

Just a few hundred meters away, the Exchange and Exhibition Center of the Xiong'an Area of China (Hebei) Pilot Free Trade Zone features photovoltaic panels covering the roof and photovoltaic glass generating electricity in the middle section. According to Zhang Wenliang, MEP Design Manager at China Railway Construction Hebei Xiong'an Urban Construction Co., Ltd., the photovoltaic power generation system converts solar energy into electricity, generating up to 252,500 kWh annually, making the building self-sufficient in energy.

The project also incorporates a geothermal heat pump system. Zhang explained that this system uses shallow underground geothermal resources as a heating and cooling source for the exhibition hall. In summer, indoor heat is discharged underground for storage, while in winter, underground heat is extracted for indoor use, effectively maintaining a balance between heat extraction and the underground ecological environment.

From the already operational Xiong'an Citizen Service Center to the Xiong'an Grand Theater currently under construction using 3D printing technology, and the newly opened Xiong'an Sports Center, green and low-carbon construction technologies are widely applied throughout Xiong'an's urban development.

"In Xiong'an, constructing high-star-rated green buildings with low or zero carbon emissions has become a new architectural trend," Zhang said.

Green development philosophy takes root

Green is the defining color of Xiong'an's planning and construction and one of its pathways to high-quality development. Whether in its leading industrial chains of aerospace information and satellite internet, artificial intelligence, and new materials, or in its emerging sectors of life sciences, future energy, and future industrial technology services, Xiong'an has avoided traditional high-pollution and high-energy-consumption industries. Upholding green and low-carbon development, Xiong'an aims to become a model for green urban development.

Xiong'an's green development is also reflected in its efforts to build a "zero-waste city". As China's only pilot city to integrate the 'zero-waste' concept from the initial planning and construction stage, the city features scenarios where waste is incinerated to generate heat and electricity, alongside educational practices such as compiling China's first set of textbooks on the "zero-waste city" theme.

By the end of 2024, Xiong'an New Area had built 633 types of 'zero-waste cells' across multiple scenarios, initially forming a diversified 'zero-waste city' development pattern.

Li Wei, who grew up by Baiyangdian Lake, said that the green philosophy has long taken root in Xiong'an. To improve the lake's water quality, local villagers have practiced daily waste collection and removal for years. "Domestic sewage in villages within and around the lake is also effectively collected and treated," Li said.