China News Service, Qinzhou, September 5 (Zhai Liqiang) On September 4, during the 2026 Overseas Media Watch Guangxi interview event, media reporters and Internet experts from Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, East Timor and other ASEAN countries, as well as Hong Kong and Macao, China, entered the Qinzhou Port area of China (Guangxi) Free Trade Pilot Zone to learn about the practical experience of ecological restoration of Jingu River Peacock Bay.
On September 4, the 2026 Overseas Media Watch Guangxi event interview team visited Peacock Bay on the Jingu River in Qinzhou, Guangxi. Photo by Zhai Liqiang
Walking along the Peacock Bay of the Jingu River, there are lush mangroves, and occasionally egrets fly across the water. Walking along the blue ecological trail, the water is clear, the shore is green, and the vegetation is lush. This coastal wetland used to be messy and barren, but has now been transformed into a "maritime forest" and ecological back garden around citizens. It is a vivid practice of Qinzhou's persistent efforts to restore coastal ecology and open up the channel for transforming ecological value into dividends for people's livelihood.
Peng Somani, deputy director of the online television department of the Cambodian News Agency, is visiting Guangxi for the third time. She said that along the way, she felt the grand construction of the Pinglu Canal and learned about Qinzhou's efforts in protecting ecological diversity. She admired the local area's achievements in ecological protection while developing its economy.
Jingu River Peacock Bay is located in the core area of Qinzhou Port Area of China (Guangxi) Free Trade Pilot Zone. As a semi-enclosed bay, ocean currents exchange here slowly. Affected by multiple factors such as disorderly tidal flat farming, sand dredging and quarrying in the early years, the coastline was damaged, garbage accumulated, and the habitat was fragmented. The water quality of the sea was once worrying, and the survival of the mangroves once faced severe challenges. In order to solve the stubborn coastal ecological problems, the local government launched the comprehensive ecological improvement and restoration project of the Jingu River coastline, starting an ecological battle to restore the tidal flats to green.
Zou Taiping, senior manager of the Construction Management Department of CCCC Guangxi China-Malaysian Qinzhou Industrial Park Co., Ltd., introduced that the Jingu River Coastline Comprehensive Ecological Improvement and Restoration Project implements the concept of "ecological priority, green development" and implements restoration of forests. 110.8 hectares of new mangroves were planted, 220 hectares of existing mangroves were protected, 1.47 hectares of bird islands were restored, 3.15 hectares of bay water purification was achieved, and 5.30 kilometers of shoreline were ecologically constructed.
Technological innovation is the key to the rise of this "maritime forest". Zou Taiping introduced that the project adheres to source control, systematic restoration, and adopts new mangrove cultivation techniques to restore wetlands and improve mangrove habitats. The survival rate of mangrove planting has reached more than 90%.
(File map) The picture shows the Jingu River in Qinzhou. (Drone photo) Photo by Lu Song
According to reports, in response to the stubborn water problems in the bay, the project innovatively used the "six-step ecological chain" systematic construction method to build a cascading water purification system. The water quality of the bay was improved from inferior Class V to Class III, and coastal odors were completely eliminated. At the same time, a smart digital ecological monitoring platform was built to carry out all-weather monitoring of mangroves, water quality, and organisms, and promote ecological management and protection from traditional experience to digital smart management and control. The project was also selected as one of the top ten typical cases of national ecological protection and restoration in 2024, and won 8 provincial and ministerial awards and multiple patented construction methods.
This coastal ecological project with a total investment of 540 million yuan (RMB, the same below), on the basis of completing the restoration of a large area of mangroves, built a 150,000 square meter blue bay ecological park, successfully created a national AAA tourist attraction, and created an open urban natural "living room". Citizens can stroll along the ecological trails in the forest, cycle along the coast for leisure, and enjoy the livable experience brought about by ecological restoration.
According to reports, the ecological environment along the Jingu River continues to improve, and regional biodiversity has significantly improved. Six new species of birds have been observed. The number of intertidal and benthic organisms has increased by 57% and 21% respectively. 27 species of birds such as egrets have inhabited here all year round, making it a high-quality natural science popularization classroom. So far, the park has received 621 research teams and more than 21,000 participating students.
Mangroves are not only coast guards but also a "carbon bank". In 2023, Guangxi's first mangrove blue carbon trade was launched here, helping enterprises to achieve carbon neutrality through ecological carbon sinks, creating a virtuous cycle of "ecological restoration produces carbon sinks, and carbon sink income feeds back into ecological improvement." The proceeds from carbon sinks are used for park facility maintenance, environmental upgrades and science education, which not only improves public leisure facilities, but also effectively alleviates the financial pressure on local ecological management and protection.
While the ecological appearance continues to improve, people's "money bags" have also steadily increased their income. The project supports the establishment of a mangrove nursery cooperative, which has cultivated a total of 4.5 million seedlings. At the same time, it has provided local employment for people who have returned mangroves to forests and whose land has been acquired and demolished, allowing local people to "get rich by the sea and increase their incomes by relying on greenery."
At the same time, the ecological improvement along the Jingu River has also led to an increase in land value in the area. The project has been approved for 480 million yuan in EOD financing to introduce green industries, achieving two-way empowerment of ecological restoration and regional economy.
The practice of ecological restoration of the Jingu River has reshaped the coastal landscape of the Jingu River, allowing ecological dividends to benefit people's livelihood. It also provides a replicable and promoteable green model for Beibu Gulf coastal cities to coordinate ecological protection and seaward development. Currently, the construction of the Jingujiang sub-project of the 2024 marine ecological restoration project is in full swing and is expected to be completed by the end of this year. The local area is making every effort to create a benchmark for coastal coastlines that combines ecological security, citizen leisure, and industrial empowerment functions. (over)
