Nanxi River Ecological Greenway Planning, Wenzhou
The Nanxi River is situated near Wenzhou in Yongjia County, Zhejiang Province in China, an area that covers 625 square km. The river is surrounded by a beautiful mountainous valley with waterfalls, scenic hidden spots with striking rock formations, ancient villages and traditional agriculture.
Niek Roozen Landscape is invited to cooperate with NITA Ningbo in developing a design for the riverbed running for 28km along the Nanxi River. The designed Greenway will form a path alongside the whole riverbed, connecting all the scenic areas. The Greenway will tell the cultural stories of the Nanxi river in different ways (by engravings, art and music), so when you have visited the total greenway you have “read” the total Nanxi river “book”. The project will aim to accommodate the increasing level of tourism, meanwhile preserving the beautiful nature of the district.
The Nanxi River Valley
The breathtaking scenery forms a popular destination for tourists and the numbers of visitors to the area is increasing. In 1988 the area was even named a National Tourist Scenic Spot by the State Council. Not surprisingly, tourists form an importance source of income to the people situated in this region. However, an accumulating amount of people visiting such an area can form a threat to the original natural beauty.
Read MoreThe Path
A key starting point is the design of the path itself. Only pedestrians and small electrical vehicles will be allowed entrance to the path. This way cars will not disturb the serenity. Multiple facilities with various purposes are incorporated in this path. The path is connected to transfer hubs. People can enter the Greenway from special car parking areas. When people are on the Greenway, there is also the opportunity to go to docks to do a part of the route by an authentic bamboo boat. In this way there is a network of transport systems and paths.
Along the path you will find benches, information screens, shade area, kiosks and viewing areas, creating an interactive tour for the visitor. This is all in one design style to create a continuous element along the total river.
Seven Highlights
Along the path, seven exceptional scenic areas are incorporated in the design as special highlights. These highlights will each have their own theme and activities, according to the existing situation and surrounding facilities and functions. We will create an ecological wetland area, a cultural area, a romantic area and an agricultural zone with a local market, generating a lot of variety in function and atmosphere.
Ecological Repair
Finally, as many pebble areas and embankments are destroyed, the area is in need of a strategy for ecological repair. Therefore, the design includes a strategy to either repair or use these unique ecological areas for other functions.
Project
Nanxi River Ecological Greenway Planning, Wenzhou
Year
2016
Client
Local Government
Collaboration
NITA Ningbo
Area
28 km
Location
Wenzhou Nanxi river, China