A once-thriving mine in east China's Jiangsu Province has been transformed into a deep and blue diving spot, standing as a testament to the country's environmental rehabilitation efforts.
At the Xiangshan National Mine Park in Jiangsu's Xuyi County, the high and low peaks of mountains, platforms and steep shale cliffs, together with the naturally pooled sapphire-blue lake, create a unique and pleasant landscape.
With water depths of over 50 meters and a visibility of up to 20 meters, the park, on the bank of the Huaihe River, has become an unexpected diving paradise. But this striking transformation did not happen overnight.
"Xuyi County has a long history of mining. Mining activities at this pit date back hundreds of years. They have resulted in different degrees of damage to the ecological environment. In 2001, the county took ecological restoration as a development strategy and began mine treatment. Later, we applied for the designation of 'national mining park' and have kept investing in it. The government and local enterprises have invested more than 60 million yuan (about 8.44 million U.S. dollars) in the comprehensive management of the mine," said Du Kui, deputy director of Xuyi County Natural Resources and Planning Bureau.
The official said that the steep and nearly vertical slopes there made the construction challenging, and they had to overcome difficulties to get the job done.
"The main restoration method involved cutting into the rock and planting drought and cold-tolerant trees on the slopes. In the early days, most of the digging and planting was done by hand, bit by bit. That's why it's a miracle that pine trees are now growing on these hillsides,”said Du.
A national freediving depth tournament was held at the park in August 2024. The Aquatic Sports Management Center of the national sports administration expressed hope of making Xuyi a training and competition base for freediving sports in China.
High water quality and convenient supporting facilities has made the park one of the top destinations for Chinese diving enthusiasts.
"From my personal experience, this is the best dive site in inland areas of China. There are no complexities like reefs or water plants at the bottom of the lake, and the water is smooth and free of complex weather, making it a very safe area for divers,”said Yao Pengfei, a diver.
"The water quality here is very good, because it is in a park, unlike some outdoor areas where there is a lack of management and then the environment is less suitable. Here, the water quality is excellent and the surrounding facilities also make it easy for us to dive," said Han Le, another diver.
Local residents said they are also reaping the benefits of the transformation.
"In the past, the roads here were all stony, exposed soil could be seen everywhere, and dust would fly whenever the wind blew. The government has made efforts in the past few years to transform it into a park. Now, the mountains have turned green, and the roads have been laid with asphalt concrete. As nearby residents, we can bring our children here to enjoy the weekends. The environment has improved a lot," said Wang Huajun who lives on Xucheng Street.
Chinese county turns mining legacy into freediving paradise
The 2024 Kazakhstan Tourism Year in China officially closed on Wednesday in Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, with fruitful results achieved in promoting travel between the two countries. An international tourism forum was held within the framework of the closing ceremony. About 300 people, including Kazakhstan's Vice Minister of Tourism and Sports Yerkinbayev Yerzhan Malikovich, Chinese Consul General in Almaty Jiang Wei, and representatives from tourism and media of both countries, attended the event.
Yerkinbayev said that Kazakhstan plans to expand passenger capacity at land ports connecting the countries and increase investment in tourism infrastructure construction to attract more Chinese tourists.
"We are seeing more and more Chinese tourists coming to Kazakhstan, so we should improve tourism infrastructure and not let these visitors down. Today at the forum we announced that we will open new border crossings and improve the facilities at existing ones. Some improvement work has already started this year, making these crossings convenient not only for the clearance of goods but also for people," he said.
"The leaders of the two countries have announced that 2025 will be the Chinese Tourism Year in Kazakhstan. We are looking forward to the series of activities planned by our Chinese colleagues, and will fully support every event to be held in Kazakhstan next year," he added.
Jiang, the Chinese Consul General in Almaty, said that all-round and high-level China-Kazakhstan tourism cooperation has been launched, which will inject new impetus into promoting mutual understanding between the two peoples and building a more meaningful and dynamic China-Kazakhstan community with a shared future.
"Since the launch of the Kazakhstan Tourism Year event, departments at all levels of the two countries, especially the tourism departments, have held promotion meetings, forums, and tourism exhibitions in both countries, providing tourists with a variety of colorful activities. Such events have opened up windows for promoting mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of the two countries and enhancing mutual learning between civilizations," Jiang said.
At the closing ceremony, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan presented the "Most Influential International Media Cooperation Award" to CCTV-4 Channel of China Media Group (CMG), commending the three-part documentary "Bond with China—For the Common Dream" produced in cooperation with the Khabar Media Group of Kazakhstan.
The program was launched in July this year at a China-Kazakhstan cultural exchange event organized by CMG, and was aired simultaneously on China's CCTV-4, the TV channels under the Khabar Media Group, and Atameken TV.
Daniyel Serzhanuly, deputy chairman of the board for the Kazakh Tourism National Company, said that the documentary showcases the culture and beautiful scenery of Kazakhstan to Chinese audiences. He expressed hope for deepened cooperation in media between the two countries.
"Among the more than 30 cooperation projects implemented under the tourism year program, there are media cooperation projects. The most successful one is the three-part documentary about Kazakhstan produced in cooperation with CCTV-4. The program was launched before the SCO Summit, which showed the tourism potential of Kazakhstan to Chinese audiences and improved Chinese people's understanding of Kazakhstan," he said.
Two sub-forums and a B2B tourism business negotiation meeting were also held within the framework of the closing ceremony.
2024 Kazakhstan Tourism Year in China closes with fruitful results
