Tan Yifan

cicitan2011@gmail.com

ON July 2, 2013, when the administrative body of Qianhai moved into its new offices — in a building complex constructed out of 333 containers that had been abandoned in the Qianwan area of Qianhai — there were just a few buildings scattered in the distance along the bay.

Several months later, Shenzhen Daily was invited to the muddy land to get a glimpse of the construction there. Dai Ruirui, a then Qianhai Authority staff member in charge of media communication, told Shenzhen Daily that some reclaimed land plots were still in the process of compaction.

Over the past four years, a total of 14 plots in Qianhai were sold to Hong Kong-registered companies.

According to a press release, Ninety-seven buildings were put into use and the main structure of 121 buildings in the Qianhai and Shekou Area of the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone were completed.

Ye Weihua, deputy director of Qianhai’s planning and construction division, said Qianhai’s planning will not focus on building skyscrapers, but instead is implementing an integrated development plan to turn the area into a convenient and livable town.

As a bay area, Qianhai’s construction will make full use of water resources. It is building an advanced water circulation system. For instance, the water landscape in Qainhai Enterprise Mansion area uses reclaimed water and rainwater as its main source. Permeable pavement, soakaway facilitates, rainwater gardens and reservoirs have been built along the main roads and next to buildings to recycle water.

A place that claims to be building a massive underground town, Qianhai’s underground is being constructed in several layers. Intercity railways, metro lines and shopping malls will be built along with a large cooling system. So far, one cooling station has been put into use and nine others will be built.

To develop a low-carbon town, Qianhai has built several small parks, including a bauhinia park, and has planted over 11,000 trees and 1.1 million square meters of green areas.

“In the future, the area is expected to accommodate 150,000 residents and attract 650,000 employees. Urban planners and builders want to create an ecological and user-friendly environment for the people in Qianhai,” said Ye.