A series of photographs of the gate tower of the ancient city walls in the east of Datong, Shanxi province, on Aug 10. [Photo by Zhan Yan / xinhuanet.com]

Datong air quality ranked No 1 in the first seven months of the year in North China's Shanxi province. By August 31, there were 193 days that met the standards of a good air quality index, and the overall index reached 6.3, the best in the province, monitored by China's Ministry of Environmental Protection.

According to dtnews.cn, people living in Datong are becoming more and more content with the government's efforts in environmental improvement, and most of them consider Datong now to be an ideal living place.

Datong has seen a huge change in the city landscape, with neater streets, modernized buildings, and most important of all, a better environment. Thanks to the city government's continuous endeavors in sustainable urban construction, the happiness index has increased sharply. Such positive transformation also provides favorable conditions for the social and economic development in the city.

The transformation cannot be realized without the consistent teamwork of the workers in municipal engineering, as well as all the people living in the city. To recognize the elegant demeanors of Datong people, Datong Evening News devoted a column to a series report on the topic of urban construction of an ideal living place.

The city's economy has developed out of a rich coal industry. It has been a key energy base in the north since the founding of the People's Republic of China, honored as the "coal capital" of the country. Unfortunately, while the coal makes the city rich, it sufers from an unbalanced industrial structure and deteriorating environment. Not long ago, it was ranked among the most polluted cities in China.

In 2008, the city government put forward a development plan to integrate both modern construction and ancient heritage preservation; industrial progress and ecological improvement. Within five years, the 2300-year-old historical city had taken on a new look.

Tourists travel to the Lingyan Temple of Yungang Grottoes, on Aug 8. Thanks to the ecological management in and around the Yungang Grottoes tourist spot launched by the local government, the environment has improved a lot, and cultural relics are better preserved. The area has since seen a surge in tourist numbers. [Photo by Zhan Yan / xinhuanet.com]

Tourists travel to the Lingyan Temple of Yungang Grottoes, on Aug 8. Thanks to the ecological management in and around the Yungang Grottoes tourist spot launched by the local government, the environment has improved a lot, and cultural relics are better preserved. The area has since seen a surge in tourist numbers. [Photo by Zhan Yan / xinhuanet.com]

The city had a new green area of over 17 million square meters by the year 2011. The strategic urban construction projects included restoration of the city walls, new functional areas of construction, ecological management in and around Yungang Grottoes tourist spot, a water pollution control system, neighborhood improvement, and so on.

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Datong's air quality ranks first in Shanxi

Datong air quality No 1 in Shanxi province