Bajiao Bay Selected as a National-Level “Beautiful Bay”
On August 28, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment announced the second batch of 12 beautiful bay cases. Yantai Bajiao Bay and Changdao Bays of Islands were both included, making Yantai the only city to have two cases selected nationwide.
In recent years, the Working Committee and the Management Committee of the Yantai Economic and Technological Development Area have integrated marine ecology conservation into the overall development of Bajiao Bay. They are fully committed to high-quality development that prioritizes eco-environmental protection and a green, low-carbon way of life. Focusing on the goal of creating a “Beautiful Bay”, they have implemented a strategy of “source control, sea cleanup, beach cleaning, greenery coverage, and restoration.” This approach has enabled Bajiao Bay to balance economic development with ecological protection, gradually transforming it into a “Beautiful Bay” that serves as a landmark, a center of development vitality, and an industrial attraction.
Creating a “Beautiful Bay” is a complex process, with the primary challenge being ecological restoration and governance. The project has focused on three aspects: strengthening pollution source control, enhancing marine ecological protection and restoration, and expanding the ecological space along the coastline. Rivers flowing into the sea have been transformed into beautiful ecological corridors where human-beings live in harmony with nature. The area has also adopted the national standards for reducing pollution and carbon emissions through a collaborative management model, while scientifically restoring beaches and coastlines. Notable improvements include the rehabilitation of 9,700 meters of coastline, the restoration of 4,000 meters of coastal protection, and the creation of 3,362 meters of wooden boardwalks. The natural coastline retention rate has increased to 56.47%. Additionally, aging coastal defense forests have been rejuvenated, with approximately 700,000 square meters of new forest area, as well as the creation of a 120,000-square-meter salt marsh wetland park, which helps restore biological communities and habitats.
The governance of the bay is a dynamic process that requires long-term commitment. First, regulatory systems must be established. Yantai was the first city in Shandong province to establish a coastline management and supervision bureau, integrating functions such as industrial planning and collaborative regulation. Additionally, Yantai has established a digital ocean management platform. This approach seeks to innovate system mechanisms and address the management challenges effectively. Second, long-term innovation in the legal system has been promoted, including the formulation of the “Pollution Prevention and Control Planning for Offshore Water of Yantai Economic and Technological Development Area” to strengthen land-sea pollution control, marine ecological restoration, and marine environmental risk prevention. Third, digitalization is being used for marine environmental supervision. Five key mechanisms have been established: bay managers, river managers, marine sanitation, maritime police coordination, and marine disaster emergency response. The city has also launched the four-level digital marine management platform covering the municipal, district, town, and village levels. The platforms systematically monitor the ecological and environmental status of Bajiao Bay to make the process visualized, controllable, and intelligent.
The beauty of the bay also enhances the city’s overall appeal. The city’s high-quality development is closely linked to the development of bays. In Bajiao Bay, high-tech industrial parks and trillion-level industrial clusters are rapidly developing, with the five leading industries gaining momentum. Landmark buildings are continuously emerging, including Yantai International Wine City, Jiao Dong Digital Economy and Ecological Industrial Park and the Bajiao Bay International Convention and Exhibition Center. Top-tier institutions have been contracted to carry out integrated protective enhancement planning and construction for Bajiao Bay Beach, the coastline, and the coastal defense forest. Efforts are ongoing to improve functional facilities, enhance the aesthetic quality, and establish an internationally renowned, domestically first-class golden coastline.
