With the construction of a 103.98-kilometer urban greenbelt along the Pearl River and other tributaries, Guangzhou is advancing toward its goal of becoming a green city.

The city government issued a blueprint Sunday of its urban greenway construction strategy, which features the protection of the river’s ecological environment and the improvement of living conditions.

The blueprint shows that all greenways along the water network within the city will be completed this year. That includes projects along the Pearl River, Liuxi River, and Zengjiang River, as well as dozens of lakes. Altogether, the greenways will stretch more than 100 kilometers, according to the city's Municipal River Chief Bureau.

The greenway plan takes into consideration the varied ecological resources of the Pearl River system and classifies the greenways into four categories – urban, town, rural, and natural. Each category will be designed in harmony with relevant cultural elements to create a unique "greenness" experience for both residents and visitors. Meanwhile, transportation facilities will be added to make the greenways more accessible.

Guided by the conviction that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, the city advocates harmonious coexistence between humans and nature and sticks to the path of green and sustainable development.

Guangzhou has 1,368 river courses with a total length of about 5,500 kilometers; 368 reservoirs; 12 major regulating storage lakes; 247 parks; and 3,500 kilometers of finished greenways. The city has water surface rate of 10.15 percent, and the forest coverage rate has reached 42.31 percent.

The city will complete the construction of a high-quality greenway network system by 2022, including all stretches and branches alongside rivers and lakes.