From black to green

In addition to cutting industrial capacity in sectors such as coal and steel, Tangshan's resource-based companies have been urged to adopt new, advanced methods to cut pollution and attempt to realize green production.

From 2013 to last year, the city slashed nearly 80 million tons in iron and steel production capacity, dismantled and sealed off 147 converters and furnaces, and closed small polluting factories. The number of iron and steel companies in the city has been cut by one-third, from 58 in 2012 to 38 last year.

Over the past two years, in addition to achieving zero discharge of wastewater, Tangsteel has invested 2.7 billion yuan in a number of projects aimed at reducing emissions and saving energy, which has realized ultralow emissions in all production lines. The company also took the initiative in cutting carbon monoxide emissions.

"Tangsteel has been pursuing green transformation to realize green manufacturing," said Wang, the company chairman.

Last year, Tangshan's average density of PM2.5, fine particulate matter that can enter the bloodstream via the lungs, was 60 micrograms per cubic meter, a fall of 9.1 percent from 2017. This year, the city is targeting a 5 percent fall in PM2.5 density.

This month, a greening project, "The Tangshan Sea of Flowers" in Kaiping district, will open to the public as part of the city's efforts to restore the damaged environment and develop tourism.

Nanhu area in the downtown used to be an untreated mined-out area and a fetid garbage dump. After major restoration efforts, it has become a scenic park where visitors are admitted free of charge. Last year, it received 4.8 million visitors.

"We will make Nanhu an attractive and dynamic zone, and an emerging growth point to serve the city's strategic transformation," said Xue Shaojiang, an official with the Tangshan Culture and Tourism Group, a company devoted to the development of the city's tourism sector.

Wang Jianhua, Cao Guochang and Gao Bo contributed to the story.