Beijing's forest coverage rate to reach 45 percent in 2025

Beijing，China's capital city will continue to increase its green space, aiming to raise the forest coverage rate to 45 percent by 2025, the Beijing Municipal Forestry and Parks Bureau said.

Beijing plans to add 200 hectares of parkland while building another 1,000 kilometers of greenway in 2025, said Lin Jinwen, deputy director of the bureau.

Official figures showed that the city's forest coverage rate has risen from 38.6 percent in 2012 to 44.9 percent, and urban afforestation coverage has reached 49.8 percent.

Currently, Beijing has 1,065 parks, with the per capita coverage of green space measuring 16.9 square meters.

"The city will be built into a garden city nestled in forests, better supporting its goal to become a world-class, harmonious, and livable metropolis," Lin noted.

(Cover: The Mutianyu Great Wall surrounded by colorful trees. /CFP)