Officials in Chongming County hope the island will become one of the most attractive places in Shanghai in 15 years.
By 2020, Chongming Island will be built into the most beautiful garden island on the sea, with a nice environment, reputed scenic spots for entertainment and relaxation and developed environmentally friendly industries, according to the county's ambitious blueprint.
They add that the term "ecological island" means a balance of nature, society and economy.
"Chongming, boasting vast wetlands, plains and forests, concentrated rivers and a natural bird preserve, has many advantages to achieve the balance," said Sun Lei, director of the county.
When it is built, it will present a garden-like island with natural and artificial forests, an ideal residential island with use of unpolluted resources, a tourist island with specially designed tourist projects and theme parks and an island gathering scientific research institutes and headquarters of large enterprises, officials said.
"Some international theme park owners are interested in setting up parks on the island. We also believe the good environment can attract enterprises that prefer to locate their office buildings in the green suburbs," said Chu Yilin, the county's deputy director.
To achieve the long-term goal, Chongming is working hard to plant more forests. Last year, 2,667 hectares of forest was added and the forest cover rate reached 16.8 percent.
By 2020, half of the 1,200-square-kilometer island will be covered with forests. Along the island's 230-kilometer bank, a shelter belt around the island will be built.
Two forests will be created near the East Coast and the Pearl Lake in the western island.
Forest belts will also be built around the island's canal, major roads and towns. Besides, four forest parks, featuring the four seasons, are expected to be erected in the island, covering an area from 60 to 75 square kilometers each.
While setting up forests, those natural resources, including the wetlands, migratory birds and Chinese sturgeons, also need good protection.
At present, Chongming owns 734.8 square kilometers of wetlands, accounting for 31.8 percent of the city's total natural wetlands. About 90 percent of the island's wetlands are located in the East Coast and it is still extending to the east every year.
According to the records, 1,088 bird species live in Chongming. Every year about 3 million migratory birds will spend the winter on the island, including swans, cranes and wild ducks.
Meanwhile, the Yangtze River mouth where the East Coast lies is also an important area for baby Chinese sturgeons, an endangered fish under the state's strictest protection. Therefore, the county government stipulates that any activities that may harm the Chinese sturgeon, birds and ecological environment be banned along the East Coast.