A bird's-eye view of the scenery along Hutuo River in the northern area of Shijiazhuang, Hebei province. [Photo by Liang Zidong/For chinadaily.com.cn]

Standing at a pavilion atop a hill, Zhai Xinjian took in a broad view — a wide running river, with greenbelts of grass and trees decorating its banks.

"Seeing this, I felt relaxed and happy," the 42-year-old resident of Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, said, adding that it's hard to find a place like this inside the city.

He was standing at Lansheng Pavilion on Wohu mountain, which was transformed from a hill filled with garbage in the past.

The mountain is located inside Taiping River Urban Area, an area that's undergoing development in northern Shijiazhuang. It is to be developed into a pilot and demonstration zone for the city's development strategy — yonghefazhan, or development around rivers.

The Hutuo River is known as the city's mother river, while the Taiping is a downstream tributary. The area is located at the intersection of the two rivers, said Ren Minghui, deputy general manager of the Shijiazhuang Urban Development Investment Group Co, which is developing the area with multiple projects.

Covering 5.53 square kilometers, the area will be built into a quality residential area, along with public cultural venues, including a museum, an art gallery, a concert hall and tourist-targeted hotels and commercial streets.

In the future, it will bring in cultural elements, sports, medical care, elderly care, commerce and green space leisure to achieve a full coverage for high-quality life, Ren said.

An aerial view of the Taiping River in northern Shijiazhuang, Hebei province [Photo by Liang Zidong/For chinadaily.com.cn]

The Taiping River Urban Area in northern Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, can be seen from Lansheng Pavilion on Wohu Mountain. [Photo by Zhang Yu/For chinadaily.com.cn]

Editor: Mi Wenting