Workers putting the finishing touches to an area near the south city wall, on Oct 11. [Photo by Sun Haijun/dtnews.cn]

Construction work on a park that runs alongside the south wall of the city of Datong, Shanxi province is almost complete as part of a civil engineering project to improve the landscape all around the city, which has aroused a great deal of anticipation among the city's residents.

Gardeners were still busy planting trees, on Oct 12, with the project manager saying that the work needed to be finished before winter comes. The greenery in fact takes the local cold, dry weather in the city into account by using cold resistant vegetation. In addition, road paving and parking lot construction are finished while work on an artificial lake, antique shopping street, and the city moat are still underway, as are facilities inside the park, including winding lanes and a recreation square.

Work continues on city walls to the north, west and east and, by the time it's completed, the whole city will take on an entirely new look, giving prominence to the heritage while providing greater convenience to local people, especially for relaxation.