This summer, the bright horse river is in flames.
After four years of governance, the Liangma River international waterfront has been completed and opened to ships. The originally broken and narrow riverside space is connected, and young and old like to come to see the scenery, fish and have picnics, and restaurants with different styles are also open lively.
Cultural flavor and fireworks are intertwined and blended on the golden waterfront of the capital.
"Rivers are precious resources of the city." Chaoyang District Party Secretary Wen Xian said, "We hope to explore the path of 'driven urban renewal with river rejuvenation', open up high-quality public spaces for citizens, and build an international and beautiful living room for the capital."
The picture shows the international style waterfront of Liangma River becoming a high-quality and vibrant space. Photo by Zhang Zhengye
The other name of Liangma River "Seine River in Beijing" is very resounding. What is the charm of this river? It’s better to come to the river by yourself than to have a walk around the river.
This is not a big river, but the walking paths by the river are very wide, and the busy and lively urban life has thus added a place to stay and rest. The young man sat on the ground, with sandwiches and coffee on the picnic table; the fishing man sat firmly under the shade of the tree and threw the fish hook into a graceful arc; the child was wearing roller skates and practicing bravely and carefully. Blonde and blue-eyed foreigners are also very common. Niche outdoor sports such as frisbee and paddleboards were brought to Liangmahe by them.
More people do nothing, just bask in the sun and blow the wind by the river. This is like the oil painting "Sunday afternoon on Big Bowl Island" by George Seurat - this world-famous painting depicts the summer on the banks of the Seine in Paris, France.
When the dusk dispels the heat, the Liangmahe has not returned to silence. The buildings on both sides of the strait were lit up by lights, and they were walking on the water on a sightseeing boat. The breeze, the sound of water, the shadow of lights, and the croaking of frogs one after another. When the two ships meet, people who have never met each other can't help but wave hello excitedly.
Perhaps this is the charm of this river: ecological, cultural, friendly, diverse, imaginative. It belongs to everyone and can carry different lifestyles without any sense of incongruity.
Li Zhanzhou lives by the river. Because of work reasons, he often runs through southern cities such as Suzhou and Shanghai, which are full of water, and is used to seeing all kinds of rivers, lakes and swamps. The Liangma River at the door of the house is neither wide nor long, but it is still a very unique existence.
In the evening when he was free, he liked to walk by the river, from west to east, and the situation around him was like the curtains and scenes of a drama. First, there were low-rise buildings of embassies in various countries in China, and faces from different countries appeared here, and then there were high-end hotels such as Bulgari. After crossing Yansha Bridge, a strong commercial atmosphere came to your face.
The distance between people and nature suddenly becomes closer here. "In many places, we can stand on bridges and look upstairs, but we can't stand on the shore. The high and steep dam separates the river from people's lives." Li Zhanzhou said that the Liangma River is different. The reeds grow taller than people, and are lush at the intersection of the water banks. The trail is close to the river. You can touch the water surface by squatting down. River protection is not hard concrete. The six-diamond fish nest bricks are linked together, plant species can take root, and fish eggs also have a shelter.
A picture is always imprinted in his mind. A few months ago, on a late spring day, the afternoon sun shone slanted, and the peach blossoms by the river were blooming, two bicycles were parked under the trees, the children were playing and the parents were chatting. This is an extremely rare pastoral pastoral song in a bustling city.
Citizens linger on the riverside trail. Photo by Zhang Zhengye
through urban renewal to dig the river value
in Beijing, and the second Liangma River can no longer be found.
400 more than 400 rivers lie across the capital. The water of Yongding gave birth to Beijing Bay, and the Grand Canal of was once a thousand miles away, but they were all too far from the central city and almost flowed by the edge of the city. Tongzi River and Sanli River are located in the city center, but their size is obviously insufficient. Qinghe, Liangshuihe is not far or near, but the basin is too vast and the landscape is single.
Only Liangma River has unique location and rich landscape.
The source of Liangma is a branch of the Northeast moat. It travels through the second and third embassy areas, bringing together several business districts of Sanlitun, Yansha, and Blue Port, and the largest urban park within the Fourth Ring Road - Chaoyang Park. After drawing a thin 10-kilometer arc, it finally merged into the Bahe River.
's special status in the window of foreign exchanges has made Liangma River always the focus of water control in the city and a pioneer of new technologies and new concepts.
An "old water conservancy" told reporters that in 1998, they built a pole-tied arch bridge in the section of Shengfu Building in Liangmahe. This kind of bridge was rare in China at that time. The designers spent a lot of effort to learn from foreign experience. The effect after completion is also quite good, and the mesh arch design is very fashionable. At the beginning of this century, the concept of ecological river management had not yet been popularized, and Liangma River tried to plant water lily, calamus and other plants to improve the river's self-purification ability. During the management in 2007, a "large-scale color brush" was installed in the river on the west side of Yansha Bridge. This new group of landscapes consists of 150 steel bars more than 6 meters high, painted with colorful luminous paint, and is still a landmark landscape in the embassy area.
In addition to the water conservancy function, Liangma River seems to appear a bit mediocre. Like many rivers, it has many problems such as the decay of waterfront landscapes and waste of land resources. "Everyone knows that there is such a river, but I think it's just a small river." Zhu Qingwei came to Liangma River for the first time 20 years ago. "There are not even fishing by the river. Because there are all earth slopes next to it, which are very steep and can't sit still."
In recent years, the city has moved from incremental development to the stage of stock renewal, making the existing space practical and full of vitality, testing the wisdom of urban governance.
"The location of Liangma River determines its value. We hope to explore this value through urban renewal and provide the best space to citizens, tourists and businesses." Chaoyang District Party Secretary Wen Xian said that in 2018, Liangma River solicited landscape design plans from the world, and an urban renewal around the river officially began.
breaks the governance model of segmentation of blocks and
10 kilometers of river patrol road, and Wang Chengzhi, deputy director of Chaoyang District Water Affairs Bureau, walked back and forth countless times. "Look, the river is so comfortable and beautiful now." He sighed: "In the past, it was very messy, and there were three iron fences alone."
Each fence represents a management entity. The first fence is 8 meters away from the river bank and is under the jurisdiction of the water affairs department; the second fence is surrounded by a 30-meter-wide green belt, which is dominated by the landscaping department; the third fence marks the red line of the building, and the company has absolute say.
In fact, this is a problem facing all river management projects. Although the basin is a whole, the management system is rigid, and the ownership of the upstream and downstream, left and right banks, and main and tributaries is different. Dividing and conquering will inevitably lead to spatial fragmentation and landscape fragmentation.
The water affairs department is worried that the person in charge of the Qihao Building, a coastal enterprise, came to the door. "The company wanted to transform the landscape within the red line, but it was still in the design stage. We solicited our opinions in the hope of unifying the style with the waterfront coastline." Wang Chengzhi recalled that the company's approach immediately awakened them, "We should break the management model of segmentation and each management, and everyone should participate in the governance together." The three fences in front of the door of
Qihao were all demolished, and a small parking lot was cleared out, leaving a total of 4,500 square meters of space freed up, and created by top international designers, so that water, buildings and greening could be seamlessly connected. Soon after, a colorful open park, , was completed. Reeds and calamus stood by the river. A few meters away were weeping willows, followed by Chinese locustard, ingot maple and oil pine with different postures. All kinds of flowers and trees grow freely, like a forest that is integrated.
High-level coordination and government-enterprise cooperation have become a new path for Liangmahe River governance. 22 social units along the route, and various government departments in Chaoyang District are united -
Water Affairs Bureau is responsible for river management, Landscaping Bureau planting flowers and grass, Transportation Commission demolishes and builds bridges, Urban Management Commission conducts night lighting, SASAC operates routes, and 3 streets of Maize Store, Zuojiazhuang , and Sanlitun are responsible for contacting and coordinating enterprises.
"What we do is a bit like the media pulling fiber. One end is the government and the other end is the enterprise. We have both common interests and their own ideas. We have to discuss back and forth to balance it." A relevant person in charge of Maizidian Street said, "Take night lighting as an example. To install light strips on 35 buildings along the coast, it is very likely to move the waterproof layer, and maybe the original building style will change. This cannot be solved by the government's order."
21st Century Building is more than 20 stories high and is a key building of the Liangmahe night lighting project. Creating a stylish waterfront is a good thing. The company supports it with both hands. The biggest concern is that the brickwork on the facade of the building has long been stopped. If the light strip is damaged during construction, it is difficult to find the same model for repair.
stupid method is sometimes the best way. The government departments have found the most reliable design and construction units, surveyed the site again and again, and measured each brick repeatedly. In the final construction, extremely high-standard lighting technology was used.
Bright night in Mahe. Photo by Zhang Zhengye
Leave the best space for citizens
When Wang Lifei first participated in the landscape design work of Liangmahe, he would never have thought that she and her colleagues would put so much energy into this project.
Her AECOM is a world-renowned design company that has conducted design projects for waterfront spaces such as Jinji Lake in Suzhou and Dasha River in Shenzhen. "The first time I met such a 'weird' Party A," she joked that the government departments in Chaoyang District followed from beginning to end, not only looking at the drawings, but also repeatedly considering the details. "We joked that they are the 'three most' Party A: the most attendances, the most adjustments to the plan, and the most responsible attitude." How meticulous is
?
For example, the handrail by the river is not horizontal and vertical, but is slightly tilted downward by 13 degrees. After each degree is tested, it is finally found that it is the most comfortable for people to lean on this angle. For example, the shoreline steps are slightly lowered from the initial 55 cm and finally frozen at 45 cm, because this is the most comfortable height when people sit down with their knees.
The feelings of small animals have also been taken into consideration. The spacing of conventional street lights is generally 17 meters, but Liangmahe does not stick to the rules. Without affecting traffic, turn the lights to a little dim or darker. The two workers each carried a lamp pole and walked in the opposite direction. The darkest part where the light shadows overlapped was recorded - a pole 27 meters was enough.
needs to be beautiful, fashionable, and have a sense of design. Take the 24 river-crossing bridges as an example. They are definitely not common in northern rivers. Four pillars are just poking into the water. Each bridge has its own characteristics, some have mirror reflections, some have illuminated wires, and some have shining like the "Starry Sky" by Van Gogh .
Everything pursues high standards, everything strives for perfection. Liangmahe wants to leave the best space for the city and the citizens.
Adhering to openness and publicness is the consistent construction principle of Liangmahe’s international style waterfront. In the past, the riverside space was messy and depressing, and anyone who wanted to occupy a piece of it could do it. There were merchants who set up several small tables for the exterior, and many companies built illegal small houses, and there were more than 1,600 parking spaces for enclosing and parking. Not to mention the kitchen in the restaurant, the smoke exhaust pipe burst into smoke at one side of the river. The riverside trail was once very narrow, and some sections of the road even had to be careful to squeeze through.
The total area of Liangma River International Style Waterfront is 800,000 square meters, of which 75% of the public spaces available for citizens to relax. There are river sections with kindergartens, children's climbing walls have been built, and river sections with old communities have many fitness facilities. The Binhe Greenway winds from Dongzhimenwaixi Street to the Fourth Ring Road, connecting with Chaoyang Greenway, and the space under the bridge is also opened. People who walk along the river do not have to cross municipal roads anymore.
If the company used to be facing the river, then now the Liangma River has become beautiful, and the company has turned around to embrace it, wherever it is facing the river, the rent is the highest.
More stories are happening
Watch the beautiful sunset in the deck restaurant, and the social network is popular this summer.
Deck Restaurant is located on a foliage-shaped hydrophilic platform. In 2003, Zhu Qingwei began to participate in the operation.
deck restaurant. Photo by Wang Wennan
Almost no one understands his decision.20 years ago, it was still very deserted outside the Third Ring Road in Beijing, and the Liangma River was slight stench, and it was still five years before the opening of Blue Harbor . "Many rivers in Beijing are smelly, so the water edges are very depressed." Zhu Qingwei said that at the end of the last century, he traveled to many European and American countries and saw a completely opposite scene. Take the Seine River as an example. He rafted through ancient bridges, passing through classical buildings on both sides, including Baroque style and Gothic style. Linhe shops operated paintings, books, and snacks, and some were opened for hundreds of years.
Zhu Qingwei stubbornly looked at Liangmahe: "Beijing is a water-scarce city, and waterfront space is very precious. As long as the government can manage the river well, this place will definitely be the most golden area in the future."
His vision was not disappointed.
The markets are often prosperous along the rivers, and the same is true for the Liangma River today. With the completion of the charming waterfront, the small doors of the beef noodle , bun shops and other small shops on the riverside have quietly withdrawn, and the bagel shops, cafes, and taverns have opened one after another. Maizidian Street has also specially standardized the outer placement for the store, is high-end, atmospheric and high-end , and even the ordinary string of red in the flower box is replaced with gorgeous beef dishes.
The most famous shopping mall on the riverside - SOLANA Blue Harbor , changes are also happening. When Liangma River built a charming waterfront, a new circular bridge was built in the southeast corner of Blue Port, where few tourists were involved, called "Blue Harbor Fish Watching". People look at the railings on the bridge, and the fish swimming in the lake and wild ducks on the shore are all vividly visible, which complements the business around the lake. A small change has revitalized this deserted area. It is common for young parents to bring their children to feed fish. There is also an Michelin -star restaurant that has also settled.
"Urban renewal is not only a hardware transformation, but also increases everyone's yearning for a better life." Zhang Xiaofei, general manager of Blue Harbor Business Management, told reporters that the government departments have done a good job in Liangmahe's infrastructure, which invisibly forces business quality to upgrade and continuously meet people's life and leisure needs. "In the future, we will also build a water-view garden-style whole food block by the lake to upgrade the parent-child interactive space."
In the overall commercial planning of Chaoyang District, Liangmahe will become an important commercial belt in the future. The shade of the tree and the river are like pearl lines, which runs through shopping malls such as Taikoo Li, Yansha, Blue Port, Yiti Port, , Langyuan Station, etc.
This is the story of a river. This is the story of how it returns to the city and serves the citizens.
At the river, on the bridge, in these ancient and brand new public spaces, more beauty is being nurtured and more stories are happening.
(Original title: A comprehensive sample of urban renewal to improve the core functions of the capital - Liangmahe butterfly transformation)
Source: Beijing Daily Reporter: Zhu Songmei
Process Editor: U063
