An aerial view of Dongkeng town in Jingning She autonomous county, Lishui, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

Dongkeng town in Jingning She autonomous county, Lishui, Zhejiang province was awarded the title of provincial "Garden City" of 2023, according to evaluation results recently released by the province's Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. It is the only town in Lishui to receive this honor.

Situated in the southeast of Jingning, Dongkeng covers an area of 173 square kilometers, encompassing 10 administrative villages. It has a total population of 8,680, including 1,900 people belonging to the She ethnic group, accounting for 21 percent of the population.

Dongkeng adheres to differentiated development principles in the construction of the garden city, building itself into a living museum of agricultural civilization and covered bridge culture. It also preserves old trees, ancient bridges, and historical buildings as a means to excavate and inherit its cultural characteristics.

The town features several distinct functional areas, each reflecting styles from various periods, including the late Qing Dynasty (1840-1912), the Republic of China period (1912-1949), the 1960s, and the 1990s.

Dongkeng initiated the construction of the provincial garden city in 2020. To date, the built-up area of the garden city has reached 1.17 square kilometers, with an 87.8 percent greening rate for roads and 94.2 percent for rivers and waters.

Dongkeng has progressively evolved into a small yet meticulously crafted garden within Jingning She autonomous county.