Aerial photo taken on March 16, 2021 shows the scenery of Baiyangdian Lake in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province. The Xiong'an New Area has begun its large-scale development and construction, with more than 100,000 constructors working on over 120 major projects in the area. The "city of the future" is greeting a brand new look day by day. (Xinhua/Mu Yu)

Thanks to the restoration efforts, the lake has expanded to about 290 sq km and the water quality of its central area has improved from Class V, the worst level in China's water quality grading system, to Class IV, according to Cheng Gang, a researcher with Xiong'an's ecology and environment bureau.

It is Baiyangdian's best water quality in the past decade, Cheng said.

According to the Xiong'an development plan, forests, greenery and water bodies will make up 70 percent of the city's total area.

"Environmental protection has always been a priority in the construction of Xiong'an," Cheng said, adding that a liveable environment will help Xiong'an attract more talented people. 

(Xinhua reporters Wang Wenhua, Zhang Tao, Qin Jing and Du Yifang contributed to this story; video editor: Hong Yan; video reporter: Zhang Shuo.)