THE city is planning to protect the Dagu River. According to the plan, Qingdao plans to build the Dagu River area into an ecological, modern and scenic agricultural area. The top priority is water safety. The underground water of the area will be used as drinking water and the river water will be used for agriculture and industry. Central commercial districts will also be built in towns and villages in the area. The area will become a leading modern agricultural base in Shandong Province, particularly in planting fruit and vegetables. More trading markets will be built in the area. The area will also develop its tourism industry, attracting visitors to experience modern villages and natural scenery. The Dagu River is the biggest river on Jiaodong Peninsula. Its main stream flows about 179.9 kilometers and covers an area of around 6,100 square kilometers. Outside the city proper, there are 50 towns and 2,513 villages with a total population of 2.4 million along the river. It is also the main production base for the city’s fruit and vegetables. With two big reservoirs and seven small reservoirs, it is the biggest water base in Qingdao. (Wang Yuanyuan, Cui Wu) | 