The Ministry of Natural Resources recently announced the 2025 national model cases for marine ecological conservation and restoration, selecting 15 exemplary projects across the country. Among them, the Qingdao Blue Valley Marine Ecological Restoration Project was named as a national model.

Located on the western shore of the Yellow Sea in Jimo District, Qingdao Blue Valley boasts 43.9 kilometers of coastline that has suffered from extensive marine exploitation since the 1980s with nearshore waters polluted by riverine runoff and aquaculture discharge. This led to a decline in coastal ecological functions, reduced disaster resilience, loss of marine biodiversity, erosion of beach resources, and limited public access to the sea—posing dual challenges to ecological protection and public well-being. Supported by central government funding for marine ecological restoration, Qingdao Blue Valley launched a comprehensive environmental remediation initiative in 2019 to restore public access to the coastline and revitalize the marine environment. The project pioneered an integrated restoration model characterized by “multi-plan coordination, land-sea integration, island-coast synergy, and human-ocean harmony,” becoming a benchmark for marine ecological restoration in Qingdao.

Over the years, Qingdao Blue Valley has undergone a strategic transformation—from reactive remediation to proactive restoration, and from fragmented efforts to systematic protection—guided by a series of high-standard plans. These include the Qingdao Territorial Spatial Ecological Restoration Plan (2021–2035), the Master Plan for the Core Area of Qingdao Blue Silicon Valley (2013–2030), and the Qingdao Blue Valley Natural Shoreline Restoration and Aoshan Bay Comprehensive Management Plan (2016–2020). In implementation, these projects emphasized on integrated land-sea planning and source-based pollution control. Key actions included the rehabilitation of four major rivers—such as Gaoshan River—that discharge into the sea, and the removal of approximately 89 hectares of illegal aquaculture operations that had encroached on the natural shoreline and polluted marine waters. These efforts have helped restore the coastline's natural form and ecological function. The initiative also featured an integrated "coastline+island" restoration approach, including the construction of sloped revetments to enhance the disaster resilience of offshore islands. Qingdao Blue Valley also developed public waterfront amenities such as coastal plazas, beach parks, viewing bridges, landscaped gardens, and essential public facilities to complementing these ecological efforts—achieving a seamless blend of ecological integrity and scenic beauty, resulting in an all-new coastal landscape defined by lush shores, picturesque bays, verdant islands, and harmonious city-ocean integration.

Since the launch of the ecological restoration project in 2019, the marine environment of Qingdao Blue Valley has seen continuous improvement with the area of Class I seawater quality steadily expanding and the nearshore waters have consistently maintaining a 100% excellent water quality rate. The number of plankton species has risen from 105 to 176 around Xiaoguan Island, marking a significant increase in marine biodiversity. At the same time, the marine cultural and tourism industries have flourished, where over 11 million tourists were recorded to have visited the region in 2024—an increase of approximately 1.5 million compared to 2018—while tourism revenue reached 14 billion yuan, up about 8.6% from 2018. As ecological conditions and public services have significantly improved, Qingdao Blue Valley has attracted many leading marine industries and research institutions, securing more than 100 billion yuan in investment across signed projects over the past three years, emerging as a compelling example of how ecological restoration and economic development can advance in harmony.