Nestled at the foot of Mount Taimu in Fuding, a coastal city in Fujian province, Ningde Nuclear Power Base is surrounded on three sides by the vast blue sea.
The first phase of the Ningde nuclear project, operated by China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN), featuring four units, was fully completed in July 2016, with a cumulative electricity output exceeding 290 billion kilowatt hours. The second phase officially commenced construction in July this year, utilizing China's independent third-generation nuclear technology, Hualong One, with each unit expected to generate nearly 10 billion kilowatt hours annually – enough to meet the annual electricity needs of one million people.
From the 88-meter-high observation platform at the nuclear power base, visitors can see not only the four million-kilowatt nuclear reactors aligned in a row but also a lush green tea garden across the road. Fuding is the birthplace of white tea and Ningde Power Base is unique as the only nuclear facility in the world with a white tea garden, which has been preserved since the plant's inception, covering nearly 200 acres.
From the 88-meter-high observation platform at the nuclear power base, visitors can see not only the four million-kilowatt nuclear reactors aligned in a row but also a lush green tea garden across the road. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
In addition, there are approximately 82 bird species, 14 amphibian species, 20 reptile species and 11 mammal species in the area surrounding the nuclear base.
Since 2009, Ningde has entrusted the maintenance of the tea garden and orchard, as well as tea harvesting and production, to a company formed by members of the local community, creating jobs and a stable income for more than 200 locals.
The harmonious coexistence of nature and industry, and the integration of natural beauty with industrial progress, is vividly showcased at the Ningde Nuclear Power Base and the white tea garden.
(Executive editor: Zhu Zeya)
