In 2000, when Longfor began to build the Xiangzhanglin Villa along the north bank of Jiulong Lake, there is a flock of egrets living in the wild erythrina and bamboo forests. However, egrets were startled due to the noise of the construction machine, the reconstruction of riverside revetment, and the destruction of natural plants. Longfor set up a multi-disciplinary working group immediately to protect and maintain the microecology around the lake through several measures. Egrets were back again after they have been gone for three years.

1. Maintain and protect the wild erythrina and bamboo forests along the waterfront, since they are home to egrets.

2. Plant more than hundreds of trees, shrubs, and ground-covers plants in the middle and upper course of the Yangtze River, such as Camphora, Phoebe zhennan, Ginkgo, red plum blossom tree from Moshan, magnolia, golden osmanthus fragrans, osmanthus fragrans, osmanthus fragrans var. semperflorens, lily magnolia, Yulan magnolia, Michelia champaca, Magnolia grandiflora, Magnolia Black Tulip, jacaranda, silk tree, sweetgum, red maple, Japanese maple, and Chinese tulip tree. These plants can also feed egrets with their fruits. Plant diversity can reduce plant diseases and insect pests, lower maintenance costs, and cut down on chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

3. Design the biological purification scheme based on the water quality of Jiulong Lake, drive non-powered boats on the lake to salvage weeds and leaves; terminate the fishing business in the reservoir and stop the behavior of feeding to reduce eutrophication; separate the rainwater and sewage by diverting the sewage into wastewater treatment plant through the municipal pipe network, and the rainwater into the lake after filtration in the grit chamber; develop the gravel-based filtering sewer on the bank to filter water which penetrates through the surface soil before they flow into the lake.

4. Cultivate tens of thousands of fish fry every year since grass carp consume floating plants while silver carp eat plankton, and also hold fishing festival among the community in autumn so that the lake can be cleaned naturally.

5. Dig out the mud around the lake, build stone revetment and change the original waterfront ecology according to the habits of egrets; arrange stones beside the water so that egrets will not be submerged when standing in the water to prey; plant emergent and floating plants that are conducive to the reproduction of small fishes, shrimps, and snails, to establish an ecological environment with food and inhabiting plants available to egrets.

Longfor's Xiangzhanglin Villa Area in Chongqing

Thanks to the concerted efforts of the team, in 2004, as the Xiangzhanglin Villa was completed, egrets, which were driven away for 3 years by the construction, also returned and continued to live in the forest.