Houses alongside the commercial street in Chunhu town of Fenghua district, Ningbo are painted with different colors. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

Pictures of a colorful street in Ningbo recently went viral on WeChat, a popular Chinese social media platform, demonstrating the success of local environmental management efforts.

The 560-meter-long street is located in Chunhu town, Fenghua district, Ningbo, a place known for its robust fishing industry. It is the main commercial street of the town, with over 300 shops on both sides.

Renovations on the street, which were carried out for environmental reasons, began in July 2017 and were completed in May 2019, said Zhang Haishan, a government official in Chunhu.

Emulating the design style of Italy's Cinque Terre (the Five Lands), which is famous for five vividly colored fishing villages, the local government painted houses with different colors and decorated windows with plants.

Over the past three years, the town has invested 210 million yuan ($30.56 million) in 49 environment-related projects and created its own style using local cultural elements, according to Teng Xiaojun, mayor of the town.

The new look has helped attract investments from big companies, including China CYTS Tours Holding Co Ltd and China Yintai Holdings Co Ltd, Teng said. A slew of agreements have been signed to develop the town's culture and tourism industry and revitalize rural areas.

The director said the environmental improvements have led to a boost in all-for-one tourism, which refers to the development of a certain tourism destination through the integration of different resources. With the establishment of an ocean park, the town is expected to receive more than 300,000 tourists a year.

Windows are decorated with plants. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]