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"Stinky Gutter" Transforms into City's "Green Corridor"

“Happy River and Lake”constructing project in Lishui has been selected as a typical case in China

Southern Daily News (Reporter Hu Yinghua, Correspondent Wang Xufeng) The Ministry of Water Resources recently announced a typical case of fully implementing the river and lake chief system in 2023. The typical case of "Happy Zhongshan River, Beautiful Qinhuai Source - Lishui District, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province inherits and promotes water culture to promote high-quality development of water conservancy" has been successfully selected, making it the only selected case in Jiangsu Province.

Zhongshan River is located in the central part of Lishui District. It is a tributary of the Qinhuai River that flows out of the southern source and passes through the urban area of Lishui. It was built in the early 1990s to solve urban flooding. The Zhongshan River runs through the urban area of Lishui in a "Z" shape and flows into the Qinhuai River through the Zhongshan River Sluice, with a length of 6.1 kilometers. Its tributaries include the Jinbi River, Chenpei River, moat, Nanmen River, and Airport Road Duhong Gully.

In early spring, following the Zhongshan River upstream, the Qinhuaiyuan Park in Lishui is like a jade embellishment on the riverbank. The park is filled with flowing water and vitality, making it a popular leisure destination for local residents. However, what many people do not know is that the Zhongshan River, which is now clear in water and green on banks, was once a "stinky water ditch". Due to long-term operation and inadequate management, the "river" was cut off and shrunk, and many areas of the river were recklessly cultivated and planted by nearby residents. Garbage was dumped at will, and wastewater was discharged directly into the river. The river was overgrown with weeds.

To improve the appearance of Zhongshan River, Lishui has comprehensively carried out a comprehensive water environment improvement project. "Since 2012, Lishui has invested nearly 1.5 billion yuan in comprehensive treatment of the upper and lower reaches, left and right banks of the Zhongshan River, including river embankment reinforcement, slope protection, river dredging, new Zhongshan River gates, rainwater and sewage diversion, comprehensive treatment of tributaries, construction of clear water channels, and expansion of the fourth phase of the Qinyuan Sewage Treatment Plant, among other key projects." Zhang Jinhua, director of the Lishui District River Chief System Management Center, introduced that around the goal of "happy river and lake", Lishui has delved deeper into the cultural and historical heritage of over 1400 years, leveraged its landscape resources with culture, and built a demonstration zone for happy rivers and lakes.

"Flowing water does not rot, and household hinges do not rot." In response to the problems of black and odorous water bodies and low inflow of water in the Zhongshan River, Lishui District has carried out dredging of the upstream section of the Zhongshan River and upgrading of the downstream section of the embankment, making the Zhongshan River more abundant. In two years, the "Clear Water Channel" project has been completed, diverting the water from Shijiu Lake into the urban river, achieving normal ecological replenishment of the urban river, constructing a complete urban river circulation water system, enhancing the self-purification ability of the water body, and making the Zhongshan River more active.

To improve the water environment and manage the onshore system in Lishui, on the one hand, we will plant aquatic plants in the river, improve the structure of the river's biological community, and make the Zhongshan River water "clean", achieving a beautiful urban river scenery of "fish flying shallow at the bottom and all things coexisting"; On the other hand, we will accelerate the rectification of over a thousand low-end, backward, and small scattered polluting enterprises on the shore, carry out investigations on river discharge outlets, establish identity signs for 1118 river discharge outlets in the entire region, implement grid based dynamic supervision, block the sources of water system pollution, and clean up the Zhongshan River.  

Cultural empowerment promotes harmony between people and water. In recent years, Lishui has delved deeper into the historical context of rivers and lakes, incorporating elements of the river chief system and water culture, creating multiple ecological parks and other waterfront landscapes and cultural nodes, including Qinhuaiyuan Park, Erliqiao Comprehensive Park, Daximen Park, etc. At the same time, combining the construction history, cultural inheritance, regional legends, classic stories and other elements of each bridge on the Zhongshan River, it has created the Yifeng Bridge with "Phoenix Dance in Nine Heavens, Phoenix Comes" and the "Dragon Vein Inheritance Yanzhi River Broken" The 12 cultural bridges, including the Longshan Bridge, recreate the history of Zhongshan's elegant charm and long cultural heritage, turning historical and cultural resources into cultural tourism resources. Nowadays, the Zhongshan River has clear water and green banks, making it suitable for living and sightseeing. It has become a beautiful "green corridor" in the urban area of Lishui and an important driving force for the high-quality development of Lishui.