Originating from the Guancen Mountain in Ningwu county, the 716-kilometer Fenhe River is the mother river of Shanxi.
After decades of environmental protection efforts, the Fenhe River is now a major attraction in Taiyuan city.
The 716-kilometer-long Fenhe River in Shanxi has been a symbol of the province for thousands of years.
Running through 29 counties and districts of six cities, the river is the second-largest tributary of the Yellow River.
Since residents began using the Fenhe to irrigate farmlands on both banks more than two millennia ago, the river has played an important role in nurturing the local economy and culture.
However, with the development of an economy reliant on coal mining and heavy industries, the river has suffered severe pollution over recent decades.
Local authorities' recent efforts in shifting its economy toward high-quality and environmentally friendly growth have given new vitality to the river, once again making it an attraction in the province.
In Taiyuan, the provincial capital of Shanxi, the river runs through the city from the north to the east and acts as a greenbelt.
With shaded paths, long cycleways and parks, riverside areas have become an attractive destination for sightseeing, relaxing and recreation.
Wang Fang, a local resident, is a frequent visitor to the river's banks. She likes to walk slowly along the river and take pictures of the landscape.
"As a huge sightseeing belt is developed along the river, I visit here almost twice a day-doing exercise in the morning and taking a walk in the evening," Wang said.
Yang Wei, a cycling enthusiast, described the changes he had seen at the river over the decades.
"The Fenhe River area was an unpleasant place some 20 years ago.
"It smelled badly as garbage was littered and wastewater was discharged into the almost-dry river. As there were no trees and grass along the river, the area was often covered in dust in springtime.
"Nobody would like to cycle or walk along the river," Yang said.
But then it began to improve at the end of the 1990s. The most radical changes took place three years ago.
"Now, there is more water in the river. The water is clean, the sky is blue and the air is fresh," Yang said.
According to local officials, the government began its river-cleaning program in 1998.
Chen Erdong, board chairman of Taiyuan Water Utilities Group, said:"As polluting enterprises were shut down and more projects were built for solid waste and wastewater treatment, the pollution of the river was effectively curbed in 2017."
In that same year, the city government began a greening and landscaping project for the river.
"At present, the average width of water in the river is about 300 meters. And there are two 150-mwide greenbelts on both banks,"Chen said.
He noted that the greenbelts are composed of trees, grasses and aquatic plants, which offer a habitat for more than 150 species of bird.
Now that the main waterway of the Fenhe has improved substantially, Chen said Taiyuan's new initiative is to improve the environment of its nine tributaries in the city.
Zhang Pengcheng, a cleaner working on the greenbelts, said what impressed him most is the growing awareness of environmental protection among visitors and residents.
"As more and more people stop littering, my job now becomes much easier.
"Having worked here for more than 10 years, I feel I am falling in love with the river," Zhang said.
By YUAN SHENGGAO
Guo Yanjie contributed to this story
山西路橋:黨建引領 建好“四好農村路”山西路橋建設集團黨委扎實開展“黨建質量提升年”,實施“六大工程”,立足“十四五”高質量、高速度、高效益發展的戰略基點,全面提高黨建質量和黨建引領發展水平,為打造“國內一流的交通基礎設施投資、建設、施工現代化企業集團”提供堅強政治保障。
常住人口3491萬 山西人口普查數據"出爐"山西省統計局向社會通報山西省第七次全國人口普查主要數據。數據顯示,山西省常住人口為34915616人,比2010年(第六次全國人口普查數據,下同)減少2.23%,年平均減少0.23%。山西省常住人口總量減少,主要受人口流動變化等因素影響。