Recently, the Shihe River section from Haigang District to Shanhaiguan District in Qinhuangdao City was awarded the honorary title of the 2nd Hebei Province “Beautiful Rivers and Lakes”.
The reporter visited this river section to see how the “river chiefs” guarded this beautiful river.
It is hot in Qinhuangdao in late May, and the highest outdoor temperature is close to 30 degrees Celsius.
Li Chunliang, village-level river chief in Liuwafang Village, Haigang District, Qinhuangdao City, is patrolling along the banks of the Shihe River as usual, “I report on River Chief Cloud APP if something is wrong.” Li said.
At the foot of the green hills, Li Chunliang walked along the emerald embankment, taking record with his mobile phone.
“The water is getting clear and the environment is getting better through our concerted efforts, and birds come for breeding, we are pleased to see that.” said Li Chunliang.
53-year-old Meng Xianman, secretary of the party branch and head of Houzhuang Village, Shanhaiguan District, more than 30 kilometers downstream of Liuwafang Village, Haigang District, is patrolling the river as the river chief. He stopped from time to time and looked into the river.
The Shihe River looks like a beautiful scroll matching very well the blue sky and clear waters. Photo by Wu Peijian/ The Great Wall Network
Meng Xianman has served as the village-level river chief since 2017, being responsible for about 2 kilometers of the river. He sticks to his post in despite of the cold winter and scorching summer.
Meng Xianman said that before the implementation of the river chief system, Shihe River was messy. The river chief system and continuous ecological management make Shihe River a beautiful landscape in Shanhaiguan.
“If you come one month earlier, you would have viewed the winter jasmine blossom. Birds sing here and there, citizens came for walk, exercise, or entertainment. They are all satisfied with the environment, and I am happy too.”
Meng Xianman shows the “River Chief Cloud” APP. Photo by Wu Peijian/ The Great Wall Network
I grew up by the Shihe River, and now I have white hair on my temples. Said Meng Xianman, adding that people are becoming more and more conscious of protecting Shihe River. They have reached a consensus that guarding Shihe is guarding our home.
“It is my obligation and responsibility to guard our mother river, and we are all proud of this river.”
The Shihe river section from Haigang District to Shanhaiguan District is 80.5 kilometers long, including 67.5 kilometers in Haigang District, with 72 river chiefs at various levels; 13 kilometers in Shanhaiguan District, with 23 river chiefs at various levels.
The beautiful ecology of Shihe River attracts wild birds to inhabit. Photo by Wu Peijian/ The Great Wall Network
Nowadays, Shihe River is clear in which fish swim and birds forage. There are more than 20 varieties of wild fish and 380 wild birds, making it the best choice for residents to relax.
Ms. Wang, a citizen of Qinhuangdao who lives near the Shihe River, was taking her children for a walk along the river. Ms. Wang said, “When I am free, I will take my children out for a stroll. The environment gets better and more beautiful.”
Some excavators were working in the river bed of the lower reaches of the Shihe River. Hong Wei, director of the River Chief Service Center and the River Chief Office of Shanhaiguan District, said that this is a dredging project for the lower reaches of the Shihe River that started in mid-April this year with an investment of 10 million yuan.
“The reservoir has not released water due to the rare precipitation in the past two years, and there is some silt deposition at the bottom of the river, which will affect the water quality. In order to achieve the goal of achieving the water quality of class III or above, we launched this project. It will be completed by the end of May instead of the scheduled mid-June.”
Qinhuangdao City is working hard to build an excellent water ecological environment in Shihe River through guarding and repairing, and the water quality has remained above Grade III through out the year, and even Grade II in some periods.
International Channel
http://www.qhdnews.com/en/index/
International Channel Mobile Client
http://www.qhdnews.com/en/mobile
Chinese manuscript