Egrets inhabit Weijiadu, Lijiang River in the southern suburbs of Guilin. Picture provided by Publicity Department of Guilin Municipal Party Committee
Core reading
Guilin Scenery is the best in the world. However, the direct discharge of sewage and quarrying have also brought environmental problems such as deteriorating water quality and messy villages to Guilin. In recent years, when the underground has made up its mind to take measures to protect the mountains and rivers, it has promoted environmental governance in an all-round way and vigorously protected the ecological environment of the Lijiang River basin.
The river is green and the mountain is like a jade hairpin. When you come to Guilin, Guangxi, and look at the Lijiang River in front of you, it's hard not to be shocked by the beautiful scenery.
However, who would have thought that the Lijiang River has also experienced a series of environmental problems: water quality has deteriorated, and some water sources have become eutrophic; The mountain is damaged, and quarries are everywhere in karst landform; The environment is messy, which greatly affects the appearance of villages along the coast
In recent years, Guilin has made up its mind to take measures to strengthen the management of mountains and rivers and scientifically and systematically protect the ecological environment of the Lijiang River basin.
"The lake is clear, and it's back to its childhood appearance"
From the downtown of Guilin, go up the Lijiang River to Qingshitan Reservoir in Lingchuan County. This is one of the most important water sources of Lijiang River. "The water of the lake is clear, and it's back to its childhood appearance!" said Su Xidong, who lives in Meizi Nature Village, Wumei Village Committee, Gongping Township, the reservoir area.
Since 2000, pieces of cages have appeared on the water surface of the reservoir area. By 2013, the area has reached 314000 square meters. When fish are raised in cages, 392 farmers will put nearly 100 tons of feed into the reservoir every day.
Su Xidong has also joined the fish farming team. But gradually, he found that the green lion pool had changed color - the water was beginning to turn yellow, and it was also suffused with oil light. "At that time, the water was very dirty, and I dared not go barefoot in the water."
At the beginning of 2014, Qingshitan Reservoir completely banned cage fish culture. After landing, Su Xidong started breeding again. But the change of career was unsuccessful, because the Green Lion Pool has changed color again. One farm after another, some were built near the reservoir, some were built on the island in the reservoir, and black sewage flowed into the reservoir along the drainage ditch. "The smell is pungent. When driving through the reservoir, you should first close the doors and windows," said Su Xidong.
From 2019, 322 farms within 500 meters along the bank of the Qingshitan Reservoir will be demolished in the villages and towns around the reservoir area, and more than 55 million yuan of bonus and subsidy funds will be given to the farms for production transformation, encouraging villagers to develop modern, efficient and characteristic agriculture. This year, Su Xidong's 20000 stick shiitake mushrooms and 2 mu black skin chicken fir fungus can earn 100000 yuan. In May, another batch of delicate mushrooms will earn 30000 yuan more. Xu Hui, deputy head of Qingshitan Reservoir Management Station, said, "Not only are the villagers rich, but the quality of Qingshitan Reservoir has also improved."
Since 2015, Guilin has invested 6.2 billion yuan, focusing on a series of projects such as the protection of drinking water sources and the remediation of urban black and odorous water bodies. It has cleaned up and renovated cage fish culture in Qingshitan Reservoir, urban sections of the main stream of the Lijiang River, Taohua River and other waters, demolished 1120 livestock and poultry farms along the Lijiang River basin, and basically eliminated the black and odorous water bodies in the built areas. At present, the water quality of the Guokao section on the main stream of the Lijiang River has reached the national surface water quality standard of Class II all the year round. Guilin ranks the second in the country in the ranking of the water environmental quality of the national surface water assessment sections in cities at prefecture level and above in 2020 announced by the Ministry of Ecological Environment.
"The mine is green again, looking forward to the green shade in the future"
Not far from Lijiang River, there is an abandoned mine, located in Guilin Karst World Natural Heritage Site, which is rich in calcite. The quarried stones are used as toothpaste and other materials.
Mao Chunfa, the ecological administrator of the village committee of Anpeng Village, Lijia Village, Dabu Township, Yanshan District, said that seven years ago, he was a miner in this mine. He drilled, raked and transported the mountain day after day. The originally gentle slope was pulled out of a cliff. Large areas of rocks in the mining area are exposed, plants cannot grow, and water and soil loss is serious.
The local mines were quickly closed down, and related ecological restoration projects were also started. In order to ensure the authenticity of the karst landscape to the greatest extent, the local investment is 2 million yuan, and the method of stacking vegetation bags and covering soil planting is used for restoration. Local plants with high adaptability, fast growth and little maintenance, such as Luan tree, Kudzu vine, similar reed and Bamang, are widely planted. The lush plants cover the wound surface, and also attract many wild animals to multiply.
In recent years, Guilin has continued to implement the ecological landscape restoration project of Guilin Karst World Natural Heritage Site (Scenic Area), and completed the ecological restoration of 110000 square meters at 10 sites in Phase I and Phase II; The third phase of the project is planned to invest 20 million yuan to carry out systematic ecological restoration of 8 sites, which is expected to be completed in May this year. Today, all 18 quarries in Lijiang Scenic Area have been closed, 1.36 million square meters of green mountains have been restored, and 189 deforestation and reclamation sites have been renovated.
"The mine will be green again, looking forward to a green future," said Mao Chunfa.
"580 rural environmental improvement projects were completed, benefiting 1.46 million people"
"Over the years, we have witnessed the improvement of the village environment." In Dahebei Village, Xingping Town, Yangshuo County, Duan Youliang, the operator of "Shuimo House", said. In the past, the sewage pipeline of Dahebei Village was damaged and the sewage was directly discharged into the Lijiang River; The artificial masonry revetment is scoured by river water all the year round and is seriously damaged; The "zipper road" on the ground, the "spider web" on the route, and all kinds of illegal constructions are incompatible with the Lijiang River scenery. "The village is surrounded by water on three sides, which can develop the tourism industry logically, but the messy and poor appearance of the village can not attract tourists at all," said Duan Youliang.
At the end of 2019, Dahebei Village carried out ecological landscape restoration project. Advanced sewage treatment facilities, urbanization standard distribution network transformation, natural bluestone walkways, etc. changed the appearance of the village. Since 2011, Guilin has promoted environmental governance in an all-round way on the basis of protecting the ecology, and has continuously promoted projects such as landscape transformation, kitchen and toilet improvement, and landscaping.
"Guilin has completed 580 rural environmental improvement projects, benefiting more than 1.46 million people," said Wang Xiong, head of the Soil Environmental Management Section of Guilin Ecological Environment Bureau. In addition, a total of 68000 square meters of illegal structures were demolished along the Lijiang River. All 161 home ships in the urban section of the Lijiang River were moved ashore, and more than 80 abandoned ships and catering ships as well as more than 570 bamboo rafts without raft work permits were cleared and dismantled.
Take Dahebei Village as an example. In 2019, the number of tourists received by the whole village will be 140000, and in 2020 after environmental renovation, the number of tourists received will rise to 320000. "The landscape is the best in the world, and Guilin deserves its reputation." Duan Youliang smiled.
(Editor in charge: Zhou Yulie, Pang Guanhua)
