Once praised by poets as a beautiful scenery and later criticized as a "scar", this river has finally "resurrected"!

The Hutuo River originates from Fanshi County, Shanxi Province, flows through Shanxi and Hebei provinces and flows into the sea. The main stream is 588 kilometers long, of which 205 kilometers are in Shijiazhuang. It flows through four districts and six counties in Shijiazhuang City and is the largest and most important flood-carrying river in Shijiazhuang City. A poet once used "The clouds are bright and the waves are deep and shallow, and the wind rolls away the clouds. The clear waves are floating on the moon, and the waves gather on the sand." to describe the beauty of the Hutuo River at dusk. However, since the 1970s, the water flow from the upper reaches has decreased, the Hutuo River has been cut off, the vegetation on the riverside is sparse, the illegal mining of river sand is endless, and the soil is seriously desertified. It was once called the "Shimen Scar", and the mother river has become the main source of wind and sand in Shijiazhuang.

Data picture: Scenery of Hutuo River

Shijiazhuang City regards the ecological restoration of the Hutuo River as a concrete practice of the concept of "Green water and green mountains are gold and silver mountains", and deepens the management of the Hutuo River. Since 2017, Shijiazhuang City has implemented an ecological restoration project in the Hutuo River Basin in three phases. Through comprehensive renovation such as road construction and embankment, dredging of river channels, backfilling of sand pits, restoration of wetlands, construction of dams for water storage, restoration of lake water ecological environment, and planting of trees and greening, by August 2023, 208 hectares of water areas were restored, 1,076 hectares of river banks were greened, and 41 kilometers of main roads were built, forming a green ecological landscape corridor integrating five major functions of protection, viewing, leisure, fitness and popular science. The Hutuo River has become Shijiazhuang's largest urban "green lung" and has achieved a win-win situation in ecological and economic benefits. While restoring the ecology of the Hutuo River, Shijiazhuang City has built a cultural tourism avenue along the river, connecting cultural landmarks such as Zhengding Ancient City, Dongyuan Ancient City Ruins, Zhongshan Ancient City National Archaeological Site Park, and Xibaipo, forming a cultural landscape axis. Today, traveling up and down the Hutuo River, savoring ancient cities, visiting holy places, and viewing the beauty of Taihang have become classic cultural tourism brands in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Data picture: Enjoy the Hutuo River and walk along the three-color scenic road

Today, along the Hutuo River, there are beautiful views and spring everywhere. The ecological blueprint has become a beautiful reality, and Shijiazhuang's "Mother River" has become more colorful. Zhoujiazhuang Village, Quyangqiao Town, Zhengding County, Shijiazhuang City, which once relied on the Hutuo River to produce "tribute rice", has resumed rice planting after many years. Zhoujiazhuang Village is relying on the rice-crab symbiosis model to develop characteristic industries and promote rural revitalization. The villagers of Tayuanzhuang, Zhengding County, who live along the river, have developed modern agriculture, tourism, health care and other industries based on the beautiful Hutuo River landscape. Rural revitalization has entered the fast lane, and the annual per capita income of the whole village exceeds 30,000 yuan. Now more and more birds are settling in the Hutuo River to live and raise their chicks, such as egrets, red-billed pochards, and little swans. The revitalized Hutuo River is becoming a "bird paradise."

The towering Taihang Mountains and the surging Hutuo River complement each other, and the water city blends in. Under the guidance of the "two mountains" concept, the Hutuo River is constantly changing its appearance in the harmonious coexistence of man and nature.

Review expert: Gao Zhiling, Professor of College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University

China Association for Science and Technology Department of Science Popularization

Xinhuanet

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