Entrepreneur transforms polluted river into ecological park

By Shen Yuan, Yichang International Communication Studio

In three years, Sun Xiaohua transformed a polluted river in Sunjiagang Village, Yichang into a beautiful wetland park.

Sun Xiaohua invested more than 10 million yuan (US$1.39 million) into his hometown in order to treat the polluted river, helping local villagers to develop industries along the way.

In 2019, Sun Xiaohua, head of an environmental engineering enterprise, was summoned back to his hometown to address the pressing issue of water pollution. He promptly answered the call and initiated efforts to secure funding for the water treatment project.

In regard to the 35 mu (2.3 hectares) polluted pond, he said, “it was quite an eyesore to me. How can we live in such an inferior environment?”

Sun successfully applied innovative methods to restore the rural water environment. Employing engineering techniques such as suctioning and solidification, he effectively eliminated the black, odorous sludge that had accumulated at the bottom of the waterways.



Sun then embarked on a comprehensive restoration plan. He planted a diverse array of aquatic plants in Sunjiagang and introduced a variety of aquatic life including fish, snails, river mussels, and pond frogs, to build a balanced and self-sustaining ecosystem.

Over the course of three years, Sun invested a total of more than 12 million yuan to transform the waste pits and ponds into an ecological park.



The remarkable improvements in the local environment brought newfound prosperity to the community. Sun took the lead in investing in various sectors, including green cultivation, vegetable processing, recreational picking and fishing, rural tourism, and homestay accommodations.

With enhanced water quality, local melons have begun to taste sweeter and their sales volumes have increased rapidly. In late July, the villagers harvesting melons in their greenhouses generated a staggering income of over 600,000 yuan (US$83,310) across 56 greenhouses.

Three Gorges Daily's Liu Zirong, Jin Guiman and Li Pengfei contributed the original Chinese story for this report.

Photo by Publicity Department of the CPC Zhijiang Municipal Committee.