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China's Pearl River region has embarked on a green development path, thanks to the water treatment efforts in the past years.

Liede River, a tributary of Pearl River, runs through downtown Guangzhou. Over the past few decades, rapid economic development and a sharp increase in population alongside the river have turned this area from a village to the most prosperous area in the metropolis.

However, this 5.1-kilometer-long river suffered deteriorating water quality in the wake of the growth.

Things changed after the Guangdong provincial government launched a campaign for water treatment in 2017.

Maozhou River in Shenzhen, once one of the most heavily polluted rivers in the city, has also embraced green transformation.

Through years of efforts, in 2019, all of the polluted water bodies in the 41.61-kilometer-long river were treated.