Water from the Yellow River is once again being diverted to Tianjin to help alleviate the city's water shortage. On Saturday, the water began traveling along a 580-kilometer route to reach Tianjin, which lies 180 kilometers northeast of Beijing.

The largest coastal city in north China has suffered a serious water shortage due to an eight-year dry spell. With a population of 7 million, the city has adopted water-saving methods and raised the price of water to help reduce daily consumption. But the shortage still remains a problem.

Under the project, Tianjin will receive 2.3 billion cubic meters of water during 110 days of diversion. Water has successfully been diverted from the Yellow River to Tianjin eight times over the past three years.

(CCTV.com October 10, 2004)