Villagers volunteer as 'riverkeepers' for the Hanjiang River in Shaanxi

As the primary water source for the middle route of China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project, the Hanjiang River, the largest tributary of the Yangtze River, holds immense environmental significance, particularly in safeguarding its source waters.

For residents in Hanshuiyuan village in Ningqiang county, Hanzhong city, Shaanxi province, - the birthplace of the Hanjiang River - they are all the guardians of this beautiful river.

"As a volunteer 'riverkeeper', I patrol the Hanjiang River every morning and afternoon," said Zhang Jirong, a resident of Hanshuiyuan village.

Zhang's family has earned a reputation for their dedicated protection of the Hanjiang River in the local area. It was Zhang Banggui, his grandfather, who initiated the practice of volunteering to patrol the river and collect litter in the waterway.

Located at the very source of the Hanjiang river, Zhang Banggui's ancestral home stands just a mere 10 meters away from the purest waters of the Hanjiang. Local village authorities said that he was the pioneer in fostering water conservation awareness within the community.

Starting in 2003, Zhang Banggui, an elderly man, embarked on a daily 5-kilometer walk along the riverbanks, diligently gathering various forms of waste left behind by villagers and visitors, armed with a pair of pliers and a trash bag. His decades-long actions told the villagers and tourists the significance of safeguarding the source of Hanjiang River. And he persisted in this for 15 years until his death in 2018.

Reflecting on his mission, Zhang Banggui once said: "Since I knew that my home was the first household at the source of the Hanjiang River, I have always felt a sense of responsibility to preserve the water source. When I see someone damaging the environment, I feel uncomfortable. Safeguarding the Hanjiang water is not just a choice but my inherent duty, considering its eventual journey to Beijing."

Inspired by Zhang's unwavering commitment, an increasing number of villagers took up brooms to voluntarily engage in garbage collection efforts, ensuring the river's cleanliness. The entire village embraced the roles of advocates and guardians of the Hanjiang headwaters.

Nowadays, Hanshuiyuan village has established over ten public service posts, each overseen by dedicated personnel responsible for supervising the river cleaning operations. Retired urban residents from Ningqiang county are progressively joining this noble cause, with young students also contributing their time on weekends to partake in litter collection activities and safeguarding the water source.

Except for the organic community initiatives, the local government has also adopted a flexible water management strategy that integrates engineering projects to address flood control deficiencies and ecological governance to preserve the quality of the water source.

Since 2013, a series of measures have been implemented, including the treatment of 18 kilometers of riverbanks, the construction of 21.4 kilometers of levees, the establishment of 5 water power self-control sluice gate projects, the renovation of 2.6 kilometers of sewage pipelines and 7.4 kilometers of sewage channels, the greening of 4.2 hectares of riverbanks, and the planting of over 700 mu (46.67 hectares) of aquatic plants. Notably, this effort has led to the creation of more than 20 mu (1.33 hectares) of artificial wetlands, bolstering the water source conservation capacity and fostering a robust aquatic ecosystem.

In recent years, the outflow water quality of the Hanjiang River has consistently maintained a Class II rating, with the overall water environment quality consistently ranking among the best in the Shaanxi province.

This success ensures that the vision "a clear stream continues to flow northwards to safeguard the water quality in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region" is realized while also bringing tangible benefits from Hanjiang River to local people.