Shizuishan, an old industrial city in Ningxia Hui autonomous region, was once full of mine pits and devastation. Today, the city is now full of trees.
City, mountain and water combine in a picture of harmony between humans and nature. Because of ecological protection efforts in the Yellow River basin, the city has realized a green transformation.
Dancing by the river [Photo by Lu Youtan]
In the evening, on the mud flats reflecting the afterglow of sunset, several wintering common cranes (Grus grus) dance on the banks of the Yellow River, an ecological gift given by nature to the people of Shizuishan.
A flock at twilight [Photo by Lu Youtan]
"Common cranes like to winter here and fly to Siberia in summer. In winter, they fly to northern China. The number of common cranes wintering in the Yellow River's Shizuishan section is about 5,000 per year," said Lu Youtan, the photographer.
Cranes' footprints [Photo by Lu Youtan]
There is a line in an old Chinese poem referring to "a wild crane's footprints on mud or snow". The cranes stood, seemingly attracted by the snow in Shizuishan.