Cranes fly over the Yellow River Delta wetland in Dongying, Shandong province. ZHANG XIAOLONG/FOR CHINA DAILY

The sand and mud carried by the Yellow River has significantly decreased thanks to a series of ecological protection and restoration projects such as wetland restoration and desertification control in the upper reaches of the river.

Located in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, Shanxi benefits from these protection and restoration projects. The province, once heavily dependent on the coal industry, is now committed to achieving results in ecological environment protection.

The forest coverage rate in Shanxi has increased from 18.03 percent in 2010 to 23.57 percent in 2020, with the rate in the Yellow River Basin reaching 25.25 percent, according to provincial government statistics.

In the Hukou Waterfall scenic area, Jixian county had invested more than 23 million yuan since 2020 to expand forest coverage, planting over 15,000 evergreen trees, more than 20,000 flowering shrubs, 17,000 lilacs, 50,000 ivy plants, and cultivating over 40,000 sq m of perennial flowers and grasses, according to the statistics released in 2023.

The province will implement the Regulations on Ecological Protection and High-Quality Development in the Yellow River Basin of Shanxi Province on Oct 1.

The regulations request the integration of key afforestation projects across the province to build a forest system, and a gradual increase in the forest coverage rate in the Yellow River Basin, said Sun Junrong, deputy director of the Legal Affairs Committee of the Standing Committee of the Shanxi Provincial People's Congress.

"With the collaborative efforts along the river, I believe the Yellow River will become more beautiful," said Lyu.