A river passes through Daxin town in Zhangjiagang, Suzhou, Jiangsu province. [Photo/WeChat account: zhangjiagangfabu365]

Zhangjiagang, a county-level city in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, has been making efforts to protect its rivers from pollution and beautify the riverside environment in recent years.

Zhangjiagang is home to more than 7,300 rivers and 80.4 kilometers of shorelines of the Yangtze River. In 2022, the city implemented beautification projects on 124 rivers.

Among them was Xujigang, a 2.55-km river and a major recreational destination for nearby residents. According to Fang Jian, a staff member from the Leyu town water conservancy, his colleagues have taken a series of measures, including dredging, clearing away garbage, and growing grass, to improve the river's water quality and appearance.

At Daxin town, more than 10 million yuan ($1.44 million) has been spent over the past three years on river restoration, said Li Zhiqiang, director of the Daxin town water conservancy. "We have demolished unauthorized building works along the Daxinhengtao River to stop the release of raw domestic sewage, dredged the river, and planted greenery," said Li.

Liu Wei, who works at the Zhangjiagang water resources bureau, said the city will beautify 31 rivers that measure 63 km combined and is aiming to have 500 beautiful rivers by the end of 2025.