He Yufeng, 63, the "protector" of the Guishui River in the suburban Yanqing District of Beijing, has volunteered to clean up the garbage along the river for more than 20 years.
"I had two wishes -- one was to become a torchbearer at the Beijing Winter Olympics, the other was to protect the environment of Yanqing, one of the three competition zones of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics," she said.
On Feb. 3, the day before the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics, He Yufeng realized her first dream to attend the Beijing 2022 Olympic Torch Relay at the International Grape Exhibition Garden beside the Guishui River. "It was a great honor for me," she added.
Several days later, He Yufeng printed out the photos during her torch relay and hung them on the wall, surrounded by pictures taken when she was cleaning the waste along the river and on the streets. "I just did what I thought was right, but I didn't expect to gain so much recognition."
"More than 20 years ago, I saw a plastic bag floating on the water not far from the river bank when I was walking by. I tried to pick it up with a tree branch and found a fish trapped in the bag slip away quickly. I noticed that the water was not as clear as before," she recalled.
Since then, He Yufeng started to clean up the garbage by the river regularly and reminded people who came to fish or camp to sort the waste, contributing to improving the water environment.
Currently, over 80 volunteers have joined her to protect the environment in Yanqing. Their protection work includes the rivers, gardens, and streets in the district.
"Then, Beijing became a dual-Olympic city. I have witnessed the development of the country and the improvement of the environment of the Guishui river," He Yufeng said.
The Winter Olympics and Paralympics boosted the environmental improvement in Yanqing, said Hu Jialin, deputy director of the district's water authority. "We have made great efforts to improve the water quality of a 12-km-long watercourse, including the Guishui river."
The water environment in the Chinese capital, in general, has also become increasingly better in recent years.
The ecological restoration of Beijing's rivers and lakes, combined with efforts at water conservation, has resulted in a significant rise in the city's groundwater level, said the Beijing Water Authority.
The groundwater depth in the plain area of Beijing had risen for six consecutive years as of 2021, said the authority. The over-exploited regions in the Chinese capital decreased by 82 percent compared with 2015.
The restored water environment also brings more ecological benefits to the public. Pan Anjun, chief of the authority, said the species of plants and animals increased substantially over these years, further enriching the biodiversity in water areas.
