China is taking on a battle against pollution along the Yangtze River, a mother river that feeds almost half of the Chinese population, and is home to many endangered species.

In Ma'anshan City of east China's Anhui Province, the river has been heavily polluted. Known for its steel industry, the city's 23-km-long riverbank used to be cluttered with factories, shipyards and illegal wharfs. The pollution all went directly into the Yangtze River. Local official Chen Peng said the illegal wharfs and small-scale factories were the biggest polluters. The pollutants included waste water and dust that eventually went into the Yangtze River through the water cycle.

"The riverbank was dirty and messy, shipyards and wharfs caused severe noise pollution. You couldn't see the sky and the river clearly in the past," recalled Qin Lijun, a local resident and a former shipyard owner.

After receiving feedback from central environmental inspectors in recent years, the city realized the damage and launched a campaign to move the polluters away from the river bank. The local government has drawn red lines, and factories are now prohibited from operating within a one-kilometer range of the river. Over 150 illegal wharfs and 22 shipyards have been closed.

Qin Lijun's 10-year-long shipyard business came to an end in 2017, and since, he has embarked on ecotourism. Running a shipyard was a lucrative business, he said, the income could reach about two or three million yuan a year. Today, he makes less money, but has a bigger plan. "Since the environment got better, tourists from neighboring provinces often come here, many of whom would stop by to pick fruit, cook and stay at my house. My business will get bigger and more sustainable."

Like Qin, other business owners have turned to sustainable industries or relocated their factories. Their old production sites have been replaced by wetlands and nature parks. A local villager has witnessed the changes, and said "this place was full of private factories, making it difficult for us to travel. After the environmental campaign, we could hear birds singing, and see the return of wildlife."

Last month, China's Vice Premier Han Zheng visited the city. He said more efforts are needed to restore the ecology and environment of the Yangtze River.