63-year-old Hu Wenjin is an amateur photographer living in Taiyuan, capital city of north China's Shanxi Province. He's been photographing birds along the Fenhe River for seven years, three to four times a week.

"Almost every time I'm here, I see lots of birds," Hu said. "Sometimes there are rare species of migrant birds. Among the rarest are flamingos. They once stayed here for a couple of days."

But Hu says the picture here was different many years ago. "Nearly a decade ago, the river was so polluted you could barely see wild birds," said Hu.

Fenhe River is the second longest tributary of the Yellow River and the mother river of Shanxi. It stretches more than 700 kilometers across the province. In the past, over exploitation of sand and sewage discharge into the river had either dried, or contaminated the waters.

In 2017, Shanxi launched a campaign to reverse the situation along the Fenhe River. More than 17 billion yuan, or $2.4 billion was spent to improve its waters, restore the ecological conditions, and build infrastructure.

More than 600 hectares of wetlands now cover the Fenhe River in Taiyuan. Lush water plants help purify the waters.

Sewage disposal systems were installed to process domestic sewage from the city. And more than 70 water quality monitoring stations were set up and work around the clock.

By June of 2020, the water quality of Fenhe River in the province had reached "Grade V" and above, which means it was fit for irrigation or industrial use.

In Taiyuan City, Fenhe River stretches 43 kilometers from north to south. The Fenhe Park was built along both banks of the river, stretching almost its full length. It's now a signature scenic spot in Taiyuan. And more importantly, an indispensable place for locals to enjoy life on a daily basis.

The Fenhe Park welcomes most visitors in the morning and at dusk. It's now a hotspot for locals to do various cultural and sports activities.

A new highlight of the park is the two cycleways, parallel to both banks of the Fenhe River, built and opened last year.

Guo Fan is the Chief of Publicity Department of Taiyuan Fenhe River Scenic Spot Management Committee. She said in the next stage, they will focus on enhancing the level of management and service to make the scenic spot more comfortable and convenient for visitors.

Hu says his camera has so far captured more than 160 different species of birds. Many are under national-level protection. He feels happy to see as the environment gets better, more wild birds are coming.

He also revealed that many portrait photographers he knows now have shifted to photograph birds here and have even become obsessed with them.

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