Protecting Nature: How a fish farm turned into a popular getaway

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02:34

The saying goes clear waters and green mountains are as good as mountains of gold and silver. So turning a once smelly, polluted fish farm into a popular tourist attraction proved challenging for some in southwestern China. But as the nation's economy changes, many now realize the importance of sustainable development. CGTN's Tao Yuan shows us the efforts to re-invent this community.

Lunch time, Gu Wei sends meal boxes onto the islands. His hotel onshore is full. So he helps visitors set up tents for full nature experience.

GU WEI FARM STAY OWNER "We get so busy, especially during weekends and holidays. There's hardly any time for meals."

But Gu used to have a very different career.

TAO YUAN SANTAI COUNTY, SICHUAN PROVINCE "Up until a few years ago, this was a fish farm. At its peak, this small lake was producing 5 million kilos of fish per year."

Gu recalls the polluted water and foul smell.

GU WEI FARM STAY OWNER "How could we not notice the environmental damage? But it was our lifeline, and we were making a lot of money."

So it was time for a change of heart. But persuading villagers to kick their old habits proved challenging. Li Xiong rose to the occasion.

LI XIONG, VICE CHIEF PEOPLE'S GOVERNMENT OF LUBAN TOWNSHIP "I felt so much pressure. We told villagers to get rid of their fish cages and helped them sell their fish once and for all. They protested vehemently. But it had to be done for the sake of the environment."

Gu never thought he could thrive in a different career. Now for him, a healthy environment means good business. And these parents want nothing but the best for their children.

"There was a frog."

"We ate crabs."

"There were shrimp."

"Our children have grown up in the cities. They don't even know how to walk these muddy roads. For us it's very scary. We want to teach them to be brave, and to love nature and its insects and animals."

And for Gu, nothing is now more important than the mountains and water that have become part of his everyday life. Tao Yuan, CGTN, Santai County in Sichuan Province.