40 Years On: China’s South-North Water Transfer Project pays off

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Diverting water from south China, which has more water resources, to the arid northern region is considered one of the biggest projects in the country's history. The city of Xuchang in Henan province used to suffer water shortages just four years ago. But things are changing. CGTN's Li Jianhua has visited a local home to find out more.

Visitors can look around the central Chinese City of Xuchang on a boat. But not too long ago, it was practically impossible.

With eight lakes scattered in town, it's hard to imagine water scarcity was once a severe problem here. To find out what life used to be, we visited a local home.

As part of the Chinese tradition, the host welcomes us by making tea. Yet this was considered a luxury just four years ago – now it's different.

SHENG ZHENJIAO XUCHANG RESIDENT "You don't see the limescale inside the kettle after making tea. The water current is strong when you turn on the tap in the morning – it was quite different before. The water quality is higher as well."

And this is a picture showing residents queuing for water in the past, a scene that is all too familiar to Sheng.

This is the Danjiangkou Reservoir, where Xuchang's current water supply originates. It didn't come easy – the two places are over 300 kilometers apart.

MA JUNMIN ENGINEER, XUCHANG LAKE WATER CONTROL CENTER "The water came to Xuchang in April 2014, thanks to the South-North Water Transfer Project. It has addressed the water scarcity in the city. And the residents here have access to the high-quality water from the Danjiangkou Reservoir. The ground water we drank before has been used as ecological water supplies."

We came to the channel built as part of the water transfer project. The gate to the canal is locked up to ensure water quality, as it runs northward to the country's capital Beijing.

LI JIANHUA XUCHANG, HENAN PROVINCE "This channel behind me was built under the project of diverting water from southern China to its northern regions. The city suffered a severe water shortage just before 2014, and water quality was well below national standards. Despite the controversy of the project, it is benefiting local residents. LJH, CGTN, XUCHANG, HENAN PROVINCE."