Formerly polluted Yundang Lake transforms into natural haven in Xiamen, SE China

Visitors take photos under silk floss trees at Yundang Academy, a cultural landmark located beside Yundang Lake in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province. (People's Daily Online/Chen Bo)

The once foul-smelling Yundang Lake in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, has transformed, boasting lush green shores and abundant water wildlife.

Through a slew of measures, including pollution source elimination, dredging, water diversion projects and park development, local authorities have turned the lake into a wildlife sanctuary, dubbed the city's "green lung" and "living room."

The water in Yundang Lake is much cleaner now, with greater reoxygenation capacity and increasing biodiversity.

In recent years, researchers have identified 63 species of aquatic animals, 12 species of floating plants, and 14 types of bottom-dwelling creatures in the lake. Notably, rare and protected species such as whitespotted pygmy filefish and the Chinese horseshoe crab have been discovered among them.

About 26,000 square meters of forests, with trees like Kandelia candel and grey mangrove, have been planted on the island in the middle of the lake. This helps blend the lake's natural environment with its flood control infrastructure.