China invests heavily in river control at revolution cradle

Northwest China's Shaanxi Province has earmarked 9 billion yuan (1.38 billion U.S. dollars) to clean up the river that runs to Yan'an, the "red cradle of the Chinese revolution."

The investment will be allocated to flood prevention, pollution control, and landscape projects along the Yanhe River, a major branch of the Yellow River.

"In five years, the revolutionary base will become a green resort," Shaanxi Governor Lou Qinjian said at a conference on the project on Monday, adding that 5 billion yuan will be spent over the next five years as the first stage.

The 287-km-long Yanhe River covers an area of 7,300 square km in Yan'an, 20 percent of the city's territory. The river and its banks suffer from serious soil erosion, water pollution and fragile environment, which is in sharp contrast to the historic glory of the city, said Lou.

The project is part of provincial efforts to ensure water security and rehabilitate its environment. It will include embankment reinforcement, afforestation, landscaping and preservation of cultural heritage along the river.

It is believed that the project will not only improve local ecology, but also help preserve the cultural legacy of the revolutionary base.

Located on the Loess Plateau, Yan'an is known to the world through the writings of Edgar Snow, an American journalist who went to Yan'an in the 1930s and met with late chairman Mao Zedong, experiences that informed the book "Red Star Over China." Endi