Green Chinese Dream: Ecological milestones in Tibet

From river to lake: a dam connecting scenic parks attracts wild gulls

"For me, this is not merely where I live. It is more of a place where I can watch the birds every day," said Qiangba, a local resident, while standing on the third dam built over the urban section of the Lhasa River in Lhasa.

The construction of the dam began in March 2013, and stretches 1.04 kilometers from the Sun Island down the Lhasa River. By July 2014, a 581-meter-long dam with 30 apertures already stood over the river.

The dam, capable of river channeling, water storage and traffic connection, has created a 930,000-square-meter flat lake on the highland. According to Teng Baoting, deputy director general of the Forestry Bureau of Lhasa, the dam has increased the air humidity by nearly eight percent and improved the ecology overall since its operation from October 2016,

Over the past four years, the construction and operation of the dam and the scenic parks along the river banks have transformed the stone beaches into a land with lush trees and flowers, a favorable environment for both the wild birds and the residents.