A bird's-eye view of the Finless Porpoise Bay in Junshan District, Yueyang, central China's Hunan Province. Once crowded with sand mining boats, it is now the most beautiful Yangtze River coastline. [Photo by Li Yani]

Yueyang, an ancient city with a history of over 2,500 years, is where the Xiangjiang River, Dongting Lake and Yangtze River meet. During his visit to the Hualong Wharf in Junshan District of Yueyang, central China's Hunan Province, on April 25, 2018, President Xi Jinping spoke highly of what Yueyang had done to protect the Yangtze River, saying, "We must never see the ecological environment of the Yangtze River continue to deteriorate in our generation, and we must leave a clean and beautiful Yangtze River for future generations!"

A district full of life

As the morning light breaks through the willow trees and the warm sunlight pours on the Yangtze River, the citizens do their morning exercises on the marathon track along the river. As night falls and the street lights turn on, square dancers dance to the rhythmic melody along the scenic belt. Green surges onto the river bonds, and the Junshan Mountain, nestled in rivers and lakes, shines like the pearl of the Dongting Lake.