BEIJING－He Yufeng, the "protector" of the Guishui River in the suburban Yanqing district of Beijing, has been volunteering to clean up garbage along its banks for over 20 years. "I had two wishes－one was to become a torchbearer at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics Games, and the other was to protect the environment of Yanqing, one of the three competition zones of the Games," said He, 63.

On Feb 3, the day before the opening of the Games, her first dream came true when she participated in the torch relay at the International Grape Exhibition Garden beside the river. "It was a great honor," she said.

Several days later, He printed out photos taken during the relay and hung them on the wall, surrounded by pictures taken while she cleaned up waste along the river and on the streets. "I just did what I thought was right, but I didn't expect to gain so much recognition," she said.

It took just one piece of rubbish to spark her passion for cleanup.

"More than 20 years ago, I saw a plastic bag floating on the water not far from the river bank while I was walking by," she recalled. "I tried to pick it up with a tree branch and saw a fish trapped in the bag slip away quickly. I noticed that the water was not as clear as it had been before."

She started to remove garbage from the river regularly and began reminding people who came to fish or camp to dispose of their waste properly. More than 80 volunteers have joined her in protecting the environment in Yanqing since then. They clean the district's rivers, gardens and streets. "Then, Beijing became a dual-Olympic city. I have witnessed the development of the country and the improvement of the environment around the Guishui," He said.

According to Hu Jialin, deputy director of the district's water authority, the Winter Olympics and Paralympics boosted environmental improvement in Yanqing. "We have worked hard to improve the water quality of a 12-kilometer-long watercourse, including the Guishui," Hu said.

The aquatic environment in the Chinese capital in general has improved in recent years.

The restoration of Beijing's rivers and lakes, combined with water conservation, has resulted in a significant rise in the city's groundwater level, according to the Beijing Water Authority.

The groundwater level in the city's plains has risen for the last six consecutive years, the authority said, while the number of over-exploited regions has decreased by 82 percent compared to 2015.

The restored aquatic environment has also brought ecological benefits to the public. Pan Anjun, chief of the authority, said the species of plants and animals have increased substantially in recent years, further enriching biodiversity in watery areas.

Xinhua