The Lijiang River in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, was once polluted by stone quarries, sand mining operations and waste discharge, but cleanup efforts have made a big difference, creating an iconic destination with rich biodiversity in the river and its surroundings.

From the river's source in the Mao'er highlands, clear waters wind through lush hills and verdant valleys help make Guilin a top tourist draw and a model of green development. The iconic river, flowing more than 160 kilometers through the city's picturesque karst landscape, is featured on the 20-yuan note of Chinese currency.

A new environment report shows that the water, air and biodiversity quality of the river has steadily climbed to top levels, and pollutants are at record lows.

The latest efforts in both public and private sectors to preserve and protect the major river and its flora and fauna are also tapping innovation and technology to take the green drive to its next stages, including a state-of-the-art 5G ecological protection and utilization platform.

Click the video to learn more about this beautiful river and its global green model of growth.

[Video by Yang Kaihang]