Rare aquatic plants and birds have been spotted in Yunnan province's Eryuan county, the main water source of Erhai Lake, thanks to sustained environmental restoration efforts, local officials said on Wednesday.

The Cibi flower (Nymphaea tetragona), a native aquatic plant in Cibi Lake, disappeared from the lake a decade age because of deterioration of the aquatic ecosystem, said Li Guo, director of the construction and management bureau of the Happy River and Lake project.

With the implementation of China's river and lake chief system since 2016, the county has carried out systematic treatment of Cibi Lake and adjoining rivers, he said. The chief system appoints local Party and government officials as chiefs to protect and manage specific water bodies.

Li said the lake's water quality has improved significantly in recent years, remaining at or even above Grade II (the second-best level in China's five-tier water quality system). As a result, the Cibi flowers have reappeared.

"The Cibi flower is extremely sensitive to the environment. Its reappearance marks significant progress in our ecological conservation efforts," he said.