Few people thought that the "acid rain capital" in Southwest China could clean up its environment and air while maintaining its industrial strength.

Liuzhou's environmental protection work has set a good example for the transformation of other industrial cities in China. The city said its changes proved that a balance between industrial development and a good environment could be achieved.

Local people recalled the miserable memories left by Liuzhou's acid rain in the 1980s and 1990s and farmers said the water was a "pest" that "ate" their crops.The heavy chemical industry boosted Liuzhou's fast economic growth for 20 years but the extensive growth model took a heavy toll on the environment.