Daihu Lake: Ecological restoration revives a mountain jewel

By Liu Xinyu and Liang Qinqing

(ECNS) – Overseas Chinese media and community leaders visited Daihu Lake in Beibei District, Chongqing, on Friday as part of a joint tour highlighting the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle.

The construction of the lake was organized in 1931 by patriotic industrialist Lu Zuofu. It covers about 20,000 square meters with a total capacity of 125,000 cubic meters.

Nestled in Jinyun Mountain, the lake serves as an algal gene bank. Home to approximately 140 species of desmids, it is widely regarded as a "treasure house of aquatic desmids."

Yet, this ecological gem once suffered greatly from unregulated tourism development, which severely degraded its water quality and ecosystem over the years.

To reverse the damage, the Beibei District government launched a comprehensive ecological restoration project in 2019. Adopting the "mountain-stream-pond composite ecosystem" approach, authorities relocated encroaching buildings and carried out large-scale vegetation restoration. 

Authorities planted more than 80 species of trees, shrubs and aquatic plants across 28,900 square meters, successfully restoring 17,900 square meters of water area.

In the summer of 2022, a wildfire ravaged Jinyun Mountain, severely damaging its forests and ecology. In response, Beibei initiated a systematic post-disaster restoration project across the entire mountain area.

Years of rehabilitation have since turned the "burn scars" into lush green landscapes, complementing the earlier water-focused revival of Daihu Lake.

Today, the lake's looped trail winds along the shoreline, lined with flowers and greenery, with different views unfolding across the seasons.

Beibei has embarked on a comprehensive journey of ecological restoration - from protecting biodiversity and healing the mountain's natural form, to turning high-quality ecological resources into a driver for cultural tourism.

"Through systematic restoration, the lake now strikes a balance between ecology and tourism, benefiting both local residents and visitors. This model could serve as a valuable reference for water landscape restoration projects both at home and abroad," said Chen Ge, vice president of the Zambia Chinese Association during the visit.