The 1st Winter Swimming Invitational Tournament with the theme of “River Chief in Charge, Swim in Huangbai River” was held in Yiling district from Feb. 3 to Feb. 4. 200 contestants who came from Yichang, Jingmen and Shayang swam in Huangbai River, the tributary of the Yangtze River, to witness the achievements of ecological management in Yiling district.

　　Yiling district is a national key ecological function area, an urban water source conservation area as well as an important ecological barrier area of the Three Gorges Dam reservoir area. The Huangbai River is a tributary of the Yangtze River, which is the water source of drinking water of 2 million people and farmland irrigation water of 1 million mu in Yichang city. Previously, due to exploiting mineral of the upstream and pollution of industrial and agricultural production, the water quality of the Huangbai River became worse and not suitable for swimming. In recent years, Yiling District, as the first batch of pilot projects in the country, has fully implemented the “river chief” and set up the first environmental protection police brigade and environmental emergency command center in Yichang City to explore six levels of ecological management system of “environmental legislation, administrative reform, capital market, industrial transformation, infrastructure, civic awareness”. The ecological environment of Huangbai River Basin has been gradually improved through comprehensive management.

　　On the day of the match, as the gun fired, the swimmers dived and cleaved through the waves in Huangbai River, racing each other. The crowds, moved by the fighting spirit of the contestants, cheered for them enthusiastically, with their cheering sound heard from both sides of the Huangbai River. The swimming link was followed by individual speedily cross match. And winter swimming enthusiasts from everywhere jumped into the water in turn looking like blooming flowers in the river. Finally, Zeng Wei, Chen Dongdong, Cao Shibin, Pi Dongchen, Jian Aihua won the championship of each group.

　　On this tournament, the clear water of Huangbai River was a hot topic among winter swimming enthusiasts. Speaking of the mother river, Mr Zeng, the member of Winter Swimming Association in Yiling district had a lot say and he mentioned that “we had to go to a long way for winter swimming in the past, but now we could swim near our home. The clean water together with beautiful scenery brings us comfortable swimming environment! “ The Huangbai River also got the thumb up from Ms. Jian Aihua, a winter swimming enthusiast out of the Province, and she said “Huangbai River is so clear. Yiling district is really beautiful, and we will come again .” (Journalist Huang Shanguo, Correspondent Zhang Guorong)