A section of greenway erected along the Yonganxi River in Xianju county of Taizhou. [Photo/WeChat account:tzfb001]

After suffering from serious pollution, the Yonganxi River ecosystem in Xianju county of Taizhou has been restored. 

Stretching 141 kilometers throughout Xianju, the Yonganxi River, which has 38 tributaries, covers a total area of 2,000 square meters. 

The ecosystem improvement was made possible through local authorities' sustained efforts to battle against pollution. In the past few years, chemical plants near the river have been dismantled or relocated far from it. 

The medical device industry has gradually replaced the traditional pharmaceutical and chemicals industry in Xianju, becoming a new driving force fueling local economic development.

From January to June, the sales revenue of the medical device industry in Xianju reached 141 million yuan ($20.43 million), representing a yearly uptick of 78.95 percent, official data shows. 

At the end of 2017, the Yonganxi River was rated as the "most beautiful mother river" by the Ministry of Water Resources, the only river in Zhejiang province to win the honor.

In addition to dealing with the pollution problem, a large number of greenways have also been built along the river, which links together the tourism resources scattered alongside it, such as idyllic fields, forests, streams, as well as ancient villages and towns.

As a result, the accumulated tourism resources have promoted the development of the local homestay industry. 

Currently, Xianju is home to six high-end homestays, with an investment of over 100 million yuan each. A total of 398 households from the county are engaged in the homestay business, offering a total of 7,055 beds.

Chen Jiangfei, operator of a local homestay, said that his homestay's business is getting increasingly better due to the improved environment and called for more efforts to protect the Yonganxi River.