BEIJING - A private home in an old hutong, or alleyway, in downtown Beijing has welcomed a group of rare guests -- five fledgling swallows. "I haven't seen a swallows' nest for over 30 years," said Fan Liandi, a retired Chinese language teacher. She lives at Dazhiqiao Hutong, just south of Xuanwumen in downtown Beijing. "Last year, I had the house gate repainted, and in spring, swallows started building a nest under the roof," Fan said. Many years ago, swallows were a common sight in Beijing, said Gao Wu, an ornithologist and professor at Capital Normal University. "When the population rose quickly, birds started to leave because they couldn't build nests on modern apartment buildings," said Gao. "The fact that they are coming back is a good phenomenon, it means the area is quiet enough, and there are abundant food resources," he said. Dazhiqiao Hutong is 186 meters long. Before the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it was a drainage ditch. Teahouses and restaurants started to be built in late Qing dynasty and it eventually became one of the most crowded and chaotic alleyways in southern part of downtown Beijing. Since April last year, illegally-constructed structures and hole-in-the-wall restaurants have been dismantled. Wires that used to criss-cross above the buildings were buried underground. Roads were expanded, and dilapidated houses repaired. Dazhiqiao is one of seven alleyways that have been renovated south of Xuanwumen. "The environment is much quieter now, and I guess that's why the birds are coming back," said Fan. Beijing's efforts to dismantle illegal constructions, build parks and wetlands, and restore ancient alleyways have helped clean up the city environment. According to municipal statistics, Beijing has built 210 large parks around the city. Its green-zone coverage is about 26.8 percent, up about 12 percentage points compared to the figure five years ago. Beijing currently has 50,000 hectares of wetlands. By 2020, it plans to add another 3,000 hectares. The green-zone coverage will be at least 30 percent by then, according to the government plan. Beijing Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, which monitors the wild bird population, said that from 2014 to 2015, there were about 150 species of birds in Beijing, and the number has risen to 200 since 2016. "These swallows will grow and one day they will leave my house, but I hope more birds will come and build nests here, like they did when I was young," said Fan. wellies and wristbandssilicone bracelets cheapprintable wristbandsmake your own rubber braceletcustom livestrong braceletscustom rubber band braceletsjordan wristbandsilicone fidget spinner
Yufan is a "longevity village" with 46 people over 80 years old in Xiantao, Hubei province. The oldest have lived more than 100 years. Outsiders have long marveled at the numbers, but until 2013 no one knew the reason. That year, the Hubei Geological Survey found that the soil in Xiantao is naturally enriched with selenium, or Se, one of the 14 essential trace elements that are good for human health. To better use the natural resources and tap the business opportunities brought by the soil, the Xiantao Se-enriched Industry Development Office was established last year. "The Xiantao government has made great efforts to promote innovative, eco-friendly planting of Se-enriched rice and beans, and the cooperation with the China Oils and Foodstuffs Corp sets a very good example," said Cheng Guohua, director of the office. After identifying the Se-enriched soil in Xiantao, COFCO signed a 14-year land transfer contract with farmers to plant Se-enriched rice in Lilinzui village, which is in a suburb of Xiantao. "We use an efficient rice-sowing method, spreading seeds directly on the land instead of using a nursery and transplantation method. Direct planting can save time and reduce labor costs," said Xiao Fenglin, COFCO Xiantao's production manager. "We also use an advanced production model that connects the company's planting base with farmers. This can improve labor productivity so that the farmers' income per hectare can increase by 50 to 100 yuan ($7.50 to $15) every year." To guarantee food security, only organic fertilizers and bio-pesticides can be used. The whole production, including processing, storage and logistics, is mechanized, said Wang Jiuju, vice-president of the company in Xiantao. In addition to planting Se-enriched rice, Xiantao also has developed Se-enriched food brands, such as Xilaifu bean paste, which embodies people's hopes that selenium will bring blessings to Xiantao. Yuan Youyuan, managing director of Xilaifu, has invested about 30 million yuan since the company was established in September, and said its profits are about 20 percent. "Natural, organic, Se-enriched beans in Xiantao are anti-cancer, healthy and can make people live longer. All the beans we use to produce bean paste are collected directly from the farmer and nothing is added." Local people's incomes have increased significantly since Xiantao started to develop the Se-enriched industry about two years ago. For example, normal rice is about 2.5 yuan per kilogram, but the Se-enriched rice is about 40 yuan per kg.
