NANNING -- The city of Guilin in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region has launched an integrated conservation and restoration project on the Lijiang River basin to protect its ecological environment.

A total of 83 sub-projects, with an investment of over 5.49 billion yuan ($814.4 million), will be implemented in three years, according to the city's natural resources authorities.

Hailed as one of the most beautiful rivers on Earth, the Lijiang River, where clean water flows between the scenic karst mountains, winds through four counties in Guilin. The Lijiang River has not only been mentioned in Chinese textbooks but also appears on the back of China's 20-yuan banknote.

In recent years, China has been making continuous efforts to better protect the ecological environment of the picturesque river amid its construction of an ecological civilization system.