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Jiashan and Haiyan counties in Jiaxing, East China's Zhejiang province, are set to pilot the construction of "happy rivers and lakes" in the province. [Photo/cnjxol.com]

Jiashan and Haiyan counties in Jiaxing, East China's Zhejiang province, will pilot the construction of "happy rivers and lakes" in the province, according to local provincial authorities.

Jiashan will invest 621.8 million yuan ($95.2 million) to renovate 98.91 kilometers of river courses, including two major riverways and 63 rural rivers in seven towns and subdistricts. It will also build 137.53 km of embankment.

Haiyan will build three provincial "beautiful rivers and lakes", six "beautiful water towns", 10 municipal "beautiful rivers and lakes", 30 county-level "beautiful rivers and lakes", and one aquaculture development belt centered around the Baiyang River.

It also plans to invest 4.04 billion yuan in a river management project, including 571.96 million yuan to be invested in 2021.

"The 'happy rivers and lakes' are the upgraded 'beautiful rivers and lakes'," said Pan Kan, director of the Jiaxing water resources bureau, noting that Jiaxing has been boosting its goals from simple river management to creating "beautiful rivers and lakes".

In recent years, the local water resources bureau has ramped up efforts to promote the construction of "beautiful rivers and lakes" and the unique features of different counties and districts in the city.

To date, Jiaxing has created 23 provincial "beautiful rivers and lakes" and 178 municipal "beautiful rivers and lakes".